The World of Wipes (WOW) International Conference, held in Minneapolis, MN, from June 2-5, has attracted a record number of wipes industry professionals from the entire wipes value chain.

The eighth annual WOW conference, organised by INDA, the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, highlighted presentations from renowned industry speakers on the $6 billion wipes industry and included roundtable discussions, market analysis, receptions, exhibit displays and the announcement of the prestigious World of Wipes Innovation Award.

Latest topics and highlights

The sessions detailed the latest topics of interest across the wipes industry and included flushability, sustainability, new Industrial Wiper regulations and wipes to reduce Healthcare Acquired Infections (HAI’s). 

Among other topics were branding strategies, industry forecasts and analytics, ethnography, regulatory compliance, certification and technical advances. A few highlighted presentations included:

• WIPES Academy: A Look at Things to Come, Rob Johnson, Smith, Johnson & Associates
• Brand Your Wipes, Dude, Sean Riley, Dude Products, Inc.
• Methods and Trends for Coloring Nonwovens, Chris Plotz, ITW Professional Brands
• Quaternary Ammonium Disinfecting Solutions Optimized for Use with Cotton-containing Nonwoven Disposable Wipes, Doug J. Hinchliffe, ARS-USDA, Southern Regional Research Center
• Creating Exceptional Customer Experiences in a Participatory World, Deborah Schultz, DRS Solutions

World of Wipes Innovation Award

The World of Wipes Innovation Award was presented to ITW Professional Brands for the Sertun Rechargeable Sanitizer Indicator Towels that demonstrated the most innovative, creative and novel use of nonwovens.

Dave Rousse, INDA President, commented: “The resounding success of WOW 2014 demonstrates the vibrancy and positive growth of the entire wipes industry. The programme contained relevant and informative subject matter along with opportunities for making connections at the exhibits, receptions and meetings interspersed throughout each day.”

“We are particularly pleased to see a 25% increase in the number of exhibitors and an ever increasing percentage of new exhibitors to the industry.  The highly-anticipated announcement of the World of Wipes Innovation Award winner continued the dynamic energy of WOW to the very end.”

Innovative product

Sertun Rechargeable Sanitizer Indicator Towels are an innovative nonwoven rechargeable food service towel that indicates by colour when the towel is cleaning and when it needs to be recharged in cleaning fluid. 

The other finalists competing this year were Andritz for its Substrate Patterning Process; Pacon Manufacturing Company with its MINWAX Wood Finishing Cloths; and Nice-Pak for the Moist Flushable Wipe.

The 9th annual World of Wipes International Conference will take place from 23-26 June 2015 at the Hotel InterContinental Buckhead, Atlanta, GA.

www.inda.org