CCI celebrated “Cotton Day” in Beijing, China, for the first time on May 15, positioning U.S. cotton as the fiber of choice for today’s sustainability-conscious Chinese hospitality industry. Themed “COTTON USA: Travel in Comfort with the Cotton the World Trusts,” Cotton Day brought together COTTON USA licensees and travel industry buyers invited by the China Tourist Hotel Association (CHTA).
“Global hospitality players are tailoring their offerings to provide hotel guests with home comforts, outfitting guest rooms with textile product made of natural fibers,” CCI Executive Director Bruce Atherley said. “The objective of COTTON USA is to be the supplier of choice for brands and retailers who are committed to only buying cotton that is produced with sustainable and responsible environmental, safety and labor practices. We want to make a difference and drive change, to make the world a better place for future generations.”
As of May 25, more than 180 print and online trade publications have reported on the debut of Cotton Day in China. Held at Beijing’s boutique Hotel Éclat, Cotton Day featured a workshop, mini-fair and main event. COTTON USA transformed two hotel suites into showrooms to display U.S. cotton-rich hotel bedding, toweling and amenity products from 13 COTTON USA licensees. A discussion about sustainable hotel procurement with 30 members from the China Tourist Hotel Association, including representatives from global hotel chains, also highlighted the advantages of using U.S. cotton in hotel products to increase durability and reduce costs.
Atherley kicked off the new “COTTON USA - The Cotton the World Trusts” global campaign at Cotton Day China. The event also featured a travel-themed runway show, where six licensees (BIB, Byford, Devil Nut, Indigo Tank, JNBY and le coq sportif) showcased fashionable and comfortable travel apparel made of U.S. cotton. The finale featured “Travel in Denim” by Chen Wen, the most influential denim designer in China, whose collection had support from COTTON USA, Indigo Tank and the 125-year old classic American denim company, Cone Denim.
“We have great appreciation for everything that COTTON USA has done over the years,” said Zhang Hua, vice general manager, Jiangsu Sidefu Textile Co., Ltd. “They share our corporate values, and we are very proud to be licensed by CCI and begin our partnership this year. We are glad to see that many consumers have also shown an interest in our products at the Hotelex Expo. They know what good quality means.”
Mdm. Gao Fang, director of Cotton and Jute Bureau of the All-China Federation of Supply & Marketing Cooperatives ACFSMC, and executive vice president of the China Cotton Association; Mr. JING Shenquan, deputy secretary general of the China Cotton Textile Association; Ms. CAO Xuejun, the deputy director general of the Department of the Consumer Goods Industry under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology; Ms. ZHAI Xueling, director of Market and Trade Research Office, Research Center for Rural Economy of Ministry of Agriculture; and Mr. Mark Ford, director of the Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) in Beijing, also attended the event.