TEXTILES.ORG
Advanced Textiles Expo® 2025, the flagship event of Advanced Textiles Association® (ATA), concluded with resounding success on Nov. 5–7 at the Indiana Convention Center. Co-located for the fourth consecutive year with Sun Shading Expo North America, organized by Messe Stuttgart, the combined events attracted 3,559 participants from around the world, including a strong showing of first-time visitors who made up 34 percent of total registrants.
First-time attendees noted the value of the event’s networking and sourcing opportunities. Tyler Radack, Director of Special Products at Dimension Ortho, shared his experience, “I’ve met with probably 50–60 booths, and we have an incredible amount of samples coming back to us. I’ve made some really great industry contacts we never would have reached through cold outreach.”
This year’s expo highlighted innovation, collaboration, and business growth across the specialty and advanced textiles sector. Industry experts presented the latest in technologies, equipment, materials and solutions shaping the future of specialty fabrics and technical textiles, while attendees connected with exhibitors, innovators and peers through hands-on education, live demonstrations and networking opportunities.
Steve Schiffman, president and CEO of ATA, noted the energy and engagement that defined this year’s event. “Exhibitors told us they were pleased by the quality of attendees in Indianapolis. Such strong first-time participation gave exhibitors valuable opportunities to connect with new customers, a key priority of our marketing strategy. As always, the Opening Reception and Industry Night were crowd favorites. A special thank you to our industry band “Hangin by a Thread, ” for delivering a packed-house performance with new songs, special guests and great energy.”
Education, Innovation and Engagement
Advanced Textiles Expo 2025 offered a robust lineup of educational sessions spanning multiple markets, providing attendees with insights on emerging technologies, sustainability, industry trends and policy updates. Sessions covered topics such as trade and tariffs, PFAS, advanced materials, technical fabrics, functional textiles, and business strategies, equipping participants with practical knowledge to apply in their own organizations.
Specialized programming included the Marine Fabricators Association (MFA) Roadshow, providing hands-on learning opportunities for marine fabricators, and the Women in Textiles Leadership Sessions, which focused on professional growth, mentorship and leadership development. These programs allowed attendees to gain industry-specific expertise and connect directly with leaders in their fields.
Returning Favorites and New Experiences
Several popular programs returned in 2025, continuing to engage and inspire attendees. The Textiles Challenge offered a fun, game show–style competition that tested participants’ knowledge and skills while fostering friendly competition and camaraderie across the industry.
This year, attendees enjoyed daily live podcast recordings at the ATA HUB. Talking Textiles returned, and industry favorites podcasts The Textile Nerd Podcast and How I Rent It joined the line-up, delivering fresh perspectives and timely conversations for both attendees and listeners.
Networking remained a cornerstone of the event, from the opening reception to Industry Night, which brought together attendees and exhibitors to celebrate another successful year in the textiles community.
John Hoyt, Director of Sales for the Fabrics Division at Twitchell Technical Products, described this year’s Advanced Textiles Expo as a standout event for his team.
“For us, this year’s Expo has been fantastic. The foot traffic has been great, and we’ve had very high-quality, good conversations with our industry partners,” he said. Hoyt noted that the energy on the show floor reflected a strong and growing interest in innovative textile solutions, making the expo an ideal place to connect and collaborate across the industry.
That same energy was felt by attendees throughout the event. The wide variety of products, global exhibitors, and hands-on opportunities created an exciting environment for exploration and discovery. First-time attendee Dawson Borley of American Tent shared, “I was a little surprised by how vast, how many companies and how many different types of products are available to look at. The quality of the conversations I’ve had are very high. Everybody’s been high energy and it’s been great to see.”
From discovering innovative materials to making lasting industry connections, participants left inspired and equipped with new ideas to bring back to their companies.
Future Leaders Engage with the Industry
Over 30 students from Ball State University visited Advanced Textiles Expo with a guided tour provided by ATA Staff. The tour gave the students an up-close look at the latest innovations in textiles and an opportunity to engage with industry professionals. The students visited several exhibitors, gaining hands-on experience with machinery and learning about the wide scope of the textile industry.
Elaine Houchin, a student at Ball State, said: “I’m learning a lot about technical fabrics and the scope of everything involved in the textile industry. It’s been fascinating to see how many different directions you can go with textiles.
Emerging Technologies Conference: Exploring the Future
Emerging Technologies Conference (ETCon) returned Nov. 4 ahead of Advanced Textiles Expo, offering a full day of sessions on emerging textile technologies and innovations. Topics included advanced materials, bio-based and sustainable textiles, technical fabrics, functional applications for extreme environments, and the use of AI and AR/VR in textile operations. The conference concluded with a networking reception, giving attendees the opportunity to connect with peers, researchers and industry experts.
As the premier event for the textiles industry, Advanced Textiles Expo 2025 once again proved to be the leading destination for professionals to discover new trends, forge partnerships, and explore the innovations driving the future of textiles.
The next Advanced Textiles Expo will be Nov. 3-5, 2026, in Orlando, FL, USA. For more information, visit AdvancedTextilesExpo.com.