The inaugural issue of Gartex organized last year at Pragati Maidan, Delhi by Mex Exhibitions was appreciated by both the participants and the visitors. The USP of the first ever Gartex India show was the presence of all big companies of digital printing with their latest models with some exhibitors from other segments like machinery for stitching, machines for value addition, fabric manufacturers and accessories. The biggest achievement of this well managed show was the good quality visitation from across India and the Delhi-NCR in particular, believes Gaurav Juneja, Director, Mex Exhibitions. He is very enthusiastic about the upcoming edition (the second) which is scheduled to take place from 29 to 31 July, 2017 at the same venue. Giving a glimpse of what to expect, Gaurav shared vivid details about the preparation for the upcoming show.
AO: Any new feature to look forward to at Gartex from the inaugural edition?
Gaurav: Apart from digital printing and embroidery section, this year we are also concentrating on allied industry products like accessories and fabrics and other value-added products. There will also be good technical seminar this year for technical professionals to get more insight on the technology attached to garment and textile manufacturing. Digital printing technology players have already shown their interest and have got their space reserved. Some of the names who have booked their respective spaces for Gartex 2017 include Mimaki, ColorJet, Epson, Negi, J. N. Arora, Roland Jaysynth, Dhaval, VeeKay, Cherian, Astrojet, Tanya Enterprises, Britomatics, Prime Overseas, Wenli and many more.
The embroidery section has got unparalleled attention from the industry stakeholders as we have got all the top brass registered for this year’s show. The major players under the segments who have confirmed their participation are Twin Star Machines, Aura Machines, Tajima, Unix, Peayush Machinery, Baba Textiles, Textile Technologies, Dolphin Jingwei Texmac, etc. Till date, over 70 brands have confirmed their participation representing different spheres of the industry ranging from embroidery machine to software to digital printing equipment to fabrics, to accessories and to value-added chains.
AO: With some well-established names in technology fairs already existing, what do you think is the USP of Gartex that will create an edge?
Gaurav: It is true that in the garment and textile domain, there are a number of small exhibitions happening every now and then in small cities, but most participants and visitors agree that they are disorganized. No proper facilities are there as the exhibitions take place in hangers and tents, giving an impression of ‘Melas’ rather than trade shows. As far as Gartex is concerned, from the very first edition, it has been established as a comprehensive exhibition on garment and textile machinery, fabrics, accessories and allied industries. The visitors’ profile that we noted last year was very niche where decision makers were having the upper hand rather than the tailors and masters who visit other shows during their lunch hours to see what is there in the Mela.
Gartex is being hosted at the Pragati Maidan to offer proper facilities to exhibitors and visitors alike. This is considering the fact that the venue always plays an important role as the exhibitors’ convenience, visitors’ footfall and business activities depend on the facilities offered by the selected venue. Located in the heart of the country’s capital city, it provides easy connectivity within the entire National Capital Territory of Delhi with multiple commutation options including the Metro (City Railways). In fact the Pragati Maidan Metro Station is located right inside the exhibition premises.
AO: Does the fact that you have experience in organizing international events help in the Indian context, where expectations from fairs are pretty ordinary?
Gaurav: Yes! We have brought in a lot of technology to the show in terms of content. We have tried bringing in digital textile printing which is the talk of the town as the latest technology in the sector, which many textile fairs across the world have started adding as a part. We have made it our flagship since the very first edition of the exhibition. We have now enhanced our focus on this particular segment of the show.
For visitors attending the show – right from the pre-registration to entering to locating exhibitors inside the venue to closing the deals, they will be surrounded by plenty of learning experiences and captivating innovations. In short, we have created Gartex as a brand from the very first year in terms of visibility not only in India but also in the neighbouring countries. The testimony of the very fact is that the show welcomed visitors not only from all over India, but also from overseas markets, which is not a usual feature of the Indian exhibitions.
