The Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI), Roseville, Minn., has announced that three
nonwovens groups — Brussels-based EDANA, the International Association Serving the Nonwovens and
Related Industries, the Beijing-based China Nonwovens and Industrial Textiles Association (CNITA),
and the Japan-based Asia Nonwovens Fabrics Association (ANFA) — will support IFAI Expo Asia 2011,
to be held March 22-25, 2011, at the Marina Bay Sands Resort and Conference Centre in Singapore.
The inaugural event designed to serve the Asia Pacific region is expected to attract more
than 100 international and regional exhibitors and approximately 2,000 trade visitors from Asia,
the Pacific and the United States. IFAI reports 29 major corporations have committed to exhibiting
and 21 regional organizations are teaming with the organization to promote the technical textiles
trade show.
“While current trade shows in India and China focus primarily on the disposable nonwoven
industry, IFAI Expo Asia 2011 is the first major event in the region that specifically targets as
visitors the end-product fabricators who use all types of durable materials — woven, nonwoven,
knit and composite textiles,” said Stephen Warner, president and CEO, IFAI.
IFAI’s recently published 2010 State of the Industry Report states the United States
continues to be the largest user market for technical textiles, consuming 23 percent of global
production, followed by Europe, which consumes 22 percent. “There is a tremendous opportunity for
export business in the technical textiles market,” Warner said. “Globally, ours is one of the
fastest growing sectors in the technical textiles industry.”
The four-day event will feature the trade exposition and educational symposiums for nine
technical textile niche end-markets. Dr. Behnam Pourdeyhimi will be the opening speaker for the
Technical Nonwoven Applications session. Pourdeyhimi is the William A. Klopman Distinguished
Chaired Professor of Materials in the College of Textiles at North Carolina State University;
associate dean for Industry Research and Extension; and executive director of the Nonwovens
Institute and the Nonwovens Cooperative Research Center.
July 27, 2010
