Ercole Botto Poala： “Given the current economic situation in China， we were rather worried， but the satisfaction of our exhibitors cleared up all doubts.”

The 16th edition of Milano Unica China， which saw the participation of 47 exhibitor companies （+12% vs the September 2018 edition）， held in Shanghai from September 25th to September 27th in collaboration with Intertextile， the worlds largest trade show for textiles， closed with a comprehensive general level of satisfaction of exhibitors.

Despite a reduced number of visitors， almost all exhibitors expressed satisfaction for the quality of the contacts and orders collected directly at the trade show. Worth noting are the positive comments of the companies presenting textile collections for womenswear and kidswear. Also worth noting was the presence of buyers from Japan， Australia， the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

“Our exhibitors expressed a comprehensive general level of satisfaction for the quality of contacts established during the trade show despite the 10% drop in the number of visitors due to two main factors. Certainly， the situation of economic uncertainty in China weighed along with the more general slowdown of global economies， but I believe that the most relevant reason lies in the fact that Chinese companies and Chinese designers， and， more in general， the Far East as a whole， have now come to a point where they need to significantly anticipate the presentation of their collections. This is also confirmed by the sales office of different companies that had already visited all their clients in the months of August and September. This problem highlights the need for an-ticipating the date of the Chinese appointment， which， on the other hand， confirms our decision to schedule our trade show in Milan in the month of July. In this edition too， Milano Unica Shanghai confirmed to be a key appointment for an increased presence of Italian producers of highend textiles in the Chinese market. The comments made by the buyers， also from different nationalities， were positive not only in relation to the quality of the collections on display but also in relation to the attention paid to sustainability. Lastly， I would like to underline the satisfaction expressed by the producers of textiles for womenswear， confirming that Milano Unica Shanghai is not only the trade show for menswear wool textiles，” commented Ercole Botto Poala， President of Milano Unica and also an exhibitor himself at the trade show.

“The substantially equal mix of exhibitors presenting the collections of fabrics for menswear， womenswear and kidswear further confirms that Italian producers are fully aware of the opportunities that the Chinese market offers， and not only for those who produce combed or worsted wool fabrics. We must be determined， to navigate into the wind and defend our competitive advantage； we know that we must elevate our quality and diversify our offer， which goes increasingly hand in hand with a strong and qualified commitment to product and production process sustainability. This latter theme， key to safeguarding our planet， is not only the prerogative of the industrialized Western countries， but involves the Peoples Republic of China in the front lines along with growing sectors of its civil society，” added the President of Milano Unica.

“The success of this edition confirms the fact that also in a delicate economic context like the current one faced by the textile industry， it is of the essence to remain present in the Chinese market. As matter of fact， it is namely the presence of the most structured， innovative and sustainable Italian companies – like the ones participating in Milano Unica – that can contribute to maintaining exports of Made-in-Italy high-end textiles to China，” added Massimiliano Tremiterra， Director of the Italian Trade Agency ICE in Shanghai.

“The general satisfaction of exhibitors for the quality of the contacts rewards also our work in the selection of the invitations through an accurately and constantly checked and updated list. In this edition too， Milano Unica confirmed to be a key tool for a large and complex market like China. Once again， the precious support of the Italian Trade Agency ICE in Shanghai has contributed to the success of the trade show，” concluded Massimo Mosiello， General Director of Milano Unica “We have decided to announce the dates of the July editions of Milano Unica well in advance at the request of many exhibitors， which need to work on certainties to plan their participation in trade show events. This is also meant to confirm our choice， that of anticipating the appointment from September to July， which is now final. The results in terms of attendance and the satisfaction of the exhibitors are constantly and steadily growing every edition compared to the previous appointments in September and this confirms that we have made a farsighted decision， which is very much in line with the changing needs of the market. The July edition is now a fixed appointment，” explained Ercole Botto Poala， President of Milano Unica.

Milano Unica thank the Italian Ministery for Economic Development， the Italian Trade Agency ICE， Sistema Moda Italia， the Municipality of Milan and Banca Sella.

“Our answer to the increased number of exhibitors and， hopefully， of visitors - the result of an accurate selection – is an exhibition focused on facilitating the establishment of contacts between demand and supply. Thanks to the collaboration with the Italian Trade Agency ICE， Milano Unica is ready to provide services to Italian textile producers to help them face a high-potential， but difficult market， especially for those manufacturers who do not have the commensurate size. At the same time， Milano Unica never forgets its responsibility to promote a qualified image of Italy in China，” underlined Massimo Mosiello， General Manager of Milano Unica.