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Hostelco meets the needs of uniforms and table linen manufacturers and marketers
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For the third consecutive time Hostelco filled the exhibitions center of Montjuïc de la Fira, Barcelona, extending over 62.000 square meters.
The thirteenth edition of this biennial tradeshow coincided with its 25th anniversary. Throughout its history, the event has become one of the leading fairs of its kind in Spain, and the second largest in Europe, for the hostelry and related sectors.
The President of the Planning Committee, Jesús Mora, pointed out, “Hostelco has been able to adapt to the dynamics and demands of an expanding market. It is today a top-rate business platform, representing the new trends and technological advances for each one of the segments in this sector.”
Hostelco closed on October 25, having recorded some 10,000 visitors. Of the 2,300 exhibitors, 80% were from Spain and the remaining 20% came from 41 different countries, led by Italy with Portugal and France following in the list.
The sector showcasing machinery for hotels, restaurants and related sectors was once again the largest in this edition – making up 37% of the total – followed by furniture and décor, cutlery and table service, and cleaning services. There was significant growth in the size of two industrial sectors represented, Expolimp and the Intervending area.
Among parallel activities during the event, there was the Star Forum, with guests like Chef Carme Ruscalleda, Xavier Pellicer, Darío Barrio, Juan Pablo Felipe, Sergi Arola, Joan Roca, Ada Perellada and Javier Tejedor. The group focused successfully on children’s nutrition.
The European Pizza Championship was also an attractive activity. The winner was Nemesio Sánchez, the European Champion in 2005 and Spanish Champion in 2006.
The Coffee Area was one of the most widely accepted. Attendants could taste coffee blends and take part in contests and conferences, including the First National Barmen’s contest. The winner was Chiara Nicolini. The Coffee Area was also the venue for major conferences, with speakers like the Executive Director of the International Coffee Organization, I.C.I., Dr. Néstor Osorio.
The public visited “Hostelco, 25 years making history”, featuring technological developments and testimonies by various celebrities in this sector and event.
Hostelco is jointly planned by Fira de Barcelona and Felac, Federación Española de Asociaciones de Fabricantes de Maquinaria para Hostelería, Colectividades e Industrias Afines. It will be held again in autumn 2008.
Below, readers will find some of the most interesting facts in relation to exhibitors interviewed by our journalists.
Anglatex, fabric manufacturers, took part in this event and showcased their fabrics for table linen, made with natural fibres like cotton or flax, and their Jacquards. In the décor fabric sector, the company showcased fashionable, lively-coloured and Jacquard fabrics. Pau García, Sales Director of Anglatex, commented, “This experience at Hostelco has been highly satisfactory. We made good contacts, mostly with fabrics distributors around Spain”.
Anglatex manufacture fabrics in their wholly-owned facilities located in Artés, Barcelona, with state-of-the-art technologies and machinery. “As our infrastructure is modern and our quality controls are strict, we can offer clients customized products. Some of the most widely requested are those reproducing corporate logotypes, in a variety of sizes and types of fabric”, adds Pau García.
As to results, Anglatex qualified Hostelco as very good, stating that whichever sector in this market chooses to offer the highest quality, is sure to succeed.
Bassols showcased their latest novelties in bed, table and bathroom linen and fabrics. They attracted many visitors to their well-designed, warm stand. Among the many alternatives, their Aswan model was widely acclaimed. It is a striped, white satin Nordic case made with Egyptian combed cotton and combined with a plaid in brown Chenille for the foot of the bed. Novelties in table linen products featured natural fabrics – linen and cotton – in smooth-texture damask. Cotton and linen fabric were also the materials for bathroom textiles, due to their smoothness. The most fashionable colours, in addition to black and contrasting white, were red hues and among the classic, ivory, brown and brick red.
