Posted June 30, 2015

 

By Devin Steele

 

HOUSTON – Messe Frankfurt, organizers of the Techtextil trade shows, may be on to something by choosing this city to host its most recent U.S. exhibition.

 

Compared to its last west-of-the-Mississippi edition two years ago in Anaheim, Calif., the 12th edition of Techtextil North America (TTNA) here this month saw a 96 percent increase in exhibitors, a 39 percent increase in visitors and a 98 percent increase in net square footage, according to the Germany-based trade fair organizer. This was the fourth edition of TTNA hosted outside of Atlanta, which takes place in even-numbered years, and the first show hosted in Texas. The change of venue proved to be better suited for visitors and exhibitors, Messe Frankfurt said in a release.

 

The two-in-one event showcased the co-location with JEC Americas, resulting in the largest technical textiles, nonwovens, textile machinery and composites show in the U.S. this year.

 

The Houston show hosted 145 exhibitors from 18 countries and, in combination with JEC Americas, attracted 2,821 visitors from around the world. Such companies as SpaceX, Nike, Yeti Coolers, NASA, Dow Chemical and Varsity Sports exhibited.

 

Exhibitor reviews

 

Kevin Ahlstrom, sales director at McCoy Machinery, Monroe, N.C., called attendance “fair, at best” but added, “the quality of the customers, from our perspective, was very good. This show was as good as any we’ve attended in the last five years or so.”

 

The co-located event worked out to McCoy’s favor, he added, as the company exhibited products for both the textile and composites side. He called the company’s Model 24 creel for pre-preg applications “the big hit” at the show.

 

“Everyone who came by had to touch it or talk about it,” Ahlstrom said. “We also showed our Driven Let-off system, as well, which garnered a lot of attention.”

 

Shima Seiki, which had a prime booth location as visitors entered the show, seemed to stay busy through most of the three days. Matt Llewellyn, a vice president at the knitting machine manufacturer, called visitors “inquisitive and involved. It seems like much more serious people are here, though a smaller volume of people. On our first day, we had as many leads at this show as we had on our first day in Atlanta last year.”

 

Shima Seiki showed the model SRY123LP computerized knitting machine, which features loop presser beds mounted atop conventional needle beds, providing improved control over press-down of individual loops. This presents unprecedented capability, especially with partial knitting patterns and inlay patterns, Llewellyn said.

 

The company also displayed its new Yarn Unwinding Option, which features a motorized bobbin that actively unwinds yarn to provide smooth and stable yarn feed with careful control over feed amount and tension, he added. Shima Seiki also demoed the latest version of its SDS-ONE APEX3 3D design system.

 

Greg Braxton of Zimmer Austria added that the show “produced quality leads and contacts. We will be back in Atlanta in 2016.”

 

Meanwhile, Fernando Merino of ERT, which promoted its automotive solutions, said his company made a lot of contacts from Latin American visitors, as well as some from New York. “The show was very good,” he said.

 

World-Class Symposium

 

Away from the show floor, a three-day symposium featured 10 sessions with 33 industry expert presentations that covered the topics of new fiber developments, protective textiles, medical textiles, aerospace, tensile structures and nonwoven advancements, smart textiles, and raw materials/sustainability, along with graduate student poster presentations.

 

Most of the symposiums received high marks and many were standing room only, as eTC can attest. Visitors had the opportunity to interact with the presenters during Q&A sessions, providing an open dialogue exchange of knowledge.

 

"The sessions were simply fantastic,” said moderator Dr. Behnam Pourdeyhimi, executive director, The Nonwovens Institute, Raleigh, N.C. “We had a full house all the time, with some people standing in the back during some sessions. Some of the speakers I invited were first-time speakers for Techtextil, and our speakers were incredibly impressed with the organization and professionalism.”

 

Scott Carroll of JX Nippon ANCI, Inc. added that the symposiums he attended were “outstanding and informative.”

 

Mary Lynn Landgraf, senior international trade specialist, OTEXA, U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C., said she left the show quite impressed.

 

“Techtextil North America embraced multiple disciplines in the Technical Textiles markets and offered visual confirmation of innovation at its accompanying trade show,” she said. “It also sparked ideas and project proposals during the symposia. It is amazing how much you can learn at one venue in such a condensed timeframe.”

  

Volunteers sought for Techtextil North America 2016

 

The 13th edition of TTNA will be co-located with Texprocess Americas and JEC Americas May 3-5, 2016 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The shows are expected to attract more than 8,000 visitors, host more than 700 exhibitors and feature two world-class symposiums with more than 20 sessions.

 

Organizers are currently seeking volunteers for its Symposium Advisory Councils. Among roles will be to identify innovative topics and research, create descriptions for each session, have access to a vast number of industry contacts, select speakers and review abstracts, be able to moderate one or two sessions and participate in a conference call each month.

 

If you are interested, please send email here. Deadline for submission is July 17.