A+A 2025 just wrapped up in Düsseldorf, and what a week it was. The event brought together 67,000 visitors from 150 countries – the biggest turnout yet for the world’s leading workplace safety trade fair.
The Numbers Tell the Story
This year’s A+A was massive. With 2,340 exhibitors from 70 nations spread across 13 halls, the sheer scale was impressive. What stood out? About 81% of visitors were decision-makers – the people who actually buy fabrics and specify materials. Half the attendees came from outside Germany, with 16% flying in from overseas.
The theme was “People Matter,” which felt appropriate given the conversations we had at our stand in Hall 16.
Our Biggest A+A Presence Yet
This year we went all-in. Our stand was 1.5 times bigger than any previous A+A show, and we brought our largest team ever – 16 people. It made a difference. With more space to display fabrics and enough team members to have real conversations instead of rushed handoffs, we managed about 300 meetings over four days. That’s a record for us.
What’s even better? A significant portion were new customers – companies we hadn’t worked with before. Some had been watching us at previous shows, others were new to the market, and a few were established manufacturers looking to switch suppliers. Those new relationships are what makes the investment worthwhile.
What We Brought to Düsseldorf
Our expanded stand showcased the breadth of what we do: about 20 flame-resistant fabrics, over 70 workwear and uniform fabrics, and around 20 different reflective tapes. It’s one thing to have a catalog online, but seeing customers touch and compare fabrics in person tells you what actually matters to them.
The FR Fabrics That Got the Most Attention
Out of our 20 flame-resistant fabrics, three kept drawing people back:
SIRENA-255 – Our lightweight Modacrylic fabric at 255gsm. It’s certified to all the main FR standards (EN 11612, EN 11611, IEC 61482-1-2), high-visibility (EN 20471) and protect against liquid chemicals (EN 13034), but what got people’s attention was the hand-feel. It’s soft. Really soft. The RipStop weave handles 50+ industrial washes at 75°C, and the Martindale test shows 25,000+ abrasion cycles. Welding equipment manufacturers kept coming back to feel it again.
ITAKA-300 – This one’s our heavy-duty multi-risk fabric at 300gsm, and it’s the first in our range available in high-visibility Orange. Six major certifications including chemical splash (EN 13034) and arc flash protection (EN 61482-2). The fiber blend uses Modacrylic, Aramid, and Nylon for strength. Petrochemical folks and electrical utilities were particularly interested because it handles multiple hazards without layering different garments.
POSEIDON-270 Stretch – The real conversation starter. This cotton-rich FR fabric has XLA stretch fiber built in, so it actually moves with you. At 270gsm it’s lighter than ITAKA, handles 50 washes at 75°C, and maintains full FR certification. Firefighter uniform manufacturers saw it immediately – first responders need to move fast, and traditional FR fabrics can be restrictive.
Workwear Fabrics: Stretch and Membrane Leading the Way
While FR fabrics get a lot of attention at safety fairs, our 70+ workwear and uniform fabrics drew steady traffic all week. The clear trend? Stretch fabrics and membrane fabrics dominated conversations.
People aren’t just looking for durable polyester-cotton blends anymore. They want fabrics that move, breathe, and handle weather. Warehouse uniforms, logistics wear, municipal workers, healthcare – everyone’s asking for stretch. Membrane fabrics for outdoor workers and all-weather applications were also popular, especially with companies operating in Northern Europe where weather protection is crucial.
The days of stiff, heavy workwear are over. Comfort drives adoption, and adoption drives safety compliance.
LUMI Reflective Tapes: Day&Night Glow Steals the Show
We displayed about 20 different reflective tapes, but the newest additions got the most attention: our LUMI day&night glow-in-the-dark tapes.
Here’s why they matter: traditional reflective tape works great when headlights hit it, but in transitional light conditions – dawn, dusk, warehouses with inconsistent lighting – workers can still be hard to see. The glow-in-the-dark technology fills that gap. The tape charges in daylight and glows in low-light conditions, then reflects brightly when hit with direct light.
Transport companies, delivery services, and airport ground operations crews showed strong interest. Anyone working in mixed lighting conditions where “sort of visible” isn’t good enough.
Beyond Our Booth
The EXO PARK was wild – seeing exoskeletons in action makes you realize how much physical work technology can offset. The Corporate Fashion Show in Hall 15 had four presentations daily, and it was packed. Modern protective workwear is genuinely stylish now, which matters when you need workers to actually wear it all day.
The 39th A+A Congress ran alongside the fair with 3,000 attendees and covered AI in workplace safety, preventing workplace violence, and health-oriented leadership. New formats like the Vision Zero Stage kept things engaging.
Real Conversations
With 300 meetings over four days, our team covered a lot of ground. Some projects we talked about:
- Transport companies wanting LUMI day&night reflective tapes for branded uniforms so delivery drivers stay visible in all conditions
- Warehouse managers looking for stretch fabrics that handle industrial washing but still feel comfortable
- Welding companies interested in SIRENA-255 for lightweight protection
- Petrochemical operations needing ITAKA-300 for combined hazards
- Emergency services exploring POSEIDON-270 Stretch for mobility in firefighter gear
- Municipal uniform suppliers asking about membrane fabrics for all-weather workwear
These conversations shape what we develop next. You can’t design useful products in a vacuum.
Industry Trends We Noticed
A few things kept coming up:
- Comfort is non-negotiable now – Workers won’t tolerate stiff, heavy fabrics anymore, even if they’re protective. Stretch and mobility matter.
- Visibility in all conditions – Traditional reflective tape isn’t enough. Glow-in-the-dark technology addresses the gaps.
- Sustainability through durability – Fabrics that last longer mean fewer replacements and less waste. Extended wash cycles are a selling point now.
- Multi-hazard solutions win – Single fabrics that handle fire, chemicals, and arc flash simplify garment design and reduce costs.
- Aesthetics count – Professional appearance and brand identity matter, even in protective workwear.
Until 2027
The next A+A is October 19-22, 2027, back in Düsseldorf. We’ll be there with whatever we’ve developed between now and then, shaped by the feedback and connections from this year.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by Hall 16, Stand B14. If you grabbed samples or business cards, we’ll be following up soon.