IFAI is now ATA
Call for speakers for ATA Expo 2023
February 3, 2023
The call for presentations is open for Advanced Textiles Expo 2023. Interested speakers can share their expertise, cultivate valuable new connections and give helpful advice to their markets by presenting at Advanced Textiles Expo Oct. 31–Nov. 3, 2023, in Orlando, Fla. Advanced Textiles Expo, formerly known as IFAI Expo, has been regarded as the premier […]
2022 IFAI Expo Show Stopper winners list includes marine entry
October 24, 2022
Bainbridge International’s Nauti Carbon Pole™ won a 2022 IFAI Expo Show Stopper Award in the Hardware, Findings and Accessories category. Bainbridge International’s Nauti Carbon Pole™ won a 2022 IFAI Expo Show Stopper Award in the Hardware, Findings and Accessories category. The new telescoping pole is made from black carbon fiber and is an excellent solution […]
Sustainable design requires individual metrics
October 20, 2022
“There is no doubt the world is warming,” says Mar Ricketts, principal and founder of GuildWorks in Portland, Ore., which specializes in permanent tension fabric structures. Ricketts considers climate change a market opportunity for people in the shade and comfort industry. In the Expo 2022 session “Warming Earth: The Need for Sustainably Designed and Built […]
Achieve management excellence
October 19, 2022
“Rarely does someone go into business because they’re passionate about building a team,” says Madeleine MacRae, owner and founder of HomePro Toolbox. MacRae told participants in her Expo 2022 session “Management Excellence” that effective management doesn’t often come naturally to anyone. She says there’s a difference between management and leadership. “Management is the process of […]
Considering outside sales? Read this first
October 18, 2022
The Expo 2022 session “Oh Crap, Here Comes the Competition: Time to Add Outside Sales” was a fast-paced discussion about assessing your company’s existing sales structure and determining whether and how to add outside salespeople. With 30 years of experience, James Auerbach, VP, Event Segment, American Rental Association, told participants it was first necessary to […]
Cybersecurity basics: Don’t trust anybody
October 17, 2022
The overriding message of John Stengel’s Expo 2022 session “Hacking the Supply Chain” was “Trust no one and verify everything.” Stengel, CEO and president of JSCM Group, which manages cybersecurity for companies and governmental organizations, has spent 20 years preventing cyberattacks and recovering data after attacks happen. Stengel says that in most cases, you don’t […]
Flexibility is key to navigating changing marine market
October 17, 2022
When Rick Berkey’s marine shop was closed for three months due to COVID-19 restrictions, “it became clear we couldn’t rely on marine work alone to sustain us and our employees during the ebbs and flows of market changes,” he says. Berkey is the owner of Rick’s Custom Marine Canvas and Sail Repair, based in Cornelius, […]
ATA hosts webinar on IFAI Expo 2022
August 15, 2022
The Advanced Textiles Association (ATA, formerly IFAI) is hosting the webinar “IFAI Expo 2022 Overview” to present the latest information on IFAI Expo 2022 being held in Charlotte, N.C., October 12-14, 2022. The webinar will take place on August 17, 2022, 1:00–2:00 EDT, and will include information about: •Schedule of events and education •Show floor […]
Registration for IFAI Expo 2022 opens with early bird pricing
May 5, 2022
Registration is now open for IFAI Expo 2022, taking place October 12–14 with education happening from October 11–14 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C. IFAI Expo is known as the specialty textile industry's flagship show for sourcing, networking and education. It’s an opportunity to join thousands of industry stakeholders and leaders who are […]
IFAI Expo 2022 speaker submissions due March 31
March 22, 2022
The deadline to submit speaker presentations for IFAI Expo 2022 in Charlotte, N.C. on Oct. 12–14, 2022, is March 31. Speaking at IFAI Expo gives individuals a chance to connect with a wide variety of attendees in diverse markets, share their expertise and boost their credibility. For more than a century, IFAI Expo has been […]
IFAI Expo 2022 call for presentations
December 20, 2021
The Advanced Textiles Association is now accepting proposals for presentations at IFAI Expo 2022. IFAI Expo will take place Oct. 12-14, 2022, at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C., with education Oct. 11-14. ATA is accepting proposals for 50-minute classroom sessions in several categories: Advanced TextilesShade & Weather ProtectionSpecialty FabricsMarine FabricationGeneral Business Also available […]
IFAI Expo: Leveraging rental tents during and after the pandemic
November 4, 2021
Jim Reyen, business director at Johnson Outdoors Inc./Eureka! Big Tents Division, presented the campfire session “Leveraging Rental Tents During and After the COVID Pandemic” at IFAI Expo in Nashville, Tenn. During the session, Reyen explained the changing demands for tents throughout various stages of the pandemic. “The first wave of tent demand ran from March […]
IFAI Expo: How to outsell your competition
November 3, 2021
During the education session “Outselling Your Competition: Four Activities Your Sales Team Must Be Doing Post-COVID” at IFAI Expo 2021 in Nashville, Tenn., James Auerbach, vice president—event segment for the American Rental Association, shared four measurable and respectable pillars that all salespeople must excel at in order to outsell their competition. Referred to as the […]
IFAI Expo: Shade sail engineering software
November 2, 2021
On Nov. 2, 2021, at IFAI Expo in Nashville, Tenn., Timothy Akes, representative for the Americas, MPanel Software Solutions, and Andrew Askwith, senior software developer, MPanel Software Solutions, presented the education session “Shade Sail Engineering—It’s Not Just a Bunch of Numbers.” According to Akes, there is a tendency for shade sail engineering to be relegated […]
IFAI Expo: Implementing greener chemistry in supply chains
November 2, 2021
The global textile industry is moving steadily toward a future dependent on greener chemistries than many of the ones currently in use. There are several factors driving this trend, including increasing consumer demand for greener products, but the process involved with converting to more sustainable chemistries and processes is both complex and risky. According to […]