A
fter two years of planning, the United States-based Industrial Fabrics Association
International (IFAI) will host the inaugural IFAI Expo Asia March 22-25, 2011, at the Marina Bay
Sands Hotel & Exhibition Centre in Singapore. The event will be co-managed by Singapore-based
exhibition and conference organizer MP International Pte. Ltd. IFAI has extensive experience
managing trade shows, but this is the first event the association has organized in Asia.
IFAI is billing the expo as “The event dedicated to technical textiles.” “While current trade
shows in India and China focus primarily on the disposable nonwoven industry, IFAI Expo Asia 2011
is the first major event in the region that specifically targets as visitors the end-product
fabricators who use all types of durable materials — woven, nonwoven, knit and composite textiles,”
said Stephen Warner, IFAI president and CEO.
IFAI reports approximately 150 international and regional exhibitors are expected to
participate, and roughly 3,000 trade visitors from Asia, the Pacific region and the United States
are expected to attend. Visitors are expected from three targeted groups: people involved in the
technical textile supply chain who are seeking networking and partnership opportunities;
manufacturers of finished products in the automotive, construction, medical, safety, military, and
recreation and structures markets; and people with design, application and market influence
including architects, civil engineers and government purchasing agencies.
“IFAI Expo Asia 2011 is specially designed for a select group of buyers who want the latest
product information and personal consultation,” Warner said. “It’s going to be a customer-centric,
one-stop marketplace for the top technical textile players to network and do business.”
Alongside the show, IFAI has organized a tour of Advance Canvas Industries Pte. Ltd. — a
manufacturer of awnings, umbrellas, canopies and banners for a variety of customers including
well-known brand names. The tour, available to a limited number of participants, will take place
Tuesday, March 22, from 1:30 p.m. until 5 p.m., and requires separate registration.
Exhibits
Participants will exhibit goods in five categories: Material, which includes woven, nonwoven,
knitted, coated, laminated and composite materials; Components, which includes cordage and ropes,
foam, hardware, pipe and tubing, thread, zippers, and motors; Equipment, which includes cutting,
graphics and printing, sealing, sewing, material handling, slitting and rewinding, spreading,
testing, and tools; Other, which includes fiber, films, chemicals and yarn; and Services, which
includes AD/design, computer software/hardware, consulting, fabric cleaning, finishing and dyeing,
graphics and printing, research and development, and testing.
The exhibit halls will be open from 1:30 p.m. until 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 23; from 10 a.m.
until 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 24; and from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Friday, March 25.
Technical Symposiums
As well as the trade exhibition, the expo also will feature an extensive technical conference
specific to nine niche end-markets: Medical and Healthcare Applications; Sustainability in the
Textile Value Chain; Geosynthetic Applications for Infrastructure; E-textiles and Smart Fabrics;
Geosynthetic Materials for Environmental Applications; Technical Nonwoven Applications; Protective
Clothing; Architectural Shade and Structures; and Automotive Materials.
On Wednesday, March 23, Peter McKernan — IFAI chairman of the board, and president and CEO of
Herculite Products Inc. — will deliver the keynote address on the topic “The Path Forward —
Observations and Opportunities in the Technical Textiles Marketplace.” McKernan will discuss recent
observations on the U.S. technical textiles markets and new opportunities in the Asia Pacific
region that are being discovered for industry products.
“There is tremendous opportunity for export business in the technical textiles market,”
Warner said. “Globally, ours is one of the fastest growing sectors in the textile industry. The
economic landscape in Asia Pacific continues to evolve. The building and construction outlook is
robust. New, emerging markets such as medical product devices and smart textile products are being
developed,” he added.
“I hope everyone in the specialty fabrics industry will join us at the exciting international
trade event which promises to be a lively marketplace for buyers and sellers,” Warner said.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke presented IFAI President and CEO Stephen Warner with a
recognition award Dec. 1, 2010, for receiving the Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP)
Grant for its IFAI Expo Asia 2011 trade show development.
For more information about IFAI Expo Asia, or to register for the show, visit
www.ifaiexpoasia.com.
February 16, 2011