Experience the future of the textile industry live

DAY 0 – Rethink Waste: “In Nature, there is no waste”

On October 28, 2025, one day before the fair officially begins, PERFORMANCE DAYS will kick off with DAY 0 – a full-day conference focused on waste in the textile industry. Under the motto “In Nature, There Is No Waste”, the event will center on discussions about circular economy, resource usage, and new perspectives. Workshops, group discussions, and practical examples will demonstrate how so-called “waste” can become valuable resources and which steps along the value chain are necessary. Experts include Alexandra Wittwer (BSI), Manuel Schweizer (OceanSafe), and Moritz Schnäpsmeier (Sitex). Bowie Miles and Charles Ross will guide the day, providing insights and inspiration from different perspectives.

Ensuring circularity: Textile-to-Textile recycling

The October edition of PERFORMANCE DAYS will highlight a key future topic of the textile industry with the new Focus Topic: “Textile to Textile – The Role of Recyclers.” The era of the linear “take-make-dispose” model is over. Legal requirements such as EPR and PEFCR make circular economy a necessity. Recyclers play a central role by developing technologies to reintroduce fibers into the cycle. These topics will be explored in a hands-on way in the Trend Forum. The Trend Forum remains the centerpiece, showcasing fabric highlights for H/W 2027/28, curated in advance by an expert jury. This year’s jury, including guest jurors from Woolmark, Diesel, and Thru Dark, awarded prizes in five categories: Innovation Award, Wool Award, Eco Award, Performance Award, and Bodywear Award.

Looking to the future: Innovation Area & Innovation Hub by FFE

The Innovation Area focuses on “unseen” products and developments, giving young brands and material innovations a platform to present new ideas and forward-looking approaches. Complementing this is the Innovation Hub by FFE, a space curated by the Future Fabrics Expo for early-stage sustainable innovations. Groundbreaking materials, processes, and technologies at the first stages of technology readiness (TRL) will be showcased. Both platforms aim to make sustainable material innovations accessible and tangible, actively shaping the future of the textile industry.

Sharing knowledge, shaping the future: Expert Talks, Workshops & Guided Tours

The Expert Talks Stage will focus this fall on circularity and T2T recycling. Speakers such as Adam Gardiner (Textile Exchange), Katy Stevens (European Outdoor Group), Shivam Gusain (Decypher), Simon Whitmarsh-Knight (Hyosung), and Andrea Rosso (Diesel) will provide insights into current developments and challenges. The program is complemented by hands-on workshops from Accelerating Circularity in the Circularity Zone, additional offerings in the Sustainability Lounge, and the Footwear Area, all providing visitors with in-depth know-how.

Connecting sustainability & high-performance: Footwear Area

This fall, the Footwear Area will feature an expanded concept. Visitors can expect a curated program with exciting workshops, including sessions with footwear experts and designers Defne Yalkut (DYdesign, Sole Design Academy) and Richard Kuchinsky (The Directive Collective), as well as representatives from PFI (Pirmasens Research Institute). Defne Yalkut: “Participants will gain insight into the full journey from materials to manufacturing — understanding how to make soles as sustainable as possible. The sole is not only the largest component of a shoe but also the most complex and the one with the greatest environmental impact. The sole industry faces numerous challenges, from raw material sourcing to mold production. It's time to bring more awareness and smarter solutions to this essential element of footwear.” The area also includes an exchange space for intensive networking and a Tech Hub in collaboration with SATRA. Offerings include hands-on sessions on material testing, EU regulations, and sustainable design strategies. The Footwear Forum will also focus on “Sustainability & Performance – Contradiction is the Key.”

Natural fiber in the spotlight: Wool Area

For the third time, PERFORMANCE DAYS will shine a spotlight on the natural fiber wool. The Wool Area and Wool Forum will showcase wool’s versatility and sustainability. In collaboration with partners such as the Woolmark Company, IWTO, and the Campaign for Wool, the fair highlights the fiber’s breathability, temperature regulation, comfort, and ecological benefits.

Inspiration walk & color worlds: the new Creative Area

The new Creative Area invites visitors to an Inspiration Walk, presenting exceptional design ideas, material contrasts, and early color trends for Fall/Winter 2027/28. Visitors can gather impressions and experience the connection between function, aesthetics, and innovation firsthand. The area is curated by Nora Kühner, trend and color expert for PERFORMANCE COLORS by Nora Kühner, in collaboration with international partners such as Japanese fashion retailer Beams and Utah State University. The Creative Area represents creative impulses and fresh ideas. Nora Kühner: “The Creative Area is a space for new perspectives: historical models meet modern approaches, demonstrating how past and future can creatively connect. Together with the PERFORMANCE DAYS team, we curated fabrics that embody exactly this feeling.”

Established areas in a new light: Sustainability Lounge, Bodywear Area & Tech Hub

The Bodywear Area, supported by media partner Intima Group, highlights innovative developments in its field. The area again is being created in close cooperation with the London Contour Experts Group under the direction of industry expert and designer Nichole De Carle.

The Tech Hub addresses digital transformation and trends that drive innovation today for tomorrow’s leadership.

The Sustainability Lounge showcases the latest advances and visions for a sustainable future. Anna Rodewald, co-responsible, emphasizes: “Collaboration will be key to advancing sustainability. The Sustainability Lounge provides the ideal platform for this.”

Marco Weichert, CEO of PERFORMANCE DAYS, looks forward confidently: “PERFORMANCE DAYS is more than just a trade fair – it is a hub for innovation, sustainability, and inspiration. With our new Focus Topic, Creative Area, and Innovation Hub, we offer visitors insights into the future of the textile industry. We are excited to present a program with international partners like the Future Fabrics Expo and our long-standing exhibitors that moves the entire industry.”

More information on the special areas:

https://www.performancedays.com/the-fair/about-the-fair/special-areas.html