Around 120 participants from the laundry and dry cleaning industry came together in Casablanca, Morocco, on 4 June for the first Texcare Forum on African soil. The exchange between local specialist companies, international experts and manufacturers focussed on the topics of automation, digital technologies, production, logistics and environmental protection in the textile services sector.
The conference highlighted the special features of the North African markets - and offered a foretaste of the leading global trade fair for the textile care industry, Texcare International, in Frankfurt am Main in November 2024.
The decision to choose Casablanca as the venue for the Texcare Forum was based on its importance as the economic centre of the entire Maghreb region. With over 100 million inhabitants, a strong tourism industry and a significant textile industry, it is a promising location for the textile care sector. As co-host of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, Morocco in particular is expecting new economic impetus.
At the Hyatt Regency Hotel, participants were offered an exciting programme of presentations as well as extensive networking opportunities. On the second day of the event, attendees were also able to join an excursion to leading laundries in the region.
The organisers and partners of the forum were Messe Frankfurt, VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies and the French Chamber of Commerce in Morocco (CFCIM). The main sponsor was Christeyns, while other sponsors included Kannegiesser, Tolon, Jensen, Imesa, ABS Laundry and CM2W.
Johannes Schmid-Wiedersheim, Director Brand Management Textile Care, summarised:
"The aim of the Texcare Forum Casablanca was to offer the booming regional tourism industry as well as the healthcare and public sectors a forum for professional laundry care and to establish an exchange with international consultants and suppliers. I think that was very well achieved! In a short space of time, visitors were able to catch up on the latest procedures for ensuring the quality, hygiene and sustainability of their textiles. For the experts who attended, it was an excellent opportunity to get to know the Moroccan market better, with its very specific opportunities and challenges. Networking on site already led to many interesting discussions and possibly future projects."
Veronika März from VDMA Textile Care, Fabric and Leather Technologies said: "The Texcare Forum in Casablanca offered an excellent opportunity to gain an insight into Morocco's flourishing market for textile care. The varied and outstanding conference programme provided interesting insights into important industry topics such as the digitalisation of processes, the reduction of environmental impact and much more. There were also excellent opportunities for networking and making new contacts within the Moroccan textile (care) industry."
The conference topics at a glance
At the heart of the Texcare Forum Casablanca was a comprehensive conference programme. Experts shared their knowledge in one-hour panels, answered questions and were then available for technical discussions.
The presentations were held in French with simultaneous translation into English. Industry expert Sandra Minette from Texcare France served as moderator.
The programme was divided into four thematic blocks:
Ø Corporate strategy: New digitalisation and automation technologies
At the Texcare Forum Casablanca, industry experts Rémi Uriet (ABS LBS), Badre Bouitane (Blanchisserie Ecoblanc) and Andrea Garoia (Jensen) shared their expertise on topics such as making work easier, digitalising processes and interconnected business solutions.
Ø Energy and water
Miloud Bouzziri (Christeyns Maroc), Aziz Lamrani (Blanchisserie AB Maroc) and Audrey and Arnaud Bretéché (Cabinet Bretagne Environnement) used research and practical case studies to provide suggestions for reducing the environmental impact of the laundry process.
Ø Production and logistics
Hélène Ducarre (Optim Expertise), Patrik André (Maison de Blanc) and Badre Bouitane (Blanchisserie Ecoblanc) provided new approaches to topics such as laundry tracking, delivery management, the right choice of materials and equipment and the suitable approach to seasonality.
Ø In-house laundry care vs. outsourcing
Pascale Allaert (Meilleure Ouvrière de France), Jérôme Guéné (Laundry & Cleaning Consulting) and Lydie Barrand (Executive Housekeeper of the Royal Mansour Casablanca Hotel) provided fascinating insights into the optimisation of laundry management in hotels, employee training and the eternal question: "Do it yourself or outsource it?".
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