NORWALK, Conn. (May 21, 2020) – Fourteen respected executives from the performance and fashion apparel industry were announced today as members of the Advisory Board for Functional Fabric Fair powered by PERFORMANCE DAYS®. The Advisory Board will provide strategic and tactical recommendations, advice, counsel and feedback to the Fair’s executive team on areas related to the development and enhancement of in-person events and the Fair’s virtual business platforms.
Members of the 2020-2022 Advisory Board of Functional Fabric Fair powered by PERFORMANCE DAYS® are:
- Chase Anderson, Media & Content Manager, Utah State University - Outdoor Product Design & Development
- Justine Cheng, Specialist, Taiwan Textile Federation
- Matthew Cole, NA Channel Manager, DuPont
- Gus Harris, Design & Sourcing Director, Mizzen + Main
- Eddie Hertzman, Founder & President, Sourcing Journal
- Stephen Kerns, President, Schoeller Textiles USA
- Cindy McNaull, Brand Business Development Director, CORDURA®/INVISTA
- Jeff Nott, CEO & Publisher, Formula4 Media
- David Parkes, Founder & President, Concept III
- Alexandria Rivera, Vice President Design, LF America/Oxford Apparel
- Charles Ross, Performance Sportswear Design Specialist
- Casey Strauch, US Marketing Manager, Hohenstein Group
- Marco Weichert, Founder & President, Weichert Agencies GmbH & PERFORMANCE