The organizers behind Munich’s biannual Performance Days Functional Fabric Fair have decided to expand their reach beyond the Atlantic, announcing a companion show to be held on the West Coast of the United States Oct. 22-23.
This comes just a little over one year after the German producer of Performance Days, Design & Development GmbH Textile Consult, expanded the fair to the United States with the help of Reed Exhibitions, after noting that “a need for a U.S.-based functional fabric fair” had “become apparent.” That event was held in New York at the Javits Center in July last year.
“Following the successful launch of the U.S. Functional Fabric Fair powered by Performance Days this past July, we are pleased to address a market void for a curated sourcing platform for outdoor and activewear functional fabric and accessories in the fall on the West Coast,” Steve McCullough of Reed Exhibitions, said. “The biannual Performance Days Functional Fabric Fair in Germany is the gold standard of the industry and we are especially pleased to organize this second U.S. event in cooperation, maximizing their breadth of proven expertise to deliver a fair where tomorrow’s outdoor textile trends are on display today.”
The new Functional Fabric Fair will be held at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon in October and will feature products and technologies that brands are showcasing for winter 2021.
Concept III, a New Jersey-based developer of performance textiles with market reach on the East and West Coast, has also been tapped to collaborate with Reed and will bring their North American functional fabric expertise to the table.
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“Having just celebrated our 10th anniversary in Munich this past year and experiencing tremendous industry response with a 50 percent growth in visitors and exhibitors, we are pleased to bring this same standard of business in our commitment to the U.S.-based events,” Marco Weichert, general manager at Design & Development GmbH Textile Consult said. “The timing, the caliber of programming and exhibits, and the collaboration with Reed Exhibitions and Concept III, promises to deliver a remarkable sourcing event for the outdoor and activewear market.”.
Similar to previous shows, the West Coast edition will include curated exhibits, workshops, industry presentations, professional networking and matchmaking programs designed to educate and inform attendees about what’s current in the textile sourcing sector. Attendees at the fair are expected to include designers, manufacturers and suppliers, from sports, outdoor and functional apparel manufacturers.
Another Reed Exhibitions trade show, the 4th annual Performance Textile Fair, is wrapping up on Jan. 25 in Orlando. In November it was announced that Reed would be opening up the convention to the Racquet & Paddle Racquet Sports Conference after seeing success in its relationship with the PGA Show, a golf-oriented apparel fair.