Over 30,000 visitors and 700 exhibitors await start of ITCE'11 in Cairo on February 28th

This year's edition of the exhibition will also witness record participation from exhibitors, as over 700 exhibitors from 24 countries have confirmed their presence.

A host of dignitaries, including Dr. Ahmed Gouili, Secretary General of the Council of Arab Economic Unity (CAEU); Eng. Rashid M. Rashid, Minister of Trade & Industry, Egypt; and Galal El Zorba, President of the Federation of Egyptian Industry (FEI), will be present at the opening ceremony. The exhibition will be held under the patronage of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Egypt, the Council of Arab Economic Unity and Arab Federation for Textile Industries.

Commenting on ITCE'11, Wael Al Kadi, Exhibition Director, said, "The organisers of ITCE have exerted tremendous efforts this year to secure the largest exhibition space possible, especially taking into account the large number of exhibitors who had confirmed their participation in the event."

"This year we have allocated exhibition halls based on the industry segment, dividing the exhibition according to specialization so as to showcase similar products in adjacent halls. The entire exhibition area has been divided into three divisions: exhibition entrance, eastern pavilion and western pavilion. The exhibition entrance - which includes halls 1, 1A and 1B - will feature tricot, and painting equipments and machines; the eastern pavilion - which includes halls 2, 2A, 3, 3A and 4 - is allocated for textiles, weaving equipments, dyeing and textile-printing machines, in addition to chemicals and raw materials; while the western pavilion - which includes halls 5, 6, 7, 7A and 8 - is allocated for embroidery, weaving and thread machines, and related accessories," he added.

Ahmed Ghozzi, Chairman and CEO, ACG-ITF, organiser of the event, referred to the milestones and achievements of the ITCE exhibition, which is regarded as the seventh most important textile industry exhibition in the world. Over the years, ITCE has played a crucial role in supporting and developing the textile industry in Egypt in particular, and the Arab region and Africa in general.

"We have conducted a comprehensive media and publicity campaign targeting specialists and traders in the MENA region, as well as industrial unions and specialized organizations, offering special rates for visitors from the Arab region. We expect the exhibition to attract over 30,000 specialized visitors this year from 18 countries from across the MENA region. This year's ITCE will also witness an official visit by a high level delegation from the textile manufacturers' union of Tunisia," said Ghozzi.

ITCE'11 will cover 12 halls, which makes it one of the largest specialized exhibitions in the region. During the four-day event, leading international industry players will also address challenges and discuss issues related to increased global market competition.

The vigorous growth of the textile industry in the region, especially in Egypt, will be a focal point during ITCE CAIRO 2008. According to FEI statistics, there are 4,250 weaving, textile and clothing manufacturers in Egypt, with their production accounting for 26 per cent of national industrial revenues and 24 per cent of industrial exports. Total Egyptian exports of ready-made clothing itself are estimated at USD 448 million per annum, making Egypt the world's 38th largest garment exporter.

ACG-ITF, the leading trade events organizer in the MENA region, was established in 1986. The company now enjoys 47 per cent of the international trade fairs market with a portfolio of exhibitions covering several sectors like automotives, textile machinery, plastics machinery and chemicals, building and construction, and others.