When the North Union Market of Keqiao Textile City announced that this August's curtain fabric exhibition would debut a 'dual-venue' model, industry observers saw more than a venue change—it was an experiment in how traditional fabric markets reinvent themselves.
The Logic of Dual-Venue: Embedding the Fair in the Market
Hall A of the autumn exhibition is set on the fourth floor of the North Union Market, while Hall B is at the Shaoxing International Convention Center, creating both physical and traffic linkage. According to public information, the exhibition covers 7,000 square meters, with organizers planning to attract buyers through over 200,000 targeted vertical invitations and 1.3 million precision touch points. Notably, the North Union Market, as China's largest professional curtain fabric trading center, provides the core support for this 'market + exhibition' model. Wang Baitong, General Manager of Zhejiang China Textile City Group, stated that the market is upgrading from a 'regional market' to a national hub for sourcing, channels, trends, and branding. This means the fair is no longer a short-term event separate from daily transactions but is embedded in the capillaries of commerce.
'Never-Ending' Exhibition Space: A Shift in Brand Cultivation Logic
The brand exhibition zone on the fourth floor is positioned as a 'never-ending brand display space,' reflecting a deep shift in operational thinking. The traditional 'sitting business' model has merchants passively waiting for customers; the 'year-round exhibition + periodic fair' model aims to normalize display and transactions. Brands like Huaxin Home Textiles, Milan Decorative Materials, Orange Impression, and Royal Vista have already moved in, including both local players and industry leaders from other provinces. Mao Fangli, head of Bujiangnan Workshop, revealed that her store has expanded from one to two rooms, adding a reception area and bar to create a more brand-aligned negotiation environment for the August fair. This shift from 'selling fabric' to 'building a brand' means the interaction between factories and buyers will fundamentally change—no longer based solely on samples and prices, but requiring complete brand narratives and spatial experiences.
Signings and Statements: Coordination Signals Across the Supply Chain
At the exhibition, North Union Market signed a strategic cooperation agreement with the Keqiao Curtain Fabric Association, upgrading the 'market + exhibition' event to long-term collaboration. Association President Zhao Junhui noted that this model marks a milestone for industrial standardization, branding, and cluster development. Cao Tianlong, President of the Keqiao Lin'an Chamber of Commerce, pledged full support, including new products, original design protection, and joint promotion. These statements show that the Keqiao curtain industry is trying to solve long-standing problems of homogeneous competition and design protection through organizational strength. For buyers, this means products sourced from Keqiao will emphasize design differentiation and quality consistency.
Data Behind the Trend: Branding as the Only Way Forward
Pan Jianhua, Chairman of Zhejiang China Textile City Group, stressed that the core of holding the curtain fair at North Union is to drive the industry's transformation from 'fabric wholesale' to 'finished brand.' This judgment is driven by consumption upgrades: end consumers no longer want just a piece of cloth but need integrated design and complete home solutions. For Keqiao, one of the world's largest textile distribution centers, staying in wholesale will compress profit margins; cultivating brands through exhibitions and integrating design R&D can elevate Keqiao's position in the national curtain industry. The group hosts over 170 events annually and provides multi-dimensional empowerment—finance, digitalization, creation, logistics—to brand partners. This high-frequency interaction itself accelerates brand cultivation.