The fourteenth edition of Techtextil North America took place June 20-22, 2017 at McCormick Place – Lakeside Center in Chicago, IL. This was the fifth edition of Techtextil North America hosted outside of Atlanta, held in the even years, and the first of its kind in Chicago. 

The two in one event, co-located with JEC Americas’ The Future of Composites in Construction, resulted in the largest technical textiles, nonwovens, textile machinery, and composites show in the U.S. this year – facilitating an active exchange of ideas and new partnerships across industries.

The 2017 Techtextil North America show hosted 167 exhibitors from 16 countries. The co-located event with JEC Americas attracted 3096 visitors from around the world representing Apple, Tesla, Reebok and more.

“We are pleased to announce that this year’s Techtextil North America, hosted in Chicago, Illinois, resulted in a 40% increase in attendance over the 2015 edition,” says Dennis Smith, president and CEO of Messe Frankfurt North America. “Over the course of three days, the event garnered a dynamic audience – with visitors from geographies and verticals not represented at previous editions of the show. This significant growth in attendance indicates the industry’s increasing demand for international networking opportunities, and we are proud to provide a forum that facilitates new business relationships and encourages global innovation for the textile industry.” 

Techtextil North America 2017 saw a 15% increase in total number of exhibitors over the 2015 edition held in Houston, TX, with 60% growth in space rented by overseas exhibitors.

A regular feature to the Techtextil North America show schedule, the much anticipated Symposium, this year boasted five sessions with 23 industry expert presentations that covered the topics of advancements in manufacturing and waste minimization, innovations in automotive design, smart textiles and wearables, and overcoming talent sourcing challenges in the industry.

As an addition to the paid sessions, a complimentary joint session was held in collaboration with JEC Americas focusing on technical textiles and composites in building and construction applications.

Also this year, Messe Frankfurt partnered with the Nonwovens Institute to bring a new feature to the show floor. Tech Talks were complimentary sessions with first come, first serve seating powered by the Nonwovens Institute. In addition to sessions on filtration, safety and transportation presented by Dave Nelson, the Nonwovens Institute’s director of Industry Engagement, graduate student Poster Program participants had the opportunity to present their research on the show floor, giving attendees and exhibitors a glance at the ideas and talent coming from the top textile programs in the country.

Fred Langdon, senior engineer, Proctor & Gamble, says of this year’s show: “I’ve been impressed with the diversity of suppliers at the show. I’ve met with companies from around the globe and am happy to see representation from countries like Germany and China, as well as companies focusing on American made products. We’re looking for durable and disposable nonwovens and have been very pleased.”

The fifteenth edition of Techtextil North America will be co-located with Texprocess Americas, May 22-24, 2018, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Techtextil North America and Texprocess Americas are set to attract upwards of 9000 visitors, an estimated 500+ exhibitors and feature a symposium schedule with 120+ speakers from across the industry spectrum.