CHARLOTTE, N.C. — October 27, 2016 — IFAI Expo 2016 attracted 5,023 participants to the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C., from October 18-21.
Attendees were treated to four days of product demonstrations, education, networking, exhibits and awards recognizing industry achievement.
“We couldn’t be happier with this year’s Expo,” IFAI President/CEO Mary Hennessy said. “Interest in the event has rarely been higher and that’s proven by a record-setting number of exhibitors and huge interest in the event from the industry at large.”
Attendance at this year’s Expo was rivaled only by IFAI’s 100th Anniversary event in Boston in 2012. IFAI Expo is the largest display of specialty fabrics and technical textiles in the Americas.
Exhibitors were pleased with the way Expo unfolded. “It gave us an opportunity to, in a more concentrated way, listen to the customer,” said Leib Oehmig, President/COO of Glen Raven Inc. “It’s something we really look forward to. For us, it’s a slam-dunk.”
Attendees had the chance to meet with a record number of exhibitors. “It’s a good opportunity to mix with our suppliers, a good time to rub shoulders with others in the industry,” said Monte Sharp, President of Sharp’s Tarps, Grant’s Pass, Ore., who attended his 32nd consecutive IFAI Expo last week. “Expo helps us to stay on top of technology…it was a very good show overall.”
Expo highlights included a revamped ShowStopper program which highlighted new products, three times the number of Campfire Session educational opportunities compared to 2015’s show, and excellent participation in both the International Achievement Awards (IAA) and Industrial Fabrics Foundation (IFF) events. Attendees also had the chance to earn Textile Testing Certificates from North Carolina State University after completing a special testing course.
GeoCharlotte, a single-day geosynthetics program, also drew engineers and exhibitors to Charlotte for a day of education and networking ahead of March 2017’s Geotechnical Frontiers event, which will be cohosted by IFAI.
Attendees also heard from a stable of keynote speakers including business ethics expert Chuck Gallagher, author and marketing executive Linda Kaplan Thaler and former Walt Disney World customer service guru Dennis Snow.
IFAI Expo 2017 will take place in New Orleans September 26-29, 2017.
Posted November 1, 2016
Source: IFAI
