About this event

IDEA - International Engineered Fabrics Conference & Exhibition (IDEA®27) — Event Buyer & Attendee Research Description

Event Snapshot (from official event site)

• Event name: IDEA®27 — International Engineered Fabrics Conference & Exhibition
• Dates: March 23–25, 2027
• Venue: Kansas City Convention Center
• City & country: Kansas City, Missouri, USA
• Industry positioning: The event focuses on the engineered fabrics and nonwovens supply chain, emphasizing “smarter, cleaner, and more circular solutions,” and highlights a Sustainability in Nonwovens Conference.
• Core theme: Driving Nonwovens Innovation in Sustainability

1) Who attends (buyers / attendees)

IDEA®27 is not a general consumer event; it is structured as an industry-forward, supply-chain conference/exhibition for nonwovens and engineered fabrics. Based on the event’s own “Why Attend” and “See Who Attends” messaging, the attendee mix is driven by cross-industry roles that support sourcing, product development, manufacturing, conversion, packaging integration, and application-specific commercialization.

Primary attendee groups we should expect to see on-site

• Nonwovens and engineered fabrics supply-chain decision-makers across materials, converting, and downstream end-use adoption.
• Engineering and technical professionals aligned with R&D, product formulation, material science, and application development.
• Procurement / sourcing stakeholders involved in selecting raw materials, converting services, contract manufacturing, and sustainability-compatible inputs.
• Operations and manufacturing leadership focused on production capabilities, equipment, process optimization, yield, and compliance-driven manufacturing.
• Packaging and supply-chain integration roles, since the event explicitly references “packaging” within the supply chain coverage.
• Startups and innovators showcasing breakthrough technologies, circular design approaches, and extended-life products.
• Conference attendees seeking “expert insights” on regulation, innovation, and responsible production through the Sustainability in Nonwovens Conference.
• Commercial buyer roles such as category leaders, business development leaders, and sales leaders who influence vendor selection and partnerships.

How we translate “buyers” for list targeting

For attendee-list research and targeting purposes, the most valuable “buyer-style” decision-makers are typically those who influence: (a) sourcing decisions, (b) product qualification, (c) vendor onboarding, (d) sustainability roadmap approvals, and (e) application-specific commercialization. IDEA®27’s messaging strongly suggests an audience built to support exactly those outcomes.

2) Where the show is happening + attendee geographic origin

The official event site specifies the event location as Kansas City Convention Center, Kansas City, Missouri. The conference positioning emphasizes the “global nonwovens and engineered fabrics industry,” and the event’s exhibitor participation testimonials reference “global” connections and suppliers. Therefore, we should expect a US-national base with meaningful international representation.

Venue geography

• Host region: Midwest / central United States
• Likely travel concentration: US-based nonwovens manufacturers, converters, and end-use brand teams

Expected attendee geographic origin (best-practice targeting view)

• North America-heavy: Nonwovens and engineered fabrics organizations headquartered and operating across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
• International reach: Because the event highlights global supply chain connectivity, we expect additional participation from Europe and other regions where nonwovens and sustainability initiatives are actively funded and regulated.

Note: the official text provided includes strong language about global participation, but it does not list exact attendee country breakdown percentages. When we build a ranked buyer shortlist, we use roles + company footprint to infer likely international decision-makers rather than guessing precise percentages.

3) Audience reach (Local / National / Global)

The strongest characterization from the official text is that IDEA®27 is a global industry event for the nonwovens and engineered fabrics supply chain. However, because it is hosted in Kansas City (USA) and serves as a strategic opportunity to interact with the industry “under one roof,” it will also function as a national hub for US-based buyers.

• Primary reach: Global (industry-wide supply-chain focus)
• Secondary reach: National (US buyer concentration due to host location and US industry presence)

4) Sample buyer company names (buyers only) + websites

Below are buyer-style targets derived from the official testimonials included on the event website (these are companies explicitly referenced as participants). These are selected because the event messaging emphasizes connecting with suppliers, partners, customers, and innovation across the nonwovens ecosystem.

Important note for our process: If you share your client website (product category + whether you sell to raw material suppliers, converters, brand owners, or equipment/process providers), we will refine this list into a best-fit ranked shortlist aligned to your requirements.

