This year’s PERFORMANCE DAYS concludes on a high note following a successful spring fair. A total of 3,838 visitors attended on October 23 and 24 in Munich to explore the innovations of around 490 exhibitors at the leading trade fair for functional fabrics and sustainable textile innovations. The PERFORMANCE DAYS team continues its wave of success – the fair provides the perfect setting for networking, knowledge exchange, innovation previews, and industry insights. Both visitors and exhibitors expressed their enthusiasm – PERFORMANCE DAYS resonates with the current zeitgeist and sets new standards.
What does a trade fair need to achieve today? Who should be addressed? When is the perfect time to take place? Where is the best location? What purpose does the trade fair have? In today’s trade fair landscape, many events are struggling with challenges such as oversupply, declining visitor numbers, and an increasing demand for specific, sustainable added value for professional visitors, which affects the relevance of many fairs. In a globalized and digitally connected world, it is becoming increasingly difficult to position oneself clearly and attract an audience that considers attending trade fairs essential.
PERFORMANCE DAYS set a new standard by focusing sharply on functional fabrics and sustainable textile innovations, providing exactly the specialized platform that the industry seeks today. The PERFORMANCE DAYS excel in their high level of expertise, the quality of visitors, and an inspiring environment that fosters groundbreaking networking and serves as a collective innovation platform for the industry.
Marco Weichert, CEO of PERFORMANCE DAYS, recognizes the potential of the fair: “We are all very pleased with the positive development of the PERFORMANCE DAYS. The combination of sourcing platform and knowledge transfer resonates well, as the concept allows the industry to exchange ideas about real innovations and future trends in a professional yet relaxed environment while also making valuable connections. The dates at the end of October and early March are perfectly chosen to strategically advance the industry and set trends early—exactly what our visitors and partners appreciate. Together, we create a space for future-oriented ideas and reliable partnerships.”
Trendsetter: New special areas complete the information offer
One reason the industry remains loyal to PERFORMANCE DAYS is the balanced offering of high-quality exhibitors, alongside a multitude of premium special areas. PERFORMANCE DAYS enhances the trade fair experience by specifically addressing current industry trends and technological innovations. This is evident in the Trend Forum, this year focused on the topic “Colorization – Chemistry is Everywhere,” and the now firmly integrated Innovation Forum featuring previously unseen, truly new projects and approaches, as well as the Sustainability Lounge, which emphasizes exciting sustainable projects and startups.
The newly integrated Bodywear Collective has struck a chord within the industry, as the latest developments in functional underwear, focusing on comfort, design, and performance, are set to increasingly define the market.
Nichole de Carle, Founder of the London Contour Experts Group and initiator of this new area, sums it up: “The Bodywear Collective represents a new era of ON-SKIN base layers. We have curated a fusion of high tech, skin enhancing fabrics. From a combination of underwear new naturals with mindful recycled blends and fully biodegradable fibers – to drive accelerated circularity. To cosmetic skin care enhancing shapewear. Using active probiotics to help renew the skin’s natural balance and improve appearance. We are celebrating every-body in swimwear, using LYCRA adaptive for maximum freedom of movement, that fits the silhouette like a second skin driving inclusivity to the forefront.”
De Carle commented on her presence at PERFORMANCE DAYS: “PERFORMANCE DAYS is a Global leader in activewear fabric presentation and exhibition management. I fell in love with their sustainably conscious and technically advanced fabric curation. They are market leaders in change, which makes for a perfect match for the growing Bodywear ON-SKIN category.”
Since the introduction of the Tech Hub at the spring fair, the platform has become a popular destination for innovative technologies shaping the future of functional textiles. Combined with a dedicated Test Area showcasing testing equipment from James Heal, it provides an ideal place to learn about future digital processes in the industry. Nearby, HDry demonstrated the importance of evaluating both waterproofness and water repellency in shoes in the Footwear Area, using various testing devices.
Networking & Inspiration: Workshops, Expert Talks, and the NextGen Education Hub
As an important sourcing platform, PERFORMANCE DAYS aims to provide the necessary education that the industry is currently seeking through a wide range of lectures, discussion panels, workshops, and networking events. Charles Ross, who once again delighted attendees as the moderator on the Expert Talks stage, brought a program filled with timely and pressing topics to the forefront. The focus was on new insights into textile dyeing, the durability of textiles, and the trends of tomorrow across footwear, fibers, and colors, as well as groundbreaking innovations that will shape the market in the future. A highlight was undoubtedly the panel discussing the connection between carbon and chemistry, featuring Katy Stevens from EOG, John Murphy from Hohenstein, and Phil Patterson from Colour Connections.
The specially created Ohana Workshop Area sought answers to the crucial question: why should textile designers and producers start addressing upcoming EU regulations relevant to textiles now? Assistance was provided for preparing for the forthcoming EU regulations. For the second time, Accelerating Circularity shone with its workshop special area “Reality Zone.” This program sought to identify the chemical risks associated with chemical recycling and explore how chemical legislation will impact the transition to a circular economy. The premiere of the NextGen Education Hub, in close cooperation with Utah State University, welcomed the next generation of industry professionals to the fair, offering opportunities for further education, networking expansion, and initial potential job connections.
The dates for the spring edition of PERFORMANCE DAYS are already set. The upcoming fair will take place on March 5 and 6, 2025, at the Messe München venue. Prior to that, the organizers invite attendees to the first Day 0 conference on March 4 with more information to follow.
Nora Kühner, Freelance Design Consultant and responsible for PERFORMANCE COLORS by PERFORMANCE DAYS, summarizes: “PERFORMANCE DAYS is undoubtedly a must for anyone looking to stay updated in the textile and sports industry. As a leading trade fair, it not only provides an excellent platform for networking but also impresses with an immense range of topics and international visitors. The quality in all areas is exceptionally high, making PERFORMANCE DAYS a top meeting point for the industry. What’s particularly inspiring is the growing awareness within the industry that we must work together on a larger vision for the future—and this is being achieved here in an impressive way.”
Source: PERFORMANCE DAYS