The two global nonwoven trade associations, EDANA and INDA, closed the second edition of Outlook Plus Latin America conference in São Paulo, Brazil, thanking participants for their overwhelming support, which encourages them to consider a bright future for this event. With a comprehensive conference program and networking activities to encourage interaction, participants confirmed the event as an indispensable opportunity to bring the global industry together at the heart of Latin America.

Opening the conference, keynote presenter Welber Barral, Ph.D., outlined with clarity the challenges and opportunities for foreign direct investment in Brazil. Barrall outlined the hurdles, from customs tariffs to bureaucratic formalities, and advised patience and persistence with optimism for gradual improvement.

Presentations on market, product, and technology intelligence for hygiene and personal care were the focus of the first two days. Market leaders in the nonwoven and film markets for these products also shared their vision of the future. The regional demographic and consumer trends of relevance to the industry were highlighted throughout the conference. A session on the third and final day was dedicated to the use of nonwovens in healthcare and infection prevention applications and future opportunities.

More than 270 participants joined the conference and more than 25 companies took the opportunity to promote their products and services through tabletop exhibits.

“This is a great conference for us and a good time for Ontex as we now have operations in Brazil. We learned a lot about the country, the markets and the hygiene products serving them,” says Bart Waterschoot, group sustainability and scientific affairs manager, Ontex.