The latest technology, applications, and the overall direction of the technical textile and nonwovens industry will be presented by experts and leaders from around the world during Techtextil North America Symposium being held March 15 – 17, 2011 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The 2011 Symposium has been developed to meet the current strategies and goals of the attendees and exhibitors. The Symposium will now contain a more structured program allowing ample time for Q&A with the presenters both during and at the end of the sessions.

Held concurrently with the exhibition, the symposium will contain ten sessions with more than 40 presentations in a variety of formats that will cover a wide range of topics from high performance nonwovens, sustainable materials, military developments and research to medical textiles. There will also be two new sessions; the Executive Forum and Educational Forum.

"There's a lot going on in the western part of the U.S. involving technical textiles. Companies and institutions are exploring and utilizing high performance textiles and/or technology in some unique high performance areas,” comments Bill Smith, Symposium Director.

“We are excited about this year's Symposium in Las Vegas and presenting the latest technology to the west coast region. There are changes in the Symposium allowing attendees to spend more quality, in-depth time with the speakers as well as additional time for the exhibits. The sessions have been carefully chosen to reflect some of the interest we have noticed in the industry, and our speakers have been encouraged to present in a non-commercial and understandable format as well as focusing on information attendees can use more immediately; technology that can be applied to their products near term as well as for further exploration and development. This will be a great experience for the attendees."

Keynote Address – Jeremy Litchfield
Jeremy Litchfield launched Atayne in May 2007 to inspire positive environmental and social change through the power of active lifestyles. Atayne leverages groundbreaking technologies and uses “trash” (e.g. plastic bottles, coconut shells, crab shells, old garments) to design high performance outdoor and athletic apparel.

The keynote address will take place Tuesday, March 15th from
8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. as the kickoff to the 2011 Techtextil North America event. The keynote address is open and free to all participating 2011 attendees and exhibitors.

Executive Forum
We know where we are, but where are we going? Designed for experienced professionals, a number of high ranking Industry executives will give their opinion on the technical textiles industry, how they are handling the recession and trends they may see. Get the benefit of their thoughts on the outlook for technical textiles and nonwovens from their perspective.

Extreme Outdoor
This session will focus on outdoor recreation/leisure, athletic applications, and protection from extreme elements. Developments in technology that greatly improve performance will be reviewed.

Military
Two sessions will address the military arena. The first will look at doing business with the military and governmental agencies, outlook, and regulations, taking advantage of research and testing facilities, and technology transfer. The second will focus some of the latest developments/technology that was originally developed for military use, but may lead to commercial applications, creating new markets and growth.

Sustainability/Green
Beyond the buzz words. Is this for real? What does it mean? Environmental and sustainable design, green technology and textile applications for the real world will be presented.

Protective Textiles
This popular session will cover ballistics standards, mine safety, blast mitigation fabrics and ensembles and some specialty areas, among others. A unique program is being developed with fresh ideas and applications.

Medical
The medical area is growing exponentially. There are huge and growing opportunities for technical textiles for those willing to do the work. While much is disposable and/or high volume commodity items, there are a number of niche areas that may be just right for certain companies.
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Usuable Technology
Technical textiles are ever evolving and creating new techniques and applications, making possible many new areas, and providing momentum for new, innovative, and creative uses. So many developments are occurring in technical textiles and innovation is the key – new, fresh, and practical adaption of new technology. These sessions will look at some of the innovations that will impact the industry.