According to the nonwovens trade organisation INDA, Industry leaders are touting the importance of participating in this year’s Virtual Hygienix conference (17-19 November), to gain critical insights and connections offering valuable business opportunities in the ‘new normal’ pandemic market.

With Virtual Hygienix approaching in less than a month, interest from professionals and companies around the world is said to be building due to its compelling program, interactive virtual events, award presentations and high-level networking. Registration remains open at Virtual Hygienix for both the full conference and the networking-only option.  

According to those registered to attend, among the many benefits of Virtual Hygienix are its breadth of content, strength in bringing together the global hygiene and personal care market in one online forum, real-time insights gained through crowdsourcing, powerful networking platform and more, INDA says.

Themed Navigating the New Normal in Hygiene, topics that will be addressed by acclaimed industry experts include: The Absorbent Hygiene Industry under COVID-19; U.S. Economic Forecast and Industry Statistics; Packaging and Labeling Challenges; Innovative Developments and Intellectual Property; Smart Diapers; and Principles of Sustainability and Elderly Care. For the full speaker line up, see the Virtual Hygienix program.

Virtual Hygienix highlights

The new online format allows participants to interact live in small groups based on their interests in a thought-provoking environment and also have some fun. These ‘hot happenings’ include coffee connection talks, virtual happy hour, afternoon tea breaks, casual conversations in hosted meeting rooms, live audience polling, live moderated question and answer sessions with the experts, trivia breaks and virtual tabletop exhibits. Attendees also will have opportunities to view their presentations and ask confidential questions and get immediate answers to their most challenging issues through the Virtual Hygienix event App. 

A much-anticipated highlight will, INDA says, be the presentation of the Hygienix Innovation Award on 19 November. Leading up to the announcement of this year’s winner, attendees will have the opportunity to ask the finalists about how their advancement exemplifies innovation within the absorbent hygiene value chain and advances the use of nonwovens.

Presentations will be made by the following finalists: Male Drip Protection, Ian Heyman, Chief Executive Officer and Alex Gross, General Manager, both of Dermasteel, Ltd.; High Gel Strength (HGS) SAF fabrics, Mark Paterson, Ph.D., Product Development Director, Technical Absorbents Ltd.; and Full-Care 6217, Daniel Everson, Senior Scientist II, H.B. Fuller.

Speaker Line Up

17 November:

- Challenges for 2021 and Beyond: Post-Covid-19 Supply Chain Resiliency and Sustainability for Absorbent Hygiene Products – Presented by Colin Hanna, Director of Research, Price Hanna Consultants LLC

- Global Market for Absorbent Hygiene: Disruption, Innovation, Path to Future Growth – Svetlana Uduslivaia, Head of Home & Tech, Americas, Euromonitor International

- U.S. Economic Outlook – Lindsey Piegza, Ph.D., Chief Economist, Stifel Financial Corporation

- The Outlook for the North American Nonwovens Absorbent Hygiene Market and the Impact of COVID-19 – Brad Kalil, Director of Market Intelligence and Economic Insights, INDA

- Third Party Certifications for Hygiene Products – Their Scope and Influence on Manufacturers and Consumers – Monica Becker, Director of Beauty, Personal Care and Household, Cradle To Cradle Products Innovation Institute

- Navigating Sustainability Label Claims to Set your Brand or Business Apart– Alan Perlman, Business Development Director – Consumer Products & Retailer, NSF International and Jeff Wilson, Senior Business Development Manager, NSF International

18 November:

- Hygiene 2035, Product of the Year (A Thought Experiment) – Nick Carter, Director – Market Business Intelligence and Intellectual Property, and DeeAnn Nelson, Ph.D., Development Program Manager, both of Avgol Nonwovens

- Lessons from the Front Lines on Reducing Confusion & Building Trust – Adam Greenberg, President, NorthShore Care Supply

- Collection & Composting Program for Bamboo-based Baby Diapers  – Michael Waas, Vice President, Brand Partnership, TerraCycle Inc. and Sergio Radovcic, CEO, DYPER

- The Future of Sustainable Plastic Alternatives and the Impact of the SUPD on Innovation – Bryan Haynes, Ph.D., Senior Technical Director, Global Nonwovens, Kimberly-Clark Corporation

- Innovative Stretch Engine Improves Heat Transfer & Dissipation – Michael Sandlin, Product Manager, SWM International

- Consumer Feedback – Analyzing Amazon Reviews and other Market Research Tools – Natalia Richer, COO, Diaper Testing International

19 November:

- Technologies for Smart Sensors in Absorbent Hygiene Products - Olaf Isele, Ph.D., Nonwovens Consultant, Metaxi SimBioSys LLC

- Smart Diaper Technology – Everyday Wellness Monitoring in a Low Cost, Manufacturing Friendly Package – Peter Curran, Chief Technology Officer, Simavita

- Diaper Wetness Detection Using Low-cost Hydrogel-Based RFID Tags  – Pankhuri Sen, Researcher, MIT AutoID Lab and Rahul Bhattacharyya, Ph.D., Research Scientist, MIT

- The Fallacies in Our Testing – Jim Robinson, Principal, Absorbent Hygiene Insights, LLC

- Bringing Scientific Certainty to Decisions About Product Feel – Peter Botticelli, Director, Customer Solutions, SynTouch, Inc.

- Less Ouch, More AHHH –Cotton Applies Hard Science to Sensitive Skin – Janet O’Regan, Director, Nonwovens Marketing, Cotton Incorporated

- Incontinence Products: Ensuring Safety and Quality to Aging Adults – Steven Gregg, Executive Director, National Association For Continence

Registrants will receive a personal URL to access the event. All speaker presentations will be recorded and available near real-time and on-demand for 12 months.

INDA Website