Cooling fabrics, smart light technology, recycled fibers, 3D body scanning, and cloud connected smart machines were just some of the highlights during the 15th edition of Techtextil North America, and fourth Texprocess Americas, which took place May 22-24, 2018 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia. The co-located events brought together the latest innovators in technical textiles, nonwovens, textile machinery, sewn products, equipment, and technology.
The events brought 567 Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas exhibitors representing 32 countries, while total attendance grew to 8,292, roughly a 4% increase over the 2016 events. Country pavilions included Italy, Texclubtec, Belgium, China, Taiwan, High-Tex from Germany, and SEAMS Made in USA. The co-located events once again returned strong numbers, and continue on its path of consistent growth in the quality and amount of visitors and exhibitors over the past editions.
“It was clear that everyone, both visitors and exhibitors, could feel the energy and excitement on the show floor,” stated Dennis Smith, President & CEO, Messe Frankfurt Inc., “We are proud to serve as the platform for furthering the growth and development of the North American technical textile and sewn products industries. There is an immense amount of talent and innovation coming from the US, and Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas have become the premier events where professionals from all industries come to see the trends and technologies that are coming their way.”
With 18 paid symposium sessions (including two bonus Lunch N‘ Learn sessions) being held throughout the first and second day and complimentary sessions taking place on the show floor, the co-located events were buzzing with visitors and speakers discussing new technology, game-changing research and cross-industry collaborations. Among the topics presented, smart textiles, wearables and the future of the technology that powers them proved to be top of mind for many attendees. In addition, how automation, robotics and connected machines are contributing to the industry‘s evolution made an evident impression on both visitors and exhibitors alike.
“This year’s symposium was definitely worth our company’s time and money. It has been really interesting to learn about the communication between the industries and how they are working together to make sure there are no blind spots,” said Sharon Tedesco, symposium attendee from Abigail & Company in Cottonwood, Calif. “The focus on Industry 4.0 – the communication between the fabrics, the machine, the human, the CAD, the entire system – has been really interesting and informative.”
“The show never ceases to amaze me. There is always something new to learn about and a new technology to see,” said Miguel Ferrer, President of the Kiko Sewing Machine Co. “I really like the Made in America movement this year, as we are seeing a lot of jeans factories opening up in Los Angeles again.”
“We come to see the newest innovations that are coming out in the garment industry and learn how we can use them in our factories. This year’s show was definitely worth the trip,” added Francisco Diaz, visiting on behalf of Hansae International.
“This show is a great opportunity for us to showcase our new technology. This year has been a busy show and we’ve had a great turnout of visitors. We are happy to be here,” said Daniella Ambrogi, Vice President of Marketing, Lectra.
The 16th edition of Techtextil North America, the only trade show in the Americas dedicated to technical textiles and nonwovens, will take place February 26-28, 2019 in Raleigh, N.C. Show dates for the next Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas are May 12-14, 2020 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga. 　
