Sponsored by INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry and the China Nonwoven and Industrial Textile Association

Industry information specialists WTIN and RISI Inc. announced the preliminary pro-gram for the first-ever Asia Pacific Nonwovens Symposium, scheduled for October 22 at the Sheraton Pudong inShanghai, China

Providing a new focus on expanding hygiene markets and other growth sectors, the symposium has been subtitled "Nonwoven market opportunities – Hygiene and be-yond". In keeping with this focus, the morning session and the first half of the afternoon will feature presentations on markets and the technologies related to diapers and wipes. After that, speakers will address issues related to filtration and automotive markets, and trends in needle punch technology.

Among the presenters talking about Diaper industry trends are Ian Davenport, president of Davenport International and Adam Stone, marketing director of YixingDanson, who will talk about the role of superabsorbents in development of thinner diapers. KurienPothen, senior vice president of Aditya Birla,will discuss spunlacefiber trends from the fiber supplier's point of view. Christian Haas of Strahm Hi-Tex Systems will address "Energy Efficiency for Thermobonding Processes – a Diaper Case Study."

Other papers will be presented on the movement to an ultrathin diaper, overall trends in Chinese hygiene markets, and on the Chinese consumer. One presentation will offer a nonwovens producer's perspec-tive on the Chinese hygiene market.

In addition to the hygiene sessions, Avery Dennison Medical Solutions vice present of research & development Peter Johnson will address "Adhesives and Nonwovens at the Skin Interface – Trends in Medical Markets", while former Ahlstrom executive vice president and current SEAM Group Oy board member TommiBjornmanwill speak on "Filtration Opportunities and Growth Drivers in China". Also, AndritzChina sales manager Wei Chen will speak on "Needlepunch Trends to support Growth Markets".

The full preliminary program and other information on the conference is available at www.nonwovens-symposium.com.

The event is co-sponsored by INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Indus-try, along with the China Nonwovens and Industrial Textiles Association (CNITA).RISI is the publisher of Nonwovens

Markets; WTIN is the publisher of Nonwovens Report International.

About WTiN

World Textile Information Network (WTiN) is the publisher of Nonwovens Report International, which provides industry news and analysis from the global nonwovens supply chain and its broad scope of end use applications. In addition to a portfolio of publications and online platforms for the textile and nonwoven industry, WTiN also produces newspapers for the leading exhibitions in partnership with the owners of these events, including INDEX Daily News, IDEA News and Techtextil News.

About RISI

Bedford, Massachusetts-based RISI Inc. is the publisher of the Nonwovens Markets newsletter and Nonwovens Company Profiles. It has offices in Shanghai and Beijing, China; Cloverdale and San Francisco, California; Bedford, Massachusetts; Charlottesville, Virginia; Atlanta, Georgia; Brussels, Belgium; Sao Paolo, Brazil; Singapore; and Espoo, Finland. For further information about Nonwovens Markets and RISI Inc. see www.nonwovens.com.