Four key growth areas have been introduced for Material World New York, which will take place on September 25-27. The categories are Eco-Friendly, Performance, Product Lifestyle Management (PLM) and Design Technology. Eco-Friendly will focus on renewable resources including organic cotton, soya and Ingeo. Performance will look at the latest developments in moisture management, UV protection, anti-microbial and other performance-related issues, PLM will present new technologies offering quicker time-to-market and helping to meet consumer demand, while Design Technology will explore CAD/CAM software, trends, colour and prototyping solutions.

Approximately 475 exhibitors are expected to participate at the show, which is organised by the American Apparel and Footwear Association.