Germany’s Frankfurt am Main, January 12, 2024, Global business opportunities, new relationships with decision-makers, and an endless stream of visitors: At the end of Heimtextil 2024, there were 2,838 exhibitors from 60 countries, representing a 25% increase, and 46,000 visitors[1] from about 130 countries. The concert triumphed against challenging travel conditions brought on by nationwide train strikes and local protests thanks to an increase in attendance. The new Carpets & Rugs product segment’s quality and diversity received an incredible reaction from purchasers abroad. Heimtextil also addressed two of the most significant and pressing issues of the upcoming decades in several lectures, seminars, and workshops: artificial intelligence and sustainable production and action. At the major trade exhibition for home and contract textiles, changes could be experienced more thoroughly than ever before.
Strong enough to cross countries, Heimtextil 2024 set the stage for a historic year for Messe Frankfurt. From upholstery and decorative fabrics, bed and bathroom textiles, mattresses, functional textiles, and carpets to wallpapers, outdoor fabrics, artificial leather, curtains, fibers, yarns, sleeping systems, and decorative cushions, 46,000 buyers from about 130 countries took advantage of the chance to participate in the global textile market. This year’s event saw a 25% rise in exhibitor numbers from the previous year, with 2,838 exhibitors from 60 countries, despite nationwide rail strikes. Additionally, visitor numbers were up. “Heimtextil concludes with a resounding vote. According to Detlef Braun, a member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt, “the increase in space, exhibitors, and visitors in 2024 makes it clear that the leading trade fair for home and contract textiles remains on course for growth – and sets new standards for a sustainable and AI-driven textile industry.”
Excellent transcontinental: both national and international engagement is growing
Heimtextil was able to raise the exhibitor side’s level of internationality to 95%. China, India, Turkey, Pakistan, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Great Britain, and the Netherlands were the top 10 exhibiting nations. The number of exhibitors from Egypt, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, India, Japan, Poland, and Sweden increased. China, Germany, India, Japan, Croatia, Macedonia, Pakistan, Slovakia, and Cyprus were the countries with the highest number of visitors. There was an approximate ten percent increase in the number of German trade visitors.
Considerable improvement in visitor quality and satisfaction
The satisfaction of visitors increased to 93% on average in 2024, both domestically and abroad, thanks in large part to the offering’s depth and breadth. Overall satisfaction increased to 88% among German trade visitors, a seven percentage point increase. More than 90% of attendees fulfilled their objectives at the trade show. The higher caliber of visitors and their greater purchasing power also impressed the exhibitors; among purchasers, the percentage of top decision-makers grew by six percentage points to 78%. Around 80% of exhibitors achieved their trade fair goals.
Excellent beginnings for the new Carpets & Rugs its products
The new Carpets & Rugs section launched with great success. With great joy, the world’s carpet industry came together for the first time to display in one hall, including several leading worldwide brands who were exhibiting in Frankfurt for the first time or after a lengthy absence:
We deliberately displayed our whole collection for our Frankfurt premiere, and it proved to be a wise move. One of Belgium’s top companies, Ragolle Rugs, has a lot of followers on social media. “We made many new global contacts – from Europe to overseas, from Asia to Scandinavia,” explains CEO Katrien Vandenbroucke.
“We returned because we thought the new idea had possibilities. “We were pleasantly surprised, to be honest,” says Raghav Gupta, Director of E-Commerce at The Rug Republic, an Indian firm that sells premium handcrafted carpets.
The industry expressed a strong desire for a new united appearance, and Frankfurt delivered. Future-focused exhibitors include the Egyptian Oriental Weavers Group:
“We find the new concept to be convincing. From the beginning, the hall has been elegantly designed and serves as an ideal platform for our business. It’s time for us to move on together now. Regardless, we already know that we’ll be at Carpets & Rugs in 2025—and we’ll have a lot bigger booth, too,” says Ahmed El Gamal, Export Sales Manager of Mac Carpet, an OWG subsidiary.
From scalable sustainable solutions to AI in textile product design
Never before have trends like sustainability and artificial intelligence taken such a central position within Heimtextil and provided such potent levers for a forward-thinking approach to critical technologies. In 2024, for the first time, the trade show offered unique insights into artificial intelligence’s application in the textile industry and how it may be used to refine recovered textile waste into new strands using AI-controlled sorting. At interactive stations in the trend space, visitors’ ideas for textile designs were also realized through the use of tools like ChatGPT-4 and Midjourney.
