Mr Yerxa, who has an extensive record as a trade diplomat, legislative expert and private lawyer, has held his WTO position since 2002. Before that he served as a senior US trade official in both Republican and Democratic administrations and, from 1989 to 1993, was the US Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) in Geneva, the predecessor organisation to the WTO. From 1993 to 1995 he was the Deputy US Trade Representative in Washington, when he played a major role in negotiating and securing Congressional approval of both the Uruguay Round/WTO agreement and the NAFTA accord.

At the Summit Mr Yerxa will provide insights into the current structure of international textile-trade relations and on the ongoing Doha round of WTO trade negotiations.

Completing the Summit panel will be Daniel Lopez, secretary to the board and deputy general manager at Spanish retail star Mango, who will illuminate product development and supply-chain management principles in the evolving world of fast fashion.

Keynote speakers at the World Textile Summit are Kofi Annan, the former United Nations Secretary General, and Barry J. Eichengreen, Professor of Economics and Political Science, University of California, Berkeley. Mr Annan will appear in his role as an advocate for the UN Global Compact on ethical practice, to which several major textile companies are signatories, while Prof Eichengreen will address the world’s industrial future after the economic crisis of recent years.

Other speakers are: Loek de Vries, CEO, Royal Ten Cate; Thomas Babacan, CEO, Oerlikon Textile and COO, Oerlikon Group; Philip Chamberlain, head of sustainability, C&A Europe; Dilip Jiwrajka, managing director, Alok Industries; and Du Yuzhou, president, China National Textile & Apparel Council.

The morning and afternoon sessions will each conclude with an open panel discussion, involving the principal speakers and other textile-industry opinion formers. The first will have the theme: ‘Surviving a brave new world: how to be a winner in the competitive struggle for textile markets’; and the second: ‘Trade and investment: textile industry prospects for the world’s major economies’

The ITMA-ITMF World Textile Summit (www.worldtextilesummit.com) will take place on September 21 at the Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I in Barcelona, one day ahead of the opening of the ITMA 2011 textile-machinery show in the same city.

July 18, 2011

The health of manufacturing, both in the textile industry and beyond, will be largely affected by global growth, according to Barry Eichengreen, professor of Economics and Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley.
“The central challenges for global growth in the next five years are unresolved debt problems in the US, Europe and Japan and the possibility of a sharp growth slowdown in China,” said Professor Eichengreen.
One of the world’s most eminent economists, Professor Eichengreen argues that whilst some suggest financial growth may shift from Asian markets to the West, global investment should not be understood in terms of a zero-sum game.

“There’s no reason why Asia can’t maintain current rates of investment, assuming it avoids inflation and financial problems, while at the same time the West can invest more, assuming that we get a handle our debt and deficit problems.”
Professor Eichengreen will be discussing the global industrial landscape at the inaugural ITMA-ITMF World Textile Summit, in particular focusing on competition between advanced countries and emerging markets. As one of the Summit’s keynote speakers, he will deliver insights into the future of the global economy and the industrial prospects of its major players.
The one-day Summit offers a line-up of eminent speakers, covering a range of topics strategically vital to the future of the world’s textile enterprises.

“Textiles and apparel may be the world’s most globalised industry. Only through a summit like this can one truly see the extent to which this is true,” said Professor Eichengreen.

The ITMA-ITMF World Textile Summit (www.worldtextilesummit.com) will take place on September 21 at the Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I in Barcelona, one day ahead of the opening of the ITMA 2011 textile and garment machinery show in the same city.

The Summit is the first joint initiative between the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX) and the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), and is being organised in partnership with the World Textile Information Network (WTiN) and international event organiser MP International. Sponsors include Oerlikon Textile, Newlife by Filature Miroglio and Royal Ten Cate.
About ITMA
ITMA, the world’s largest international textile and garment machinery show, is recognised as the ‘Olympics’ of the textile and garment machinery industry. Held every four years at different venues across Europe, it is owned by CEMATEX, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers. www.itma.com
About ITMF
The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) is an international association for the world’s textile industries, dedicated to keeping its worldwide membership constantly informed through surveys, studies and publications and through the organisation of annual conferences, participating in the evolution of the industry’s value chain and publishing considered opinions on future trends and international developments. www.itmf.org
About WTiN
World Textile Information Network (WTiN) is a global textile news and information provider whose beginnings can be traced back more than a century. Its magazines are recognised for their authority and market-leading coverage and in recent years it has developed a complementary range of electronic media and special publications. This clear industry focus means WTiN has become an integral part of the textile community, providing the highest-quality information and now leveraging an innovative online technology platform to deliver next-generation strategic intelligence for textile industry executives. www.wtin.com
About MP International
Established in 1987, MP International specialises in organising exhibitions, conferences and special events. The group has organised and managed some 300 national, regional and international events, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2009 Leaders’ Week. It is a leading international organiser of trade exhibitions, including ITMA and ITMA Asia. MP International is headquartered in Singapore with a global footprint across Asia and Europe. www.mpinetwork.com

Economic gloom and price inflation caused by rising raw-material costs have failed to dull consumers’ concerns about sustainability, according to Philip Chamberlain, director of corporate social responsibility at C&A Europe.

“Far from customer interest fading in such matters, we expect to see an increasing level of consumer interest in relation to broad sustainability matters,” he said.

The man in charge of environmental and ethical compliance for one of Europe’s biggest retailers, Mr Chamberlain believes that the priorities for improvement in the textile industry cover a combination of social and environmental factors.

On this subject, Mr Chamberlain will share his practical insights at the ITMA-ITMF World Textile Summit, with the aim of helping to guide manufacturers in developing sustainable operations (www.worldtextilesummit.com). His presentation, entitled ‘Proactive strategies for environmental and ethical conformity’, will discuss the standards retail customers expect from textile manufacturers and what they are likely to demand in future.

Mr Chamberlain will place sustainability policy in the context of rising consumer expectations about the ethical origins of the goods they purchase. Among his topics will be a focus on water resources and the need for continuing improvement in working conditions.

Mr Chamberlain will be developing a theme already introduced by keynote speaker Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary General and a passionate advocate for the UN Global Compact on ethical practice, to which several major textile companies are signatories.

The one-day Summit offers a line-up of eminent speakers, covering a range of topics strategically vital to the future of the world’s textile enterprises.

“The value of such forums is that they help to raise awareness of the issues and discuss common approaches in effecting necessary improvement,” said Mr Chamberlain.

The ITMA-ITMF World Textile Summit (www.worldtextilesummit.com) will take place on September 21 at the Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I in Barcelona, one day ahead of the opening of the ITMA 2011 textile and garment machinery show in the same city.

The Summit is the first joint initiative between the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers (CEMATEX) and the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), and is being organised in partnership with the World Textile Information Network (WTiN) and international event organiser MP International. Sponsors include Oerlikon Textile, Newlife by Filature Miroglio and Royal Ten Cate.

About ITMA

ITMA, the world’s largest international textile and garment machinery show, is recognised as the ‘Olympics’ of the textile and garment machinery industry. Held every four years at different venues across Europe, it is owned by CEMATEX, the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers. www.itma.com

About ITMF

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) is an international association for the world’s textile industries, dedicated to keeping its worldwide membership constantly informed through surveys, studies and publications and through the organisation of annual conferences, participating in the evolution of the industry’s value chain and publishing considered opinions on future trends and international developments. www.itmf.org

About WTiN

World Textile Information Network (WTiN) is a global textile news and information provider whose beginnings can be traced back more than a century. Its magazines are recognised for their authority and market-leading coverage and in recent years it has developed a complementary range of electronic media and special publications. This clear industry focus means WTiN has become an integral part of the textile community, providing the highest-quality information and now leveraging an innovative online technology platform to deliver next-generation strategic intelligence for textile industry executives. www.wtin.com

About MP International

Established in 1987, MP International specialises in organising exhibitions, conferences and special events. The group has organised and managed some 300 national, regional and international events, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2009 Leaders’ Week. It is a leading international organiser of trade exhibitions, including ITMA and ITMA Asia. MP International is headquartered in Singapore with a global footprint across Asia and Europe. www.mpinetwork.com

The man in charge of environmental and ethical compliance for one of Europe’s biggest retailers is to deliver practical insights at the ITMA-ITMF World Textile Summit, to help guide manufacturers in developing sustainable operations.

Philip Chamberlain, head of sustainability at C&A Europe, will speak on ‘Proactive strategies for environmental and ethical conformity’, explaining to textile manufacturers the standards their retail customers expect and are likely to demand in future – and placing sustainability policy in the context of rising consumer expectations about the ethical origins of the goods they purchase.

Mr Chamberlain will be developing a theme already introduced by keynote speaker Kofi Annan, former United Nations Secretary General and a passionate advocate for the UN Global Compact on ethical practice, to which several major textile companies are signatories.

The one-day Summit now offers a ‘must attend’ line-up of eminent speakers, covering a range of topics that are strategically vital to the future of the word’s textile enterprises. They are:

Kofi Annan – Former UN Secretary General
Sustainability & the UN Global Compact

Loek de Vries – CEO, Royal Ten Cate
Turning structural change into a competitive edge

Thomas Babacan – CEO, Oerlikon Textile; COO, Oerlikon Group
The changing technological environment and its implications for textile businesses

Philip Chamberlain – Head of Sustainability, C&A Europe
Proactive strategies for environmental and ethical conformity

Barry J. Eichengreen – Professor of Economics and Political Science, University of California, Berkeley.
The industrial future in a post-crisis world

Dilip Jiwrajka – Managing Director, Alok Industries
Will India be the new powerhouse in textiles?

Du Yuzhou – President, China National Textile & Apparel Council
The strategic vision for China’s textile industry

Further speaker announcements are scheduled in coming weeks.

As the Summit’s second keynote speaker, Professor Barry J. Eichengreen will open the afternoon session, giving his views on the future of the global economy and the industrial prospects for its major players, especially in the light of the uncertain future of the US dollar.

Both the morning and afternoon sessions will conclude with open panel discussions, involving the principal speakers and other textile-industry opinion-formers. The first will have the theme: ‘Surviving a brave new world: how to be a winner in the competitive struggle for textile markets’; and the second: ‘Trade and investment: textile industry prospects for the world’s major economies’

The ITMA-ITMF World Textile Summit (www.worldtextilesummit.com) will take place on September 21 at the Hotel Rey Jan Carlos I in Barcelona, one day ahead of the opening of the ITMA 2011 textile-machinery show in the same city.

The Summit is the first joint initiative between CEMATEX (the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers) and the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), and is being organised in partnership with the World Textile Information Network (WTiN) and international event organiser MP International. Sponsors include Oerlikon Textile, Miroglio Group and Royal Ten Cate.

About ITMA
ITMA, the world’s largest international textile and garment machinery show, is recognised as the ‘Olympics’ of the textile and garment machinery industry. Held every four years at different venues across Europe, it is owned by CEMATEX, the European textile machinery manufacturers association. www.itma.com

About ITMF
The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) is an international association for the world’s textile industries, dedicated to keeping its worldwide membership constantly informed through surveys, studies and publications and through the organisation of annual conferences, participating in the evolution of the industry’s value chain and publishing considered opinions on future trends and international developments. www.itmf.org

About WTiN
World Textile Information Network (WTiN) is a global textile news and information provider whose beginnings can be traced back more than a century. Its magazines are recognised for their authority and market-leading coverage and in recent years it has developed a complementary range of electronic media and special publications. This clear industry focus means WTiN has become an integral part of the textile community, providing the highest-quality information and now leveraging an innovative online technology platform to deliver next-generation strategic intelligence for textile industry executives. www.wtin.com

About MP International
Established in 1987, MP International specialises in organising exhibitions, conferences and special events. The group has organised and managed some 300 national, regional and international events, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2009 Leaders’ Week. It is a leading international organiser of trade exhibitions, including ITMA and ITMA Asia. MP International is headquartered in Singapore with a global footprint across Asia and Europe. www.mpinetwork.com

Prof Eichengreen is the George C. Pardee and Helen N. Pardee Professor of Economics and Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Berkeley. His most recent book, published this year, is ‘Exorbitant Privilege: The Rise and Fall of the Dollar and the Future of the International Monetary System’, and last year he co-edited ‘Emerging Giants: China and India in the World Economy’.

He is also a Research Associate of the US National Bureau of Economic Research and a Research Fellow of the UK’s Centre for Economic Policy Research. In the late 1990s he was Senior Policy Advisor at the International Monetary Fund.

Prof Eichengreen, who will deliver insights into the future of the global economy and industrial the prospects for its major players, is the Summit’s second keynote speaker. It was earlier announced that former United Nations Secretary General and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan will engage with delegates on the topic of sustainability, in the light of the UN Global Compact to which several major textile firms are signatories.

“In 2011 the world economy is recovering from a shock that has seriously damaged the textile industry and disrupted international trade,” said Prof Eichengreen. “I’m delighted to have this opportunity to engage in discussion with industry leaders at the World Textile Summit and examine how a post-crisis world will look.”

Other speakers include: Dilip B. Jiwrajka, managing director, Alok Industries; Du Yuzhou, president of China National Textile & Apparel Council (CNTAC); Loek de Vries, president and CEO of the technical-textile leader TenCate; and Thomas Babacan, CEO of the world’s biggest textile-machinery manufacturer, Oerlikon Textile, and COO of the OC Oerlikon Group.

The ITMA-ITMF World Textile Summit (www.worldtextilesummit.com) will take place on September 21 at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya in Barcelona, one day ahead of the opening of the ITMA 2011 textile-machinery show in the same city. Its inspirational and forward-looking programme will comprise expert presentations and interactive panel discussions, designed to offer a global perspective on the opportunities and challenges that face the textile industry in the years ahead.

The Summit is the first joint initiative between CEMATEX (the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers) and the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), and is being organised in partnership with the World Textile Information Network (WTiN) and international event organiser MP International. Sponsors include Oerlikon Textile, Miroglio Group and Royal Ten Cate.

About ITMA

ITMA, the world’s largest international textile and garment machinery show, is recognised as the ‘Olympics’ of the textile and garment machinery industry. Held every four years at different venues across Europe, it is owned by CEMATEX, the European textile machinery manufacturers association. www.itma.com

About ITMF

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) is an international association for the world’s textile industries, dedicated to keeping its worldwide membership constantly informed through surveys, studies and publications and through the organisation of annual conferences, participating in the evolution of the industry’s value chain and publishing considered opinions on future trends and international developments. www.itmf.org

About WTiN

World Textile Information Network (WTiN) is a global textile news and information provider whose beginnings can be traced back more than a century. Its magazines are recognised for their authority and market-leading coverage and in recent years it has developed a complementary range of electronic media and special publications. This clear industry focus means WTiN has become an integral part of the textile community, providing the highest-quality information and now leveraging an innovative online technology platform to deliver next-generation strategic intelligence for textile industry executives. www.wtin.com

About MP International

Established in 1987, MP International specialises in organising exhibitions, conferences and special events. The group has organised and managed some 300 national, regional and international events, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2009 Leaders’ Week. It is a leading international organiser of trade exhibitions, including ITMA and ITMA Asia. MP International is headquartered in Singapore with a global footprint across Asia and Europe. www.mpinetwork.com

For more information, please contact:

Miss Trine Nielsen

World Textile Information Network
Tel: +44 1274 378828
Email: tnielsen@wtin.com

The co-founder and managing director of one of India’s biggest integrated textile enterprises is to address international industry leaders at September’s ITMA-ITMF World Textile Summit, in Barcelona, Spain.

Dilip B. Jiwrajka has been responsible for steering Alok Industries Limited through a quarter of a century of astonishing growth and is recognised as one of a handful of Indian entrepreneurs who correctly read the impact of the dismantling of bilateral trade quotas during the past decade and responded imaginatively to the opportunities of the new business order.

With immediate family members, he incorporated Alok Industries in 1986, setting up its first polyester texturising plant three years later. Now with a turnover of around €700 million, the business has expanded downstream into weaving, knitting, processing, home textiles, garments and retail, and upstream into cotton spinning and the manufacture of partially oriented yarn through continuous polymerisation. Nearly half its production is exported.

Mr Jiwrajka will join a powerful speaker panel that will include Du Yuzhou, president of China National Textile & Apparel Council (CNTAC), Loek de Vries, president and CEO of the technical-textile leader TenCate, and Thomas Babacan, CEO of the world’s biggest textile-machinery manufacturer, Oerlikon Textile, and COO of the OC Oerlikon Group.

Former United Nations secretary-general and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan – now an international advocate for sustainable business practice – will be a keynote speaker at the Summit, which will take place on September 21 at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya in Barcelona, one day ahead of the opening of the ITMA 2011 textile-machinery show in the same city.

The ITMA-ITMF World Textile Summit (www.worldtextilesummit.com) is a one-day event, bringing together textile-industry leaders and some of the world’s most influential thinkers and policymakers in strategically important fields such as economics, trade, technology and sustainability. It sets out to deliver an inspirational, forward-looking agenda, comprising expert presentations and interactive panel discussions, designed to offer a global perspective on the opportunities and challenges that face the textile industry in the years ahead, and providing delegates with new ideas to maintain their success in the textile manufacturing and supply chain.

The Summit is the first joint initiative between CEMATEX (the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers) and the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), and is being organised in partnership with the World Textile Information Network (WTiN) and international event organiser MP International. Oerlikon Textile is the Summit’s Platinum Sponsor.

About ITMA

ITMA, the world’s largest international textile and garment machinery show, is recognised as the ‘Olympics’ of the textile and garment machinery industry. Held every four years at different venues across Europe, it is owned by CEMATEX, the European textile machinery manufacturers association. www.itma.com

About ITMF

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) is an international association for the world’s textile industries, dedicated to keeping its worldwide membership constantly informed through surveys, studies and publications and through the organisation of annual conferences, participating in the evolution of the industry’s value chain and publishing considered opinions on future trends and international developments. www.itmf.org

About WTiN

World Textile Information Network (WTiN) is a global textile news and information provider whose beginnings can be traced back more than a century. Its magazines are recognised for their authority and market-leading coverage and in recent years it has developed a complementary range of electronic media and special publications. This clear industry focus means WTiN has become an integral part of the textile community, providing the highest-quality information and now leveraging an innovative online technology platform to deliver next-generation strategic intelligence for textile industry executives. www.wtin.com

About MP International

Established in 1987, MP International specialises in organising exhibitions, conferences and special events. The group has organised and managed some 300 national, regional and international events, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2009 Leaders’ Week. It is a leading international organiser of trade exhibitions, including ITMA and ITMA Asia. MP International is headquartered in Singapore with a global footprint across Asia and Europe. www.mpinetwork.com

For more information, please contact:

Miss Trine Nielsen

World Textile Information Network
Tel: +44 1274 378828
Email: tnielsen@wtin.com

One of the most powerful men in Chinese textiles, Du Yuzhou, president of China National Textile & Apparel Council (CNTAC), is to address international industry leaders at the ITMA-ITMF World Textile Summit later this year.

Mr Du is one of a trio of speakers newly announced by the organisers of the Summit, which will take place in Barcelona, Spain, on September 21. He will outline China’s strategic ambitions for its textile industry and report on progress in its extensive modernisation programme.

The challenge of technological change and the drive for product innovation will be among the themes explored by both Loek de Vries, president and CEO of the technical-textile leader TenCate, and Thomas Babacan, CEO of the world’s biggest textile-machinery manufacturer, Oerlikon Textile, and COO of the OC Oerlikon Group.

TenCate, with an annual turnover of more than €1 billion, is a Dutch-based multinational with extensive interests in advanced textiles, composites, geosynthetics and artificial turf. Oerlikon Textile, part of the Swiss-based Oerlikon Group, has a turnover of €2 billion, making spinning, embroidery and nonwovens machinery through its Oerlikon Schlafhorst, Oerlikon Saurer, Oerlikon Barmag, Oerlikon Neumag and Oerlikon Textile Components business units.

Last year former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan – now an international advocate for sustainable business practice – was revealed as one of the Summit’s keynote speakers.

The ITMA-ITMF World Textile Summit (www.worldtextilesummit.com) is a one-day event, bringing together textile-industry leaders and some of the world’s most influential thinkers and policymakers in strategically important fields such as economics, trade, technology and sustainability. It sets out to deliver an inspirational, forward-looking agenda, comprising expert presentations and interactive panel discussions, designed to offer a global perspective on the opportunities and challenges that face the textile industry in the years ahead, and providing delegates with new ideas to maintain their success in the textile manufacturing and supply chain.

The Summit will take place at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya in Barcelona, one day ahead of the opening of the ITMA 2011 textile-machinery show in the same city. It is the first joint initiative between CEMATEX (the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers) and the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), and is being organised in partnership with the World Textile Information Network (WTiN) and international event organiser MP International. Oerlikon Textile is the Summit’s Platinum Sponsor.

About ITMA
ITMA, the world’s largest international textile and garment machinery show, is recognised as the ‘Olympics’ of the textile and garment machinery industry. Held every four years at different venues across Europe, it is owned by CEMATEX, the European textile machinery manufacturers association. www.itma.com

About ITMF
The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) is an international association for the world’s textile industries, dedicated to keeping its worldwide membership constantly informed through surveys, studies and publications and through the organisation of annual conferences, participating in the evolution of the industry’s value chain and publishing considered opinions on future trends and international developments. www.itmf.org

About WTiN
World Textile Information Network (WTiN) is a global textile news and information provider whose beginnings can be traced back more than a century. Its magazines are recognised for their authority and market-leading coverage and in recent years it has developed a complementary range of electronic media and special publications. This clear industry focus means WTiN has become an integral part of the textile community, providing the highest-quality information and now leveraging an innovative online technology platform to deliver next-generation strategic intelligence for textile industry executives. www.wtin.com

About MP International
Established in 1987, MP International specialises in organising exhibitions, conferences and special events. The group has organised and managed some 300 national, regional and international events, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2009 Leaders’ Week. It is a leading international organiser of trade exhibitions, including ITMA and ITMA Asia. MP International is headquartered in Singapore with a global footprint across Asia and Europe. www.mpinetwork.com

For more information, please contact:

Miss Trine Nielsen
World Textile Information Network
Tel: +44 1274 378828
Email: tnielsen@wtin.com

The ITMA-ITMF World Textile Summit (www.worldtextilesummit.com) is a one-day event, bringing together textile-industry leaders and some of the world’s most influential thinkers and policymakers in strategically important fields such as economics, trade, technology and sustainability. It sets out to deliver an inspirational, forward-looking agenda, comprising expert presentations and interactive panel discussions, designed to offer a global perspective on the opportunities and challenges that face the textile industry in the years ahead, and providing delegates with new ideas to maintain their success in the textile manufacturing and supply chain.

Oerlikon Textile, a leader in advanced technologies for textile production, has signed an agreement to be the Summit’s Platinum Sponsor. Headquartered in Germany and part of the Swiss-based Oerlikon Group, the company’s operating divisions are: Oerlikon Barmag, which makes spinning and texturising systems for manmade fibre; Oerlikon Neumag, which makes BCF carpet yarn, synthetic staple fibre and nonwovens equipment; Oerlikon Saurer, a manufacturer of twisting and embroidery systems; Oerlikon Schlafhorst, which makes spinning equipment for staple-fibre yarn; and Oerlikon Textile Components.

The Summit, whose keynote speakers include Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, will take place on September 21st  at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya in Barcelona, one day ahead of the opening of the ITMA 2011 textile-machinery show in the same city. It is the first joint initiative between CEMATEX (the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers) and the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), and is being organised in partnership with the World Textile Information Network (WTiN) and international event organiser MP International.

Thomas Babacan, CEO of Oerlikon Textile, said: “Oerlikon Textile is proud to sponsor the first World Textile Summit and, with the combined weight of both ITMA and the ITMF behind it, we are confident we can look forward to a successful event.”

Mark Jarvis, managing director of WTiN, who secured the deal during a visit to Oerlikon Textile in Remscheid, Germany, said: “We greatly welcome the involvement in the Summit of such an outstanding company as Oerlikon Textile, whose enthusiastic support is bound to make a major contribution to the success of this landmark conference. Oerlikon Textile’s endorsement of the Summit as Platinum Sponsor underlines the key status of the event in the textile calendar for 2011.”

End

About ITMA

ITMA, the world’s largest international textile and garment machinery show, is recognised as the ‘Olympics’ of the textile and garment machinery industry. Held every four years at different venues across Europe, it is owned by CEMATEX, the European textile machinery manufacturers association. www.itma.com

About ITMF

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) is an international association for the world’s textile industries, dedicated to keeping its worldwide membership constantly informed through surveys, studies and publications and through the organisation of annual conferences, participating in the evolution of the industry’s value chain and publishing considered opinions on future trends and international developments. www.itmf.org

About WTiN

World Textile Information Network (WTiN), formerly known as World Textile Publications (WTP), is a global textile news and information provider whose beginnings can be traced back more than a century. Its magazines are recognised for their authority and market-leading coverage and in recent years it has developed a complementary range of electronic media and special publications. This clear industry focus means WTiN has become an integral part of the textile community, providing the highest-quality information and now leveraging an innovative online technology platform to deliver next-generation strategic intelligence for textile industry executives. www.wtin.com

About MP International

Established in 1987, MP International specialises in organising exhibitions, conferences and special events. The group has organised and managed some 300 national, regional and international events, including the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2009 Leaders’ Week. It is a leading international organiser of trade exhibitions, including ITMA and ITMA Asia. MP International is headquartered in Singapore with a global footprint across Asia and Europe. www.mpinetwork.com

About Oerlikon

Oerlikon (SIX: OERL) is a leading high-tech industrial group specializing in machine and plant engineering. The Company is a provider of innovative industrial solutions and cutting-edge technologies for textile manufacturing, thin-film coating, drive, vacuum, solar energy systems and advanced nanotechnology. A Swiss company with a tradition going back 150 years, Oerlikon is a global player with around 16,000 employees at 157 locations in 36 countries and sales of CHF 2.9 billion in 2009. The Company invests more than CHF 200 million annually in R&D, with over 1,200 specialists working on future products and services. The operative businesses rank either first or second in their respective global markets.

www.oerlikon.com

About Oerlikon Textile

The business units of Oerlikon Textile are the market leaders in virtually every technology area. With their innovations, they are continuously setting new standards for the global textile production. They provide comprehensive overall solutions in the sector of textile machinery and plant manufacture: From the plant design for the production of man-made and nonwoven fibres up to facilities for ring spinning, rotor spinning, winding, twisting or embroidery, they cover the entire value added chain in the textile sector. www.oerlikontextile.com

www.worldtextilesummit.com

For more information, please contact:

Miss Trine Nielsen
World Textile Information Network
Tel: +44 1274 378800
Email: tnielsen@wtin.com

The Summit is a one-day event, bringing together textile-industry leaders and some of the world’s most influential thinkers and policymakers in strategically important fields such as economics, trade, technology and sustainability. It sets out to deliver an inspirational, forward-looking agenda, comprising expert presentations and interactive panel discussions, designed to offer a global perspective on the opportunities and challenges that face the textile industry in the years ahead, and providing delegates with new ideas to maintain their success in the textile manufacturing and supply chain.

Having championed the importance of economic, social and environmental sustainability throughout his career at the UN, Mr Annan is now an advocate for the Global Compact – challenging business to take the initiative in sustainable development. As a speaker, he reiterates the responsibility of businesses and individuals to address environmental challenges; to undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; to protect human rights and to encourage the development and transfer of environmentally sustainable technologies.

Some of the world’s major textile and apparel companies are participants in the Global Compact, described as a leadership initiative involving action at CEO level. Participation is

intended as a widely visible commitment to the implementation, disclosure and promotion of the Compact’s 10 universal principles in the realm of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.

Mr Annan is also a member of the board of the United Nations Foundation; Chairman of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa; the Africa Progress Panel, a Global Fellow at Columbia University and Li Ka Shing Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore.

The World Textile Summit will take place on September 21 at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya in Barcelona, one day ahead of the opening of the ITMA 2011 textile-machinery show in the same city. It is the first joint initiative between CEMATEX (the European Committee of Textile Machinery Manufacturers) and the International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF), and is being organised in partnership with the World Textile Information Network (WTiN) and international event organiser MP International.

Steve Combes, President of CEMATEX, said: “We are privileged to have secured the participation of Kofi Annan, who is a true world figure and pre-eminent statesman. His championing of the UN Global Compact is inspirational and his insights will be of exceptional value to textile business leaders.”

Bashir H. Ali Muhammad, President of the ITMF, said: “Mr Annan’s name is known and respected throughout the world. His intended presence with us in Barcelona is further confirmation that this is an event that textile industry leaders will not wish to miss.”

For more information, please contact:

Mr John Scrimshaw
World Textile Information Network
Tel: +44 1274 378800
Email: jscrimshaw@wtin.com

The ITMA-ITMF World Textile Summit 2011 will be a one-day event that brings together textile-industry leaders and some of the world’s most influential thinkers and policymakers in strategically important fields such as economics, trade, technology and sustainability.

It sets out to deliver an inspirational, forward-looking agenda, comprising expert presentations and interactive panel discussions, designed to offer a global perspective on the opportunities and challenges that face the textile industry in years ahead, and providing delegates with new ideas to maintain their success in the textile manufacturing and supply chain.

Keynote speakers will be announced later this summer and are among the world’s leaders in their own sphere of expertise. In the economic arena the programme will address the post-Credit Crunch environment and the prospects for both market growth and investment. On trade, it will look at the future of the relationships between the major exporting countries and their markets in Europe and America.

On sustainability, it will consider the importance of ‘clean’ practices to communities in the developing world, and the impact of consumer pressure for a greener industry. And on technology, it will examine how up-coming developments such as nanotech, wearable electronics and low-input manufacturing are likely to change both the kinds of products that are made, and the way of making them.

The World Textile Summit is the first joint initiative between the ITMF and CEMATEX. It is being organised in partnership with the World Textile Information Network (WTiN) and international event organiser MP International.

The Summit will take place in Barcelona, Spain, on 21 September 2011 – the day before the opening of ITMA 2011, which is the 60th Anniversary edition of the show, and the day after the ITMF Annual Conference.

Steve Combes, Vice President of CEMATEX said: “The textile industry must adapt constantly to changing world conditions, and this has never been more important than in the aftermath of the economic crisis of the past two years. The World Textile Summit 2011 will give those with strategic responsibilities clearer insights into the future challenges and, at the same time, add significant value to a visit to Barcelona during ITMA week. The ITMF, with its global membership of leading textile companies, is the perfect partner and we are delighted to be working with this federation.”

Halit Narin, President of the ITMF said: “We are returning to Barcelona on the centenary of our first Conference in that city, and our joint event between the ITMF and ITMA confirms the truth that the textile industry will never lose its significance for us from birth to death. Taking into account the creative and innovative solutions of our industry, textiles will continue to exist both in the developed regions like Europe and US and also the developing countries of the world. This new event – focusing on the strategic business decisions that we must all make in a changing global market – will add an extra vital dimension. The partnership with ITMA and the opportunity to view the latest technical advances at the exhibition will make the Summit a memorable occasion.”

For more information, please contact:

Ms Trine Nielsen
World Textile Information Network
Tel: +44 1274 378800
Email: tnielsen@wtin.com

Ms Daphne Poon
MP International Pte Ltd
Tel: +65 6393 0238
Email: daphnepoon@mpinetwork.com