Bragard España focused their exhibition on kitchen linen, as the company is known for their innovations in this sector. In 2001 they launched a prestigious line of kitchen products, Cooking Star, pioneering in bringing elegance to the side of the stove. Vincent Perivier, Commercial Director, said that the stand was visited by many professionals who showed interest in their collection, including hotel managers and purchasing department managers. “In addition to making new contacts, Hostelco contributes to strengthen our brand image”, he said. As to novelties, the company showcased their Verana jacket for women working in the kitchen, available in black and with _ sleeves. Their ultra-light kitchen jacket, Hugo, made with Coolplus fabric (in the Coolmax line), is fully breathable to offer comfort and avoid dampening. Without a doubt, apparel made by Bragard stands out for its functionality and comfort and the perfect design and details.
Confeccions Mado showcased more elaborate collections, in comparison to their previous participations. “We mostly chose special, quality designs. They are not as easy to copy, too”, states Assumpta Sala, the Director of this company. Table linen made with polyester, cotton and linen were highly successful, as well as festooned and striped models. Reversible, two-colour tablecloths were also highly attractive. “Now, trends call for edges of about four to five centimeters. This adds to a quality style”, says the director. She also added that visitors, and especially so specialized store representatives, were interested in their customization services for products such as towels, sheets, tablecloths and cushion cases. Confeccions Mado offers serigraphy and embroidery services for those who wish to include their logotype or name to textile products. “Whenever our clients request it we can add embroidered motifs to identify their business or hotel”, stated Assumpta Sala. Cushion cases with stripes in matching colours proved to be a welcome attraction among the multiple styles shown. As to customized products, the Director told us that they make up about thirty to forty percent of overall sales. At the end of our interview, Assumpta Sala also commented that Confecciones Mado’s results at this edition were superior to those obtained on previous occasions.
Elezos Uniformes showcased a collection of kitchen wear prioritizing excellent design and the coordination of mesh fabric on the sides and back of items. Products shown were made with 100% cotton or technical fabrics – flameproof and antimicrobial. In advance of regulations soon to be in force, the company uses snap buttons for their products. And as to workwear for waiters and maitre d’s, Elezos Uniformes proposes shirts and aprons made with exclusive, top-quality fabrics. Jaime López Masoliver, manager of this company, offered his comments on this edition. “Without a doubt, our products prove to be very interesting. We have over two hundred and twenty visits, of which seventy percent corresponds to direct clients, while the remaining thirty percent corresponds to distributors. We were also able to confirm some orders”. We asked the manager to tell us which aspects were mostly valued by visitors. “We offer smaller volumes and limited series at average prices, in addition to good design. Clients then can rest assured that nobody else in their area will have the same products, thus reducing competition. This is only possible because we manufacture our products in our own facilities”, says Jaime López Masoliver, who also adds that the owners of medium-sized restaurants were those to show the greater interest in their products.
Eurosavoy are specialists in hostelry workwear, as this makes up seventy percent of their overall production. They have participated at every edition of Hostelco. The manager of this company, Josep Altamir, said, “We made good contacts with distributors and also with some hotel chains around Spain”. Eurosavoy presented the models in their extensive catalogue, with over four hundred references, excluding the different sizes and colours. All are carefully designed and made, and belong in the medium-high range segment. As to the use of technical fabrics, Josep Altimir comments that application is still limited, in part because they imply higher prices, but also because many lack information about their advantages. However, Eurosavoy makes workwear with technical fabrics upon request. As to results obtained at Hostelco, the manager said they were highly satisfactory. “Distributors want to find a wide range of alternatives, so that they may offer clients differentiated products. We can give them this opportunity”, concluded Josep Altimir.
During Hostelco Joma’s presented their 2007-2008 catalogue of uniforms for hotel and restaurant staff (Cheff line). This issue of the catalogue, with 242 pages, is the most extensive in the history of this company and includes a wide range of products and complements. As to novelties, designs, fabrics and colours are new, with green, orange and fuchsia in several hues, for an updated, modern look of uniforms. Commercial Department sources stated that this edition of the event represented a positive experience for Joma’s, once again, as they made new contacts and found their novelties were widely accepted.
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