In addition, Heimtextil once again made state-of-the-art sustainable manufacturing and action tangible. The Heimtextil Trends with New Sensitivity idea, which highlighted the textile industry’s continuous evolution and offered several scalable and market-ready solutions, was one of the key points of contact. One such was Ever Dye, a company that makes room-temperature dyeing possible with its line of color pigments. Conversely, Variant 3D provides knitting software powered by artificial intelligence that can create intricate forms like lampshades without the need for pattern-making. Additional important content formats were provided by the Econogy program, which included Finder, Talks, Tours, and the Econogy Hub. These formats illustrated the circular methods’ versatility, the importance of certificates, and the potential uses of textile materials. The following exhibitors were involved in the overall sustainability experience and are featured in the Finder:
We have a lot of experience with Heimtextil 2024 and are happy with it. Nearly all of our significant business associates are present. The discussion of sustainability is evolving. Recycling was once discussed, but it’s now recognized as a comprehensive strategy that includes raw materials, processing techniques, and renewable energy sources further into the process, according to Mevlut Baydar, Chief Sales Officer (CSO), Vanelli Tekstil San.
As a member of the DecoTeam, we had the opportunity to showcase our new collections at Heimtextil 2024 in an eye-catching manner. For Alfred Apelt GmbH, sustainability is very essential. “We are thrilled to have been included as a provider of sustainable products in the Econogy Finder at Heimtextil,” stated Sebastian Ihling, Sales Manager and Business Development at Alfred Apelt GmbH.
Strong response to the textile range of sleeping, bathing, and bed systems
Strong feedback was received for the extensive Smart Bedding range for all forms of retail as well as the brands and private label expertise in the Bed & Bath area, which includes everything from mattresses and sleep systems to bedding, bed linens and bathroom textiles:
“We are excited to be returning to Heimtextil with the Herbert Neumeyer Group and are very satisfied.” It worked well that we used the three-sided open stand as a communication tool. We place a high value on communication with both domestic and foreign clients. We succeeded in achieving this goal at Heimtextil, and we did so in a laid-back, happy mood on our stand. This made it possible for us to become the hall’s main attraction, according to Markus Ertel, managing director of Heinrich Häussling GmbH & Co.
“We were able to create new contacts while traveling here with lots of confirmed customer appointments. Tânia Lima, Marketing Manager, Lameirinho – Indústria Têxtil, stated, “We were pleasantly surprised by the many buyers in the hospitality industry who showed great interest in our high-quality products and manufacturing processes – Heimtextil gave us access to the right markets.”
In 2024, the emphasis shifted back to high-quality knowledge for the retail and hotel bed industries. Global specialists exchanged best practices, such as those related to hotel room and bedroom design or the application of artificial intelligence to sleep monitoring.
Asian Selection & Excellence: remarkable selection of quality huge volumes
Trade buyers of medium and big volumes discovered export-experienced partners and a distinctive selection of superior-made textiles in the Asian Excellence & Selection halls. The visitors’ caliber greatly pleased the suppliers, who were also able to establish new relationships and markets:
“We have participated in Heimtextil for ten years and are quite happy with it. This year’s visitors have once again improved in quality. We were able to complete more orders. The UK, the USA, and Europe are our three biggest markets, according to GM Syntex’s Export Sales Manager Nishant Kumar Singh.
This year, there are noticeably more tourists from the Middle East than from Europe and the USA. According to Muzzammil Kasumbi, Senior General Manager of Al-Karam Textile Mills, “We see great potential for our products here and believe that this market could become very relevant in the future.”
Global, inventive, and eco-friendly: the proposal for the contract business
The Inside.Building design. The hospitality program at Heimtextil brought together suppliers for contract work, architects, and hospitality specialists on a larger and more global scale than before. International manufacturers showcased their useful inventions for a variety of applications, regardless of whether they were focused on sustainability, outdoor living, health and care, or new work.
“We had a great start to the new business year with Heimtextil 2024. Together with 17 of its best clients, the Trevira CS brand was able to showcase itself on a sizable joint display to an international audience. The sustainability issues such as fibers, yarns, and fabrics derived in various recycling processes, including chemical recycling, met with high visitor interest,” explained Anke Vollenbröker, Director of Marketing & Business Development Trevira CS at Indorama Ventures Fibres Germany.
A selection of practical textiles inspired guests in the LIBRARY. Highlights included leather that resisted light, dirt-repellent upholstery fabric, and flame-retardant wallpaper. The contract range was complimented by the Fibres & Yarns department for decorative and upholstery fabrics. The initial phase was bigger in 2024 than it was in previous years.
Prospects for 2025: announcement of a collaboration with Studio Urquiola
Heimtextil is pleased to announce a collaboration with Studio Urquiola, one of the leading and most significant worldwide design studios, for 2025. An innovative exhibit that will allow for an immersive and distinctive design experience is scheduled for the next Heimtextil 2025. Through this partnership, the premier trade show for home and contract textiles and the Milan-based design studio are highlighting their shared dedication to design, innovation, and sustainability across the board in the textile business.