INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, announced that IDEA – the World’s Preeminent Event for the Nonwovens & Engineered Fabrics Industry – will be held every two years instead of three starting in 2024.

The upcoming dates for IDEA under the new schedule will be March 28-31, 2022, as currently scheduled, and then April 23-25, 2024. Both will be held as live, in-person events at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Florida. 

“INDA has three key reasons for making this change in event frequency,” says Dave Rousse, INDA president. “First, the nonwovens industry has been a vibrant, innovative sector with new products, processes and materials every year, so providing an opportunity to showcase more frequently these new developments better serves the industry. Second, one of the major nonwoven events in Asia has declared they will run each and every year, impacting the past three-year cycle of major shows in the nonwovens industry. Third, coming out of the Covid pandemic, market research predicts for the near future that regional events are expected to be better supported than global events.”

The last time IDEA was held in 2019 it broke all attendance records. INDA expects the 2022 edition March 28-31 to attract several thousand senior-level buyers and attendees from over 60 countries and several hundred exhibitors from a myriad of industry sectors, including absorbent hygiene, wipes, filtration, medical and surgical products, personal protective equipment, home and office furnishings, transportation, geosynthetics and building construction.

“As we emerge from the pandemic, our members and the entire industry realize the power of gathering in-person at live expositions and conferences like IDEA,” says Rousse. “This new schedule, approved by the INDA Board, responds to the new findings in event research, developments in Asia, and to the need for our industry members in North America and beyond to create more opportunities to showcase their offerings, make new connections, and grow their businesses. We are excited for the 21st edition of this premier event coming in seven weeks and the 22nd edition of IDEA in 2024. We encourage everyone to mark your calendars and start planning for the 2024 future dates.”    

FiltXPO, North America’s only exposition and technical conference dedicated exclusively to the filtration and separation industry, will be co-located with IDEA in Miami Beach this March 29-31 to avoid conflicting with other filtration events that were originally planned in 2021. FiltXPO then returns to an 18-month schedule and will next take place October 10-12, 2023, at Navy Pier, Chicago, IL.

“Establishing this new timing for IDEA and returning FiltXPO to its original cycle aligns with our industry’s needs to continue the growth of the nonwovens industry and establish its global leadership and versatility in delivering essential, environmentally-responsible materials and products,” he says. “With a more frequent IDEA cycle, INDA will be better positioned to overcome business challenges and to support our members at the highest level.”

These scheduling moves support INDA’s newly developed strategic plan guiding its activities. That plan is based on the following five pillars:  

• Convene and connect the industry through trade shows and conferences
• Achieve industry relevance among policymakers, end-users, and other key stakeholders
• Advocate for the nonwovens industry in public policy forums
• Deliver market insights for better decision making
• Provide training programs to sustain the industry’s innovative edge