ITMA 2003 will be held for the first time in the United Kingdom at the National Exhibition
Centre in Birmingham, England.The 2003 edition of ITMA, the international textile machinery show,
will take place Oct. 22-29 at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, England, marking
the 14th edition of this global event.Under the direction of the European Committee of Textile
Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX), ITMA has taken place every four years since 1951, when it
debuted in Lille, France. The 2003 edition is the first time in the shows 52-year history that it
has been located in the United Kingdom.As the largest textile machinery exhibition, ITMA will
provide companies from all over the world with more than 115,000 square meters of floor space in
which to showcase their products. More than 1,350 exhibitors are expected from 44 countries,
compared with 1,300 exhibitors from 39 countries at ITMA 99, held in Paris. Visitors to this years
eight-day show will find exhibitors divided into the following 15 product categories: Spinning;
Nonwovens; Weaving; Knitting; DyeingandFinishing; Other Machinery; Making-Up; Testing;
PneumaticandAir Handling; TransportationandHandling; Recycling; Software; Technical Information
Sources; DyestuffsandChemicals; and Associated GoodsandServices.First ITMA ForumThis years ITMA
offers another first the inaugural ITMA Forum, New Frontiers in Textiles Moving MarketsandStrategic
Innovations a three-day conference that will take place Oct. 23-25. Two sessions of roundtable
discussions will be held each day. Twenty-eight textile executives, including Heinz Bachmann,
president, Santex AG; Guillaume Sarkozy, president, Union des Industries Textiles; and Geoff
Hemingway, president, Cobble Blackburn Ltd., will participate. Session topics include: China:
Global Domination, Strategic Alliances; Corporate Finance: Raising Capital Project Investment;
Skills Management: Employee Development, In-house Training; Supply Chain Management: Speed,
Flexibility and Reliability, Collaboration and Adaptation; Technical Textiles: Product
Diversification, Market Opportunities; and Trade Development: Bilateral Agreements, Preferential
Zones.Advance questions to forum speakers may be posted on-line at www.itma.com/forum.Birmingham
After DarkA number of after-hours activities will be available to ITMA attendees. Christina
Aguilera will perform at the NEC Saturday, Oct. 25, at 7:30 p.m. Mariah Carey will perform at the
NEC on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at 8:00 p.m. Birmingham also offers a symphony hall and a number of
theaters, bars and clubs. More than 500 restaurants in the city provide a variety of culinary
delights, and the Mailbox and Summer Row developments offer visitors a multitude of shopping
options. Birmingham boasts a larger canal network than Venice, providing the perfect opportunity
for evening strolls.For more information about ITMA 2003, contact the organizing committee 44 121
780 2003; fax 44 121 782 2003; info@itma2003.com; www.itma.com.
September 2003
