As the world adapts to the restrictions imposed by the current pandemic, businesses are having to act fast to adjust how they work. The textile industry is no exception. Unable to host a physical trade fair event, Texworld USA, an international textile show that brings together suppliers, buyers and designers bi-annually, held its first three-day virtual fair online in July.

As an avid supporter, Lenzing also took part in the event with the aim of continuing to immerse and engage partners in a full fair experience. The virtual platform provided attendees and buyers with the opportunity to collaborate through a global network with free access to sourcing, education, live chats and dynamic online showrooms to be experienced at their leisure.

Rising to the challenge of an online event, Lenzing worked with the Messe Frankfurt team to set up the Lenzing Innovation Virtual Pavilion, an online version of its usual fair booth. Despite some technical challenges along the way, the Lenzing team were able to efficiently use the platform to deliver speeches and host one-on-one meetings, working closely with the Messe Frankfurt team. Overall, the Lenzing team found the Messe Frankfurt virtual platform easy to navigate and useful for connecting with customers and holding live virtual meetings.

Furthermore, inside the Lenzing Innovation Virtual Pavilion, attendees and buyers had the opportunity to “meet” mill partners from the U.S. and Canada that use TENCEL™ branded fibers, such as Design Knit (Studio DK), KenDor Textiles, Eagle Fabrics and WTS. Additionally, mill partners from China, Korea and Taiwan were also available at their virtual booths to meet with U.S. customers, including Far East Textile, Jiangsu Xintai, Mandarin Textiles, Yadong (Changzhou) Science & Technology Co. and Zheijiang Mizuda Textiles. With such a new virtual experience, the Lenzing team initially did not know what to expect in terms of the turnout rate, however, in the end we hosted over 200 global participants at the Lenzing Innovation Virtual Pavilion! All in all, it was a successful event!

As one of this year’s event highlights, Lenzing hosted five industry seminar sessions, welcoming nearly 1,500 attendees and buyers who observed the following key topics: Becoming Circular; Building Your Business – Why aren’t you nearshoring?; Changemakers – Fibers Companies Driving Textile Sustainability; Setting the Bar, Science-Based Targets and Starting your Sustainable Journey – Resources, Tips & Tools. Each seminar highlighted some important changes within our industry, especially given the current global situation. These essential topics were led by industry experts, allowing participants to pre-register and submit questions during the seminars, meet with the mills, and schedule appointments, just as they would at a live tradeshow – a fantastic way to connect stakeholders and partners alike!

“We always need to be ready to adapt and adjust our way of working to keep our business thriving, so supporting and participating in Texworld USA’s first online fair was an honor,” said Tricia Carey, Director of Global Business Development of Denim at Lenzing. “Lenzing is proud to have connected with partners across the globe to drive the sustainability conversation and engage with new stakeholders at this critical time for the industry.”