Thank you ISPO Munich – it was a huge success!

We’ve just got back from ISPO Munich, the world’s largest trade fair for sports businesses.

It was a busy few days and our European sales team was delighted to welcome plenty of visitors, including a number of international, high profile brands to the Stretchline stand.

Andy Cooper, CEO of Stretchline UK Ltd, attended the trade show too. He noticed that we generated plenty of interest thanks in part to our bulk production capabilities, but also because we’re seen as a ‘local’ source of high quality narrow fabrics to the rest of Europe.

Potential customers were particularly interested in our custom manufacturing and dyeing capabilities.

“Some visitors looked us up specifically for this reason because it’s more attractive for them than sourcing from the Far East. They prefer a ‘local’ service into Europe, Eastern Europe and North Africa,” he says. “Our minimum order requirement also met with approval because it’s a good example of how flexible we are with customers. Even for lower volume runs, we have shorter lead times than many of our competitors.”

Coating and bonding came out on top

Perhaps unsurprisingly, bonding applications where garments are glued rather than stitched were among the most popular source of enquiries. Bonding is a method of producing seamless garments that are really strong, yet still flexible and less bulky than many other sportswear items. Garments that use a bonded fabric (like Bondelast for example), mould to the body so they’re extremely comfortable and retain their shape and elasticity even during extreme sports.

We also spoke to visitors who were interested in our coating applications where we use silicone to hold the fabric against the skin without slipping. Stay4Sure is used in hosiery as well as active wear – it’s breathable and holds the garment in place without exerting pressure. The British Cycling Team have won medals wearing it!

ISPO Munich was a great chance for us to showcase two new Stretchline brands.

Ecolastic is a narrow fabric/elastic that demonstrates our ongoing commitment to protecting the environment in both the way we work and the products we develop (many of our products are already fully sustainable and completely recyclable). Ecolastic is made with recycled polyester or nylon yarn and while it’s naturally more eco-friendly, it’s also strong and extremely hard-wearing.

Arcaform is designed to replace bra underwires. It’s an extruded resin insert and will be useful in a variety of sports clothing applications.

These are brand new products still in development – there will be plenty more information to come.

What’s next?

In March, we’re heading to another exhibition. Make It British Live! 2020 takes place on 17 and 18 March at the London Business Design Centre where once again we’ll be showcasing many of our existing products as well as new developments currently under way.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Want to know more?

If you visited us in Munich and you’d like more information about anything you saw, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Call us on +44 1666 842100 or email sales@stretchline.com.