Buyer shortlist table (sample)

Priority	Company	Website	Best Title to Target	Why This is a Good Buyer Fit
1	Fi-Tech, Inc.	fi-tech.com	Managing Director / Business Leadership	Testimonial company tied to IDEA leadership visibility; strong fit for high-level partnership and nonwovens solution decision pathways.
2	Lenzing Fibers, Inc.	lenzing.com	Nonwovens Head of Sales & KAM Americas / Key Account Leadership	Directly referenced in the official testimonials; ideal for commercial partnerships across raw materials and sustainability-oriented fiber applications.
3	Owens & Minor	owens-minor.com	Sr. Product Manager, Nonwovens	Direct testimonial role; strong fit for product selection, vendor qualification, and nonwovens-driven application portfolios.
4	International Paper	internationalpaper.com	Vice President (Business/Commercial Leadership)	Referenced testimonial participant; aligns with supply-chain involvement and materials strategy tied to sustainability and engineered fabrics pathways.
5	AJ Nonwovens	ajnonwovens.com	President / CEO-level Buyer	Referenced testimonial participant; high authority for supplier onboarding, innovation partnerships, and strategic alignment across the nonwovens ecosystem.
6	Nonwovens and Engineered Fabrics Manufacturers (target category)		VP Product Development / Director R&D / Sustainability Program Lead	IDEA®27 explicitly spans filtration, medical, absorbent hygiene, wipes, automotive, and construction—so manufacturer innovation teams are core “buyer” stakeholders.
7	Nonwovens Converters (target category)		Operations Director / VP Manufacturing / Process Engineering Lead	Converters influence adoption of new technologies, processes, circular design requirements, and performance qualification for end-use applications.
8	Packaging Integration Providers (target category)		Packaging Product Manager / Sustainability Packaging Lead	The event highlights “packaging” within the supply chain; packaging leaders are buyers when sustainability requirements affect materials and formats.
9	Equipment / Machinery Providers (target category)		Head of Sales / Segment Director, Nonwovens Machinery	“Breakthrough technologies” and “driving innovation” signals active participation by machinery and process solution firms selling into converters.
10	Raw Material / Fiber / Chemical Inputs (target category)		Category Manager / Global Sourcing Director / Strategic Procurement	IDEA®27 is positioned for discovery and connection across materials; procurement leaders are responsible for category strategy and supplier changes.
11	End-Use Brand Owners (target category)		Director of Product Innovation / Sustainability Product Lead	The event lists application domains (medical, hygiene, wipes, automotive, construction). Brand teams evaluate suppliers and qualify engineered fabric inputs.
12	Compliance & Regulatory Teams (target category)		Regulatory Affairs Director / Sustainability Compliance Lead	The Sustainability in Nonwovens Conference tackles regulation and responsible production—decision-makers who need to translate regulation into purchasing requirements.
13	R&D Collaboration Partners (target category)		Director Innovation / Research Partnerships Lead	IDEA highlights circular design and extended-life innovations; R&D partnership leads are the “buyer” type for pilots, co-development, and trials.
14	Startups in Circular Nonwovens (target category)		Business Development Lead / Commercial Director	IDEA showcases startups; buyers include established brands and converters seeking innovation that can be scaled and qualified.
15	Procurement for Sustainability (target category)		Head of Sustainable Procurement / ESG Sourcing Lead	IDEA’s theme is circularity and sustainability; sustainable procurement buyers coordinate vendor requirements and supplier documentation.
16	Quality & Applications Engineering (target category)		Director QA / Applications Engineer Lead	When companies adopt new nonwovens solutions, they validate performance and quality; QA and applications engineering teams are often influential buyers/approvers.
17	Sales / Key Account Managers at Supply Chain Firms (target category)		Key Account Manager / Strategic Accounts Director	The event is described as a one-stop shop to connect across the supply chain; strategic account leaders are primary commercial buyer connectors.
18	Nonwovens Industry Associations / Research Bodies (target category)		Program Director / Partnership Director	The conference and awards structure suggests active ecosystem stakeholders who influence industry adoption and collaboration.

Next step (for accuracy): Share your client website so we can replace the “target category” rows with specific buyer accounts that match the exact purchasing path your client enables (e.g., fibers, converting equipment, filtration media, absorbent hygiene inputs, medical nonwovens, wipes, automotive-grade nonwovens, construction insulation/underlayment use cases).

5) Job profiles, industries & event type

A) Best job profiles to target

The event’s content emphasizes end-to-end supply chain coverage, sustainability, innovation case study programming, and expert-led regulation and production discussions. Therefore, the most relevant buyer job profiles typically include the following:

• Nonwovens sales & key account leadership: Global/Regional Sales Director, KAM leader, Strategic Accounts leadership.
• Product management & portfolio roles: Sr. Product Manager (Nonwovens), Product Director, Portfolio Innovation Lead.
• R&D and technical commercialization: Director R&D, Materials Scientist, Applications Engineering Lead, Technical Product Manager.
• Procurement & supply chain: Strategic Sourcing Director, Procurement Category Manager, Vendor Management Lead.
• Operations and manufacturing: VP Manufacturing, Operations Director, Process Engineering Lead, Quality Director.
• Sustainability & compliance: Sustainability Program Lead, ESG Sourcing Lead, Regulatory Affairs Director (Sustainability/Materials Compliance).
• Business development: Partnerships Director, Alliance Manager, Co-development lead.
• Executive decision-makers: President/Managing Director/VP-level commercial leaders who approve strategic sourcing and innovation programs.

B) Industries & segments we should prioritize

IDEA®27 explicitly mentions application areas and supply chain categories (materials, converting, packaging, machinery, filtration, medical, absorbent hygiene, wipes, automotive, construction). This translates into the following practical industry segments for buyer targeting:

• Nonwovens and engineered fabrics manufacturing
• Materials (fibers, biobased inputs, sustainability-focused material science)
• Converting and processing
• Packaging and packaging integration
• Machinery and production equipment
• Application verticals: Filtration, Medical, Absorbent Hygiene, Wipes, Automotive, Construction
• Circularity innovation & extended-life product development

C) Event type

• Conference + exhibition (industry summit with an expo floor)
• Supply-chain networking platform across nonwovens and engineered fabrics
• Sustainability-focused technical conference track (“Sustainability in Nonwovens Conference”)
• Innovation and recognition components (IDEA® Achievement Awards)

6) Estimated attendance (expected total footfall)

The provided official website text includes “2025 Attendees” and “2025 Exhibitors,” but it does not show a numeric total attendance figure in the content provided. To avoid guessing, we leave the “expected total footfall” as not provided in the supplied official text.

Status: Estimated attendance value: Not reliably available from provided text.

7) Key focus areas & buyer engagement

A) Key focus areas (what buyers come for)

• Smarter, cleaner, more circular nonwovens solutions (circular design, extended-life products)
• Biobased materials and next-generation material innovations
• Responsible production and sustainability implementation
• Regulation and compliance translation into production and sourcing (explicitly referenced by the conference track)
• Cross-supply-chain collaboration: materials, converting, packaging, machinery, and more
• Application-driven solutions: filtration, medical, absorbent hygiene, wipes, automotive, construction
• Exhibit discovery and commercial connection with companies and startups

B) Buyer engagement angles we recommend

IDEA®27’s site messaging suggests the highest-conversion buyer messaging is anchored to technology-to-sustainability outcomes. We should align engagement to how the solution supports:

• Supplier evaluation (materials, converting capability, integration compatibility)
• Product qualification (performance for specific end-use applications)
• ESG and regulatory alignment (documentation, responsible sourcing readiness)
• Innovation partnerships (case studies, pilots, co-development)
• Commercial expansion (new customers, new channels, and vendor-to-customer matching)

8) Client-product fit review (required) — ask for client website + how we will produce “best buyers”

We can absolutely refine the best buyer/attendance shortlist for IDEA®27, but we need to review your client’s actual product positioning. Please provide the client website URL (and if possible, the product category pages or one-page overview).

What we will do after reviewing your client website

• Map your client’s buying triggers to IDEA’s supply-chain categories (materials vs. converting vs. machinery vs. packaging vs. end-use applications).
• Select the buyer job titles that most directly own vendor evaluation and purchasing influence.
• Prioritize industries based on the exact use-case (filtration, medical, absorbent hygiene, wipes, automotive, construction, etc.).
• Produce a ranked buyer list (highest intent roles first) suitable for event outreach and meeting requests.

Please send: your client website + (1) who your typical customer is (supplier, converter, brand owner, OEM, hospital/healthcare operator, etc.) + (2) whether you sell equipment, materials, services, software, or a finished engineered fabric product.

9) Industry suggestions (based on the provided industry taxonomy)

IDEA®27 overlaps multiple industry buckets. To ensure we stay consistent with the provided taxonomy, we recommend using these as primary/secondary targeting filters:

• Primary:
  • Packaging & Containers
  • Chemicals
  • Medical Devices
  • Construction
  • Automotive
  • Machinery
  • Mechanical or Industrial Engineering
  • Textiles
• Secondary (by role and application):
  • Environmental Services
  • Renewables & Environment
  • Pharmaceuticals (if medical nonwovens connect to pharma-related cleanroom/sterile applications)
  • Hospital & Health Care (if buyer teams are healthcare procurement/end-user aligned)
  • Logistics & Supply Chain (if your solution impacts distribution, handling, or supply planning)
  • Research (if your client is research-driven or partnership-driven)

How we will package this research for your workflow

Once you share your client website, we will deliver:

• A refined “best buyer fit” ranking for IDEA®27 attendees/exhibitor-adjacent buyers
• Role-based targeting (titles + seniority) aligned to your product purchasing path
• A prioritized buyer list of company accounts and contact titles for outreach
• Suggested event outreach angles tied to IDEA®27 themes (sustainability, circular design, regulation, innovation case studies)

Final note (required next input)

Please share your client website so we can finalize the best buyers for IDEA®27 based on your client’s specific requirements and not on generic audience assumptions.

Client website URL: (send us this)