More than 400 industry professionals from 20-plus countries are expected to attend the three-day event. © INDA

With the 13th annual World of Wipes (WOW) International Conference that takes place from 24-27 June fast approaching, excitement is mounting for the event that will bring together hundreds of industry professionals from around the world to convene, connect, and collaborate at the Westin Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta, GA.

As the multi-billion-dollar wipes sector continues to enjoy growth, industry leaders will summit to address critical issues and new advances driven by increased demand for healthier, safer, and greener wipes.

The dynamic line-up of more than 25 presenters will tackle such topics as sustainable and transparent formulations for home and personal care products; safety versus efficacy in preservative developments; consumer trade and trends; medical and industrial wipes; material developments; and sustainability challenges of disposing plastics.

More than 400 industry professionals from 20-plus countries are expected to attend the three-day event that brings together the entire wipes supply chain. WOW 2019 will open with a welcome reception on 24 June at The Commerce Club. The conference will also include evening receptions, tabletop presentations, daily breakfasts, and networking breaks.

WOW Innovation Award

The World of Wipes Innovation Award winner will be announced on 27 June. The annual award recognises the product that most expands the use of nonwovens and demonstrates creativity, novelty, uniqueness, and technical sophistication within the entire nonwoven wipes value chain.

Last year’s recipient was Diamond Wipes International’s Hero Wipes, an innovative new wipe that removes toxic, cancer-causing carcinogens from firefighters’ skin. Finalists this year are Kelheim Fibres’ Danufil QR Fibres, Bawdy’s Butt Sheet Masks, and Earthly’s Not Yet Wet Wipes.

Conference highlights

Lisa Morden, Vice President Safety and Sustainability, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, will speak about creating more responsible wiping products with an eye toward a sustainable future in her key address. She will discuss the emerging challenges companies face from NGOs, regulatory agencies and activist consumers and ways to reduce post-consumer waste. 

INDA President Dave Rousse will talk about the current state of flushability and nonwovens’ next challenge of plastics in the environment. Director of Government Affairs Jessica Franken will address the trade war with China as part of her presentation on global nonwovens trade and tariffs, while Director of Market Research & Statistics Brad Kalil will share findings on the future direction of the North American wipes market.

The impact of restrictions and pressure from NGOs on traditional preservative chemistries in wet wipes will be discussed by Dolores Shaw, Senior Microbiologist, DuPont Microbial Control; Doug Cole, Vice President of Global Product Development, Rockline Industries; Andress Johnson, Technical Manager, Personal Care & Household, Thor Specialties, and other speakers.

Experts exploring the topics of sustainability, ingredient transparency and packaging include Nicole Acevedo, PhD, founder and CEO, Elavo Mundi Solutions; Jim Flannery, CEO, SummitVentures; Jonathan Layer, Business Development Manager – Americas, Fibertex Nonwovens; Jennifer Lewis, Packaging & Sustainability Manager, Rockline Industries; Rebecca Mick, Technical Sustainability Lead / Research Scientist, Bemis Company; and Henning Roettger, Director of Innovation, Glatfelter Gernsbach.

Paul Harmon, EVP Commercial HH&S, Berry Global, will outline key trends driving innovation in consumer services, healthcare, industrial manufacturing, and building services. Learning how to successfully sell wipes in the e-commerce marketplace will be the topic of a trending talk on How to Navigate the Amazon Jungle by Richard Palmer, President and co-founder of Nehemiah Manufacturing.

The Wipes Academy

Preceding the conference, Rob Johnson, PE, Principal, Smith, Johnson & Associates, will teach The Wipes Academy, from 24-25 June. The Academy is the first and only comprehensive wipes training for the entire wipes supply chain.

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