Tent rental companies must be prepared to tackle any disruption or surprise while on the job to ensure successful events and happy clients. Three tent rental companies—National Structures Events & Services, Organic-Concept and Stamford Tent & Event Services—achieved their clients’ goals through preparation, perseverance and dedication.

Aircraft of all types and sizes are filled with textiles that may require an expert upholsterer or fabricator’s skills to repair or refresh. Customers can range from hobbyists restoring aircraft to regional rescue crews or even companies servicing private jets. Here’s what your business needs to know before getting started in this work, inside and out.

Join thousands of textile professionals as Advanced Textiles Expo comes to the Midwest. The industry’s flagship event brings a full offering of networking, innovation and education to Indianapolis in 2025. Connect with the industry for four days of excitement and check out everything Advanced Textiles Expo has to offer!

Here you’ll find a first look at the new products and value-added services waiting for you on the show floor at Advanced Textiles Expo 2025 in Indianapolis, Ind., Nov. 5–7.

Four textile manufacturers share advancements in sustainable dyes and how using natural resources cuts carbon emissions and reduces utility costs.

In 2014, Ethan Halpern moved from the music classroom as a teacher to the shop floor as president and owner of American Awning & Blind Co. in North Hollywood, Calif. A family friend owned the business and offered Halpern the opportunity to buy it. U.S.-based and financially strong with a customized product, it made business sense to Halpern. He closed the deal and generally hasn’t missed the classroom.

Antimicrobial fabrics and commodities continue to expand their applications across various sectors, driven by an increasing desire for prioritizing personal hygiene and infection control, including viral threats such as COVID-19 and antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as MRSA and VRE.

More than 50 years after the Apollo missions, NASA plans to return to the moon’s surface in 2027 with the Artemis III mission. This flight sets the stage for long-term exploration of the south pole of the moon and eventually Mars. But with these new missions come new challenges for textile engineering.

Since 1923, Bally Ribbon Mills (BRM) has designed, developed and manufactured woven webbing, tapes and specialty fabrics for the aerospace, defense, medical and automotive industries. In 1991, to meet growing demand in the composites industry, the Bally, Pa.-based company began accelerating its work with carbon fiber, creating woven preforms and 2D and 3D structural fabrics made from or incorporating this material. Fueled by its “superior strength-to-weight ratio,” demand for carbon fiber has only increased since its introduction to the composites industry, says Mark Harries, president of BRM.

Most architects are familiar with urbanist William H. Whyte and his studies of vibrant urban places, especially small public places such as pocket parks and plazas, streets and hardscapes. After close observations of scores of public places, Whyte listed a number of key factors that pertain to successful popular usage of these spaces, including sitting spaces, food vendors, sunlight, trees and shading. If there is one material that readily works to provide shade, it is technical fabrics.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already reshaping the textile industry—not with flashy headlines but with practical improvements in planning, sourcing and execution. Manufacturers are using AI to improve operations, avoid common pitfalls and align teams for long-term success, with insights on reshoring, leadership and continuous improvement integration.

How can textile companies use artificial intelligence to improve business efficiencies? Nelson Valderrama and Dan Hughes share their insights.