Impressive Lineup of Speakers Highlights Inaugural RISE Conference

 Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics (RISE) Conference will take place in Baltimore in September

CARY, NC - June 24, 2010 - Speakers from industries as diverse as automotives, consumer products and health care - along with some of the most forward-thinking innovators in the business today - highlight the impressive agenda at the inaugural Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics (RISE) Conference, scheduled for September 20-23 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Organized by INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, RISE is designed to stimulate innovation in all aspects of the development, production, marketing and sales of engineered fabrics. The target audience ranges from product managers and technical sales and marketing executives to product engineers, purchasing managers and research engineers at both consumer and industrial products companies.

"Our goal for RISE is to start the conversation between technical and marketing professionals to create new markets and revenues for companies in these markets," says INDA President Rory Holmes.

Holmes points out that RISE will bring together some of the most creative, innovative minds in the global engineered fabrics business, as well as from related industries that utilize the products made by engineered fabrics companies. "RISE will provide attendees with the tools - and the motivation - to jumpstart their own progressive thinking in the global engineered fabrics industry."

One of the highlights of RISE will be an intense four-hour innovation "boot camp" to help companies re-align their innovation efforts. It will be led by Karl-Michael Schumann, Innovation Advisor and Coach and former director of Research & Development at Procter & Gamble. Companies are invited to submit a specific innovation problem or question to Schumann in advance of the workshop for a confidential solution.

Another session on Sustainable Innovation - featuring Ron Hageman, Chief Technology Officer, New Composite Partners; Liila Woods, Senior Consultant, PE Americas; and Suzanne Shelton, President & CEO, Shelton Group - will discuss Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) as a quantitative tool to measure the impact products and systems have on the environment.

Among the market-specific sessions being held at RISE:

* Construction: Under pressure to "green up" their projects with alternative materials and energy saving solutions, architects and builders are caught between outmoded building codes and the need to introduce innovative practices into their designs. Innovation in building science requires more than new materials, however. World-class speakers -- André Desjarlais, Program Manager-Building Envelops Program, Oakridge National Laboratory; Helene Hardy-Pierce, Vice President of Technical Services, GAF Materials; Joe Lstiburek, Principal, Building Science Corp.; and Jerry Phelan, Bayer MaterialSciences - will discuss where innovation is driving these changes.

* Hygiene-Consumer & Medical. The concerns of consumers and environmentalists are merging and "green" is becoming a technical standard that must co-exist with other performance characteristics. Nancy Muller, Executive Director, National Association for Continence; Pricie Hannah, Vice President, John R. Starr, Inc.; Robert Green, Business Director, NatureWorks LLC; and Blair Childs, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, Premier, Inc. will help attendees learn what consumer needs and wants are and how they can be balanced with green alternatives.

* Innovative Equipment. The latest and greatest in energy-saving technologies and equipment will be the focus of Steve Lessley, Market Manager-Nonwovens, ITW Dynatec; Alan Lavore, Executive Vice President, Mahlo America; Hans-Georg Geus, Technical Director, Reifenhauser Reicofil; and Doug Brown, Biax-Fiberfilm.

* New Markets & Opportunities. Exploiting new market opportunities is vital for companies to guard against the time when a strong product or service will become static or declining. The panel of Jerry Fan, Independent Consultant; Rory Holmes, President, INDA; Ram Maheshwari, Director of Marketing, Ginni Filaments (India); and Keith Osteen, Principal, Smith, Johnson & Associates, will explore new market opportunities springing from a range of possible sources. The speakers will investigate the markets of China and India and discover the global possibilities with a look at recent patent filings and industry "mega trends."

* Innovative Thinking. John Wilbanks, Vice President of Science, Science Commons/Creative Commons; Abbie Griffin, Royal L. Garff President Chair in Marketing, David Eccles School of Business, University of Utah; Karl-Michael Schumann, Innovation Advisor & Coach, Former Director of R&D, The Procter & Gamble Co.; Chris Andrews, Senior Analyst, Forrester Research; and Al Dietz, Johns Manville, will explore innovation as the bottom line of our industry. 

* Advanced Materials-New Developments. Attendees will learn about new developments with eco-friendly raw materials and innovative ways resins and fiberglass are being used to create sustainable energy. The panel includes Ralf Taubner, Scientist-Spunbonds & Films, Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut; Rockey (Bin) Zhao, ExxonMobil Chemical; and Andy Campbell, Senior Staff Engineer, Braskem Polypropylene.

For more information on the Research, Innovation & Science for Engineered Fabrics (RISE) Conference: www.inda.org.