INDA’s 18th World of Wipes® International Conference will take place in Columbus, Ohio.
TW Special Report
The 18th World of Wipes® (WOW) International Conference will take place July 21-24, 2025, at the Hilton Columbus Downtown in Columbus, Ohio.
Organized by the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), the annual event focuses on, you guessed it, wipes! From raw materials to manufacturing technologies and beyond, the entire wipes supply chain is represented at WOW. This year’s theme is “Wipe to Win: Innovating for a Sustainable and Profitable Future.”
According to INDA, areas of interest covered at WOW include: dry and wet wipes; circular economy initiatives; sustainability and end-of-life implications; substrate formation; skincare formulations; raw materials and ingredients; end-use markets; packaging innovations; machinery and equipment advances; market trends and consumer insights; regulatory updates; and e-commerce and retail channels.
“I had never been to the World of Wipes prior to joining INDA and it has really impressed me in how comprehensive it is,” said Dr. Matt O’Sickey, INDA’s director of Education & Technical Affairs. “It is probably the only event in the world where someone could source everything needed to put a wipe into the market from fibers and nonwovens, solution chemistries and formulations, converting machinery and testing equipment, and packaging options. That’s not to mention market intelligence, regulatory guidance, and product development and marketing consultants. The entire wipes ecosystem is represented.”
INDA touts WOW as a venue for manufacturers, converters and suppliers to connect, collaborate and explore. To that end, the event will focus on challenges and opportunities, U.S. manufacturing threats, tariff and regulatory threats, fiber sustainability, consumer perceptions fragrance trends, slitting innovations, and flushability, among other topics. Conference sessions include panel discussions and titles such as “From Forest to Flush”; “Trends, Tushes & Tik-Toks”; “Sniff, Save, Slice”; “No Plastic, No Problem”; and “Swipe Right.”
WOW also hosts two days of tabletop exhibits, including the Lightning Talks where tabletop exhibitors present five-minute product overviews. An evening reception allows for additional networking.
Hosted in conjunction with the conference and tabletop portion, the WIPES Academy two-day course held July 21-22 offers 12 expert-led sessions covering product conception through commercialization. Attendees may participate in the academy for an extra fee.
The World of Wipes Innovation Award®, to be announced on July 24, will recognize one winner from the submitted entries that leverages nonwoven fabrics or technologies within the entire wipes value chain to enhance wipe product functionality and expand the use of nonwovens. Eligible categories include raw materials, roll goods, converting, packaging, active ingredients, binders, additives and end-use products.
For more information about WOW, please visit worldofwipes.org.
2025 Quarterly Issue II
