Medellín, Colombia
The Environmental Sustainability Route, protagonist of Colombiatex de las Américas, also had an official opening in charge of Inexmoda and Diana Osorio, Medellín’s Social Manager and Mayor Daniel Quinteros’s wife.
With an strategic bet on evolving facing the challenges coming to the Textile industry with the purpose of becoming a more sustainable industry, as well as presenting key trends for the environmental resources care and innovations in fashion and technology, through business and knowledge scenarios, Colombiatex de las Américas 32nd edition was inaugurated, in Plaza Mayor Medellín, from January 21 – 23 and will gather close to 530 exhibitors and 15.300 buyers from 50 different countries.
With the presence of Saúl Pineda Hoyos, Vice minister of Entrepreneurial Development; Maritza López Parra, Secretary of Productivity and Competitiveness of Antioquia and Daniel Quintero Calle, Mayor of Medellín, among other national and local authorities, joined in the opening Carlos Eduardo Botero Hoyos, Inexmoda’s CEO, the tradeshow that has consolidated as the most important platform for business and trends for the Textile Industry was initiated and, on this opportunity, positions itself as strategic meeting point for discussions and education regarding the importance of a more sustainable textile industry and the innovations within the industry about this matter.
In the opening, Carlos Eduardo Botero Hoyos, acknowledged the presence and the support of the local and national authorities, invaluable in order to consolidate Colombiatex de las Américas as the most important date for the Industry in Latin America. Likewise, he highlighted the importance taken by the environmental agenda in the frame of a context each time more globalized, but, in addition, the demands of a more aware, informed and critical consumer regarding his buying decisions.
“This is why Colombiatex de las Américas 2020, will evidence how the organizations are transforming their business models and improving their supply chains in order to reduce the environmental impacts, improve the technology efficiency, and the social conditions of the industry”, stated Botero Hoyos.
This way, Colombiatex de las Américas 2020, will have this theme as a main discussion axis, through the Environmental Sustainability Route an initiative by the organizers in order to highlight the processes and new business models being developed by 57 exhibitors from the event, where you can find participation from Colombia with 55%, Brazil 27% and Spain 7%. In the Route, there will be shown some key trends for the industry as ecological technology, recycling, emissions control and water treatment, every time stronger within the industry.
In the opening act, Inexmoda’s CEO acknowledged Diana Osorio, Medellin’s Social Manager and Mayor Daniel Quintero’s wife, who has led this project side by side with Inexmoda, showing her interest for the industry evolution in the city.
The Route’s opening was in charge of Osorio, who highlighted that it is necessary to join efforts in the industry to diminish the pollution in the world. “this is the result of many tasks we want to do so Medellin can continue leading the innovation themes, in which fashion is a main component because it is something used on a daily basis and has important impacts on the planet”, stated.
Within the Environmental Sustainability Route opening, Medellin’s Social Manager also announced that “within the budget for the city’s developing plan it is expected to have an investment of one million dollars for innovation, research and social work intended for the textile and the fashion industries, so technological and sustainable projects can be developed”.
On the other side, within Colombiatex 2020 official opening, Medellin’s Mayor, Daniel Quintero Calle, highlighted his first tradeshow as the city’s governor and Medellin, aims to be a Software valley and also the addition of new technologies in the 100% of public schools in the capital of Antioquia, which will have an impact somehow on the industry and the fashion and textile companies in the future.
At the same time, he recognized the importance of this industry for the economy and Colombiatex de las Américas, as “it is, without a doubt, the most important tradeshow for the textile industry un Latin America”.
Quintero Calle highlighted the trends Colombiatex will present: “the environmental awareness and the buyers decisions are more important every day in many industries and I recognize that on this tradeshow there is a very important bet facing these challenges that also converge with technology and the Fourth Industrial Revolution, through initiatives as the Internet of Things that will have an impact on the textile industry; Medellín offers itself as a great lab for those purposes and we are ready to support start-ups aiming to develop new products that can be offered to the local and international markets”.
The Mayor of Medellin also revealed that Colombiatex de las Américas represents for the city an 86% of hotel occupation and an economic spill of US$11,6 million during the three days of the tradeshow, but, most of all, generates valuable connections, “that result in an interaction between more than 15.000 buyers in order to keep potentiating as the most vibrating ecosystem to generate wealth in one of the industries with more potential for the following decades in Latin America”.
On the other side, Maritza López Parra, Secretary of Productivity and Competitiveness of Antioquia, stated that the textile industry contributes the Department with near 3% of the GDP and provides opportunities to 100.000 antioqueños whose incomes depend on the industry and its derivatives, “an entrepreneurial structure with hundred year old companies, and also small entrepreneurs building dreams. This is an industry of ideas, with dreams of development being reflected on the growth of new companies, absolutely important for the region, but we also recognize its weaknesses, so they do not become its Achilles Heel”.
López Parra also stated that the departmental Government is working to strengthen the export capacity of the entrepreneurs of the industry with the improvement of the roads system, with the 4G Roads and the development of sea ports and airports. It will also promote innovation as the best way for closing the gaps, taking advantage of the disruptions, opportunities and challenges present on the field of sustainability to generate added value to the industries.
The Vice minister of Entrepreneurial Development, Saúl Pineda Hoyos, valued on his side the importance of promoting the growth of the industry through an intense agenda that has been developed with the entrepreneurs of the industry. “Today we have to say that Inexmoda and its tradeshows are one of the 27 projects that have been opening their way to the international markets and it was something we had proposed. The expenditure on clothing according to the company Raddar, has been one of the main challengers within the growth of 9,7% in value of household expenditure in 2019. This category had a positive number of 8% during the last year. Something is being done properly building trust among the public and private sector that deserves to be recognized with Colombiatex de las Américas as the textile industry boosts all the consumption sector. Colombiatex is a reflect of a permanent alliance of it and the construction of trust, without losing sight of the export and job challenges”, stated.
Colombiatex de las Américas 2020 will celebrate this year its emblematic Trends Forum, a classic appointment so the buyers and visitors can learn about the fashion trends opening the commercial timetable of the year, as well as the Inexmoda-UPB Knowledge Pavilion where near 28 different experts will share their experience with around 9.000 assistants in formats like lectures, workshops and discussion tables.
The commercial sample will have around 11.000 square meters of exhibition, where 40% of international buyers from countries like India, Brazil, Italy, Spain, USA, among others, meet. The other 60% comes from Colombia, mainly the departments of Antioquia and Cundinamarca.
Denim Day will also be celebrated on Wednesday 22 as part of the event, and the assistants are invited to wear their best denim look.
During the tradeshow will be presented on January 22 at Colombiatex Press Room, the new tradeshow Heimtextil Colombia, which will be celebrated on April 27-29, 2021, in Medellin and it is the result of an alliance between Inexmoda and Messe Frakfurt, and there will be shown trends and innovations for home decoration and interiors.
During Colombiatex de las Américas 2020 opening, Inexmoda also offered a recognition to the companies linked to the industry in tribute for their representative anniversaries- These companies were: Fabricato, for its 100 years Fatelares, for its 80 years; Plásticos ERUM S.L, for its 80 years; Canguro International S.A, for its 75 years; Dispapeles, for its 50 years y Marquillas y accesorios, for its 30 years. A special recognition also took place for Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana for its 10 years of work side by side with Inexmoda.