Decision makers from all the major industries touching technical textiles and nonwovens attended Techtextil North America conducted business and discovered the latest product developments and industry trends. Moving the show from Chicago to the Southeast proved popular among the industry, making the 2019 edition the highest attended odd-year show to date.

As many as 165 exhibitors displayed, with the total attendance growing to 3,185 at the three-day trade show organised last month by Messe Frankfurt. This year, visitors included top industry executives, buyers, engineers, technical directors, plant managers, product development managers, and more from the world’s leading brands including Apple, Nike, Ford, Target, Lear Corporation, Georgia Pacific, Arc'teryx, Hanes Brands, Mohawk Industries, General Motors, and CamelBak, among others.

A new addition to Techtextil North America, 'The Lab' featured short sessions and hands-on demonstrations of the latest equipment and technology used in textile testing and standards. The topics included electrical resistance, clothing comfort, color fastness, water repellency and more. Many of these complimentary, show-floor sessions were left with standing room only, Messe Frankfurt said in a press release.

"I thought it was really inspiring to see all facets of the functional textiles industry," said Daniel Christe, a recent graduate of Drexel University in Philadelphia, one of the attendees. "The symposium had great speakers, who were all selected from a broad variety of perspectives: we saw scientists, business development folks and product management. The textiles industry has a really exciting future and I couldn't be more excited to join it as an early career professional."

The Poster Program returned to Techtextil North America again in 2019, this time boasting 61 participants from across the United States, making it the largest programme the show has seen to date. Participants included undergraduate research students and those pursuing their Master’s or Ph.D. from North Carolina State University’s Wilson College of Textiles, The Nonwovens Institute, Cornell University, Thomas Jefferson University, The University of Georgia and more.

"The show was fantastic for us," said another participant Dan St. Louis, director of the Manufacturing Solutions Center at Catawba Valley Community College. “We saw more customers and potential customers than any other show we have attended, and we have attended many over the years. We had a full crew manning our booth and I still missed lunch on Tuesday and Wednesday due to seeing so many customers – which was great! I also got a lot of business after my Symposium presentation, and certainly appreciated the opportunity to present. The Techtextil North America team did a great job with this event, and I look forward to coming again!”

"The show exceeded my expectations," said Hancho Lee, President of Polytex Plastics, South Korea. "It is smaller [than the Atlanta show], but with very high quality visitors. Those walking the show really know what they're looking for, and it's brilliant." (RR)