The third annual World of Wipes (WOW) International Conference, set for June 22-24, 2009 at the Grand Hyatt in Atlanta, Georgia, will once again explore all aspects of the wipes business, from raw materials to substrates to converting and end-user applications, during three days of seminars and networking.

The conference, organized by INDA, Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry, will focus exclusively on the business and technology of wipes. Sessions will concentrate on Flushability Guidelines, Global Opportunities, Market Statistics, Raw Materials and Advertising.

In addition, a special tutorial session called ‘Wipes A to Z’, will provide the basics of the wipes business for any interested attendees. Presented by Larry Wadsworth of U.S. Pacific Nonwovens Industry Ltd. and Rory Holmes, President of INDA, the tutorial will explore all the basics of the wipes industry, including the future of wipes, raw materials, packaging, key manufacturing processes, consumer understanding and details about specific wipe markets.

One of the most important WOW sessions will be on Flushability Guidelines. It has been one year since the Flushability Guidelines for nonwovens were unveiled and WOW attendees will hear from companies and experts about their experiences with the Guidelines, the successes, challenges and solutions. The Guidelines include tests that determine whether a company’s products are flushable. The document was developed by leading member companies of INDA and EDANA.

Other topics on the WOW agenda are: Markets and Innovation, Worldwide Wipe Potential,  Process Briefs and Material Briefs.

One of the other highlights of the 2009 WOW will be the presentation of the WOW Innovation Award, sponsored this year by RISI Nonwovens Markets (www.nonwovens.com), the twice-monthly newsletter that covers developments in the nonwovens industry around the world. The WOW Innovation Award will honour the most innovative advances within the entire wipe value chain, including raw materials and ingredients, roll goods, machinery, packaging and finished products. Finalists will make presentations during the Conference and attendees will vote on the recipient of the 2009 WOW Innovation Award.