The Beginnings of INDA

On April 16, 1968, the formation of “The Disposables Association” was announced at a press gathering held at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. The Association was founded as a non-profit organization of company membership to collect and develop factual information, while providing a legally sanctioned and supervised forum for the industry in which common problems could be discussed and programs to solve them devised.

In July, 1972, the group effected a name change to more accurately reflect the scope of its interests and the membership it serves. The organization’s name became International Nonwovens and Disposables Association, otherwise known as “INDA”. This change would help communicate that nonwoven fabrics could be manufactured and used in many end products, of both durable and disposable natures.

IDEA (The International Disposables Exposition and Assembly)

It was INDA who first determined there was a need for a worldwide event to act as a meeting ground where all levels of the nonwovens industry – users, suppliers, manufacturers – could learn from each other. The first IDEA, originally known as the International Disposables Exposition and Assembly, took place in October of 1971 at the Philadelphia Civic Center, Pennsylvania. The conference program, featuring sessions of learning and interest to users, manufacturers, suppliers and distributors of nonwoven fabrics, and an exposition gave an opportunity for the entire industry to showcase products. With over 3,000 attendees, the success of the event led to more expos including IDEA74 in October at the New York Coliseum in New York, New York. The IDEA International Conference and Exposition continues to successfully serve the worldwide nonwovens industry. The event is held every two years in the United States.

Growth in the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry

The Association’s name, “INDA”, was officially changed to “The Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry” in 1976 to include the entire nonwovens industry, including short-life and long-life products. However, after years of use the word, “INDA” remains as an identifiable acronym for the official title of the Association.

INDA Today

Today, INDA serves hundreds of member companies in the nonwovens/engineered fabrics industry to achieve business growth. INDA’s conferences, expositions, training courses, market data, test methods, consultancy, and advocacy on issues affecting nonwoven products help members and the industry succeed. INDA Media is the business-to-business publishing arm of INDA and publisher of International Fiber Journal and International Filtration News, which reach a vast network of professionals who employ fibers, filaments, and filtration systems to optimize their application environments.

The nonwoven fabrics industry is ever-changing, from the names and representatives of the companies to new materials, equipment, technologies, and processes. However, INDA’s purpose remains the same: INDA brings companies of the nonwoven fabrics industry together to address and resolve the issues affecting their business and advocates for the industry as directed by its members.

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