06.18.08
INDEX 2008: A Record-Setting Event
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nonwovens exhibition exceeds expectations
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rnWith more than 500 exhibitors and a record 12,500 visitors, INDEX 08 confirmed its spot as “the world’s leading nonwovens exhibition,” in April 2008. The level of innovation, numerous product launches, talks and displays seen at the show demonstrated just how creative and dynamic the nonwovens industry continues to be.
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rnNot only were visitors pleased with the breadth and depth of the exhibitors, who covered the entire chain from raw material producers to converters but exhibitors also announced that they too were delighted with the quality of the attendees visiting the show.
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rnOne of the most noticeable phenomena of this year’s visitors was the number attending from so-called “technical” applications, such as the filtration, automotive or construction industries, following the advances which nonwovens continue to make in these important sectors.
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rnINDEX 08 not only welcomed visitors from a broad cross-section of nonwovens applications but also from all the regions of the world, including Europe, North and South America, Africa and, in particular, from the Middle and Far East.
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rnThis year’s edition of this triennial event could be called “East meets West” as a large percentage of the first-time exhibitors at this event of the nonwovens industry came not only from Europe old and new, but also from a diverse range of Middle and Far Eastern countries, such as Turkey, Iran, India, Pakistan, Japan and, in particular, China, according to organizers. In fact the Chinese delegation formed the largest block of exhibitors from outside continental Europe, indicating how the dynamic nonwovens market is developing.
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rnWith so many joint-ventures and significant investment in new production facilities in the East, this genuinely reflects movements within nonwovens companies.
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rnOne of the hallmarks of this edition of INDEX was the diversity of the new products and services that were on offer, from all sectors of the market—from raw materials to converted products. Indeed the constant technical creativity and innovation, which have become a ‘leitmotiv’ of the nonwovens market, continue to drive its dynamism.