More than 500 major suppliers from home and abroad are expected at the 2011 Keqiao International Textile Autumn Expo set to run from Oct 25 to 28 in its namesake township in Zhejiang's Shaoxing county.

One of the world's largest textile shows, the expo is held every spring and autumn, with the upcoming session expecting nearly 1,300 booths operating across more than 30,000 square meters displaying fabrics and accessories, garments, home textiles and textile machinery.

More than 2,300 overseas buyers and 2,600 domestic buyers have confirmed they will participate in the event held at the International Convention and Exhibition Center in Keqiao's China Textile City.

"We predict the number of overseas participants representing either suppliers or buyers is expected to surpass 6,000, compared with last year's 5,579," said Sun Chengrong, deputy director of the China Textile City's administration committee.

In addition to the main expo at the International Convention and Exhibition Center, a number of exhibitions and trade activities will be held at other sites around China Textile City.

The event's major events include the opening ceremony, an online trade show, the 2011 China International Textile Design Competition, the 2011 China Garment Design Competition, releases of new products, an expert forum and matchmaking events between suppliers and buyers.

Creativity show

A highlight is expected to be the "creativity show" at which a dozen renowned designers from South Korea will share their innovative ideas with local designers.

The South Korean design delegation first participated in the event in 2008, a year that marked a substantial increase in the expo's international influence.

It was the first year the event offered an overseas exhibition zone, immediately drawing the attention from overseas suppliers and buyers.

This year Italy, Germany, Japan - as well as China's Hong Kong and Taiwan - will set up national or regional pavilions.

Another highlight of the event is that there will be more innovative technologies and techniques, as well as more environmental-friendly and high-value-added products, on display.

Organizers promised better-than-ever services will be offered to the participants.

For instance, free accommodation will be available for overseas guests who confirm to visit in advance.

There will also be shuttle buses to link the hotels and exhibition venues.

In addition to the professional service teams of the organizing committee, local organizations will provide volunteer services for the event.

The Zhejiang branch of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade will have a booth at the expo, offering free legal consultation for participating enterprises.

The Shaoxing county's translators association will provide translation services to foreign representatives.

This session of the textile expo is sponsored by the Zhejiang provincial government, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), the China National Textile and Apparel Council and China General Chamber of Commerce.

It is organized by the Zhejiang Bureau of Commerce, the Zhejiang branch of CCPIT, the Shaoxing city government and the Shaoxing county government.

It also has the support from the China Chamber of Commerce for Textile Imports & Exports and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

Decade of success

The first Keqiao Textile Expo was held in 1999 under the name China Textile City Textile Expo.

In 2004, the event was named the China Shaoxing Textile Expo.

In 2006, it was listed as one of key trade shows supported by the Ministry of Commerce.

A milestone of the event came in 2007, when the China Keqiao Textiles Indices were first released.

The indices use surveys of international and domestic suppliers and buyers to compile statistics and formulate projections on product prices, supply and demand dynamics, and future trends.

In April 2008, the spring textile expo was first held, making it a twice-a-year event.

In October that year, the expo was approved by the State Council as national-level trade show and its name was changed to its present title.

In the fall session of 2009, the International Textile Manufacturers Federation first sent a delegation to attend the expo.

The 2010 autumn expo showcased a total of 507 exhibiting enterprises and attracted 25,391 business visitors - including 5,579 from overseas - and generated a transaction volume of 4.89 billion yuan.