Record Participation Reported At IFAI Expo 2000

A record 486 companies participated at this years Industrial Fabrics Association International
(IFAI) Expo 2000, held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., in October. Over a
three-day period, 7,376 people attended the events, which included more than 50 seminars as well as
presentations of technical papers at the Textile Technology Forum.Former U.S. Senator Robert J.
Dole gave the keynote address and provided his learned perspective on leadership and values in the
21st century, combining humor, anecdotes and his own life experiences during the speech.Attendees
raved about the show, commenting on the large numbers of business opportunities and how
well-organized the event was.I am positively impressed with this show. For both supplier and
end-product manufacturers, this is the place to be, said Dr. Christian Koch, Verseidag Indutex
GmbH, Germany.IFAI President Stephen M. Warner, was also very pleased with the success of the show.
IFAI Expo 2000 was a terrific event, he said. Its success well reflected what is happening today in
the technical fabrics marketplace. Visitors came ready to buy on the trade show floor, especially
equipment. We were particularly pleased with the great participation from companies representing
emerging industry segments such as medical, automotive and safety-oriented products.Warner
continued, Activities in these new areas, plus the record international participation, were
confirmations that we are successfully building IFAI Expos importance beyond both the North
American borders and the traditional market segments within the industry.

December 2000

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