IFAI 2009 brings together speciality fabrics marketplace

08 Oct '09

8 min read

Dazzling effects with fabric and lighting

•Nanofibrous scaffolds for peripheral nerve and spinal cord regeneration. Speaker: Song Li, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Dept. of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley,
•Vascular prosthetics, ranging from tissue engineering scaffolds to vascular grafts. Speaker: Gary Bowlin Ph.D., Professor, Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, and
•Bioceramic materials for bone repair. Speaker: Kent Leach, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, University of California, Davis.
Two prestigious endorsing organizations for this session were the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Society (TERMIS) and the Society for Biomaterials.

Many parts of the trade show were inspiring, but a compelling stand-out was the Textile Coalition's special guest speaker during the "Forecasts for the Military and Government Needs" program--Gunnery Sergeant Nick "Gunny Pop" Popaditch (pictured below). Sergeant Popaditch is a Silver Star recipient and Marine hero known throughout the world as the 'Cigar Marine."

He told his personal story about how his Marine discipline helped him overcome obstacles few of us could surmount.
"I got hit in the head with a grenade. The tank was on fire and there was not a burn on my body," he said. But he lost an eye and suffered other permanent injuries in the attack during the early days of the war in Iraq.

He credits his fellow marines, his doctors and the right gear and support for saving him. Since his recovery he has become a popular inspirational speaker, has published a book about his experiences and has plans to run for Congress.

Another special guest of the Textile Coalition's military program was U.S. Representative Duncan Hunter (ret.), pictured far left, a Vietnam veteran who served in the 173rd Airborne and 75th Army Rangers; and who represented eastern and northern San Diego County in the U.S. House of Representatives for 28 years.

Representative Hunter helped the U.S. textile industry through various legislative actions. The Textile Coalition, which includes the National Textile Association (NTA), the National Coalition of Textile Organizations (NCTO), the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition (AMTAC), and IFAI's United States Industrial Fabrics Institute (USIFI), presented Representative Hunter with the "Award of Outstanding Military Merit" to express their appreciation for his championship of the industry.

One of the most eye-catching and well-attended special sessions at this year's Expo were the presentations at the "Innovation Theater," a special area which was set up to bring exciting new activities and information to the show floor.

One of the highlights this year was a dazzling workshop entitled: "Fabric and Lighting--The New Frontier in Creating Unique Interior Environments and Visual Effects," presented by CEO Jon Weingarten, and Richard Taylor of Dazian Fabrics.

Businesses and venues are now able to design their own special interior environments as fabrics have become the ideal vehicle for lighting. With the advent of LED technology and lighting, designers have an extraordinary portfolio in which to create amazing visual effects.

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