The third edition of Techtextil North America (TTNA), the international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens, will be held March 30 – April 1, 2004, at the Cobb Galleria Centre. In 2002, this biennial show attracted an impressive group of 291 exhibitors filling the exhibit space, expanded by 30% over the 2000 show. Thousands of qualified buyers from around the world attended the event, confirming the show’s position as the paramount business, educational and networking platform for the technical textile and nonwovens industry.

While many segments of the textile industry face an uncertain future marked by severe import pressure, one area that is healthy and growing: industrial or technical textiles. The industry, however, is segmented by numerous and often disparate groups and events. Techtextil North America brings many of those groups together into an integrated, cohesive exhibition and symposium.

Techtextil North America differentiates itself by targeting the higher end of the technical textile industry, the so-called high performance area. Techtextil (in Europe) broke new ground 18 years ago by defining the industry, breaking it down into 12 now industry-wide accepted categories and commissioning studies to determine the actual size and growth of the global industry. By defining and quantifying the industry, Messe Frankfurt can better determine how to serve the market.

Techtextil North America provides a unique business, networking and educational platform showcasing high-performance technical textiles and nonwovens in North America to a growing international market. With the North American technical textiles market being the largest in the world, leading companies, both from the United States and abroad, have signed up again to participate. TTNA has become the event of choice for major as well as smaller, specialized companies alike, often allowing them to by-pass other, less comprehensive events. The quality of the exhibitors, the displays, special showcases, international participation and highly qualified attendee base are key ingredients that exhibitors and visitors appreciate.

TTNA also provides an excellent technical and marketing symposium, the Techtextil-Symposium North America. The Symposium has quickly become an industry leading event, drawing the attention of a diverse group of industry participants, researchers and marketing experts. In 2002, the symposium received high marks in industry publications and by the participants alike. The 2004 version will be a triple-track format with three concurrent sessions. A major feature of the Symposium is the way the programs are chosen and organized to represent the most important parts of the industry and presented in a format that newcomers and long-time participants alike will be able to appreciate and benefit from.

The Symposium will focus on some new areas such as the growing interest in intelligent textiles. Topics will include not just woven-in sensors, but actually “smart” textiles that react to outside stimuli. New cutting-edge research related to technical textiles will be presented in an easy to comprehend and adaptable format. Special programs on fiber engineering are planned as well as the latest in new techniques and industry developments in a variety of fields.

Supplementing the technical programs will be more market orientated sessions, including information on business opportunities in this exciting industry. Lastly, visitors can attend a review of where the industry stands and gain an outlook for the future.