Participation in major trade shows in different countries can be a useful tool in branding Bangladeshi apparel, a top official of Messe Frankfurt France, a trade show organiser, said yesterday. Bangladesh, being the second largest garment exporter worldwide, is an important player in the global apparel business, said Michael Scherpe, president and CEO of Messe Frankfurt France. If the Bangladeshi companies attend international trade shows they will be benefited in innovation, marketing, designs and fashion, he said, speaking at a press meet at La Vinci Hotel in Dhaka. Scherpe said the future of the sector is bright not only because of cheap prices, but also for quality products. Paris, which is at the centre of fashion, is the best place for companies to learn how to improve their presentation; it is also one of the meeting points for European buyers, he said. Bangladesh is important for Apparel Sourcing, one of the trade shows by Messe Frankfurt in France, he added. In today’s world, it is just not the price that is a deciding factor, he said. Other things such as presentation, lead times and confidence also play a role, he added. About 14,000 trade buyers visited Apparel Sourcing in September, with the top six visiting countries being France, the UK, Spain, Italy, Turkey and Germany. He said five major exhibitions for the textile industry will be organised by Messe Frankfurt in Paris between February 6 and 9 next year. Of the five, Apparel Sourcing is the top European trade show for global sourcing for clothing production and accessories. Avantex is the first show to unite fashion and new technology, and Avanprint is the show for digital printing of textiles, Shawls&Scarves is the accessories fair and Texworld is the show for fabrics, trimmings and accessories, he said. Omer Salahuddin, Nazneen Salahuddin and Rummana Afroze of Messe Frankfurt of Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka were also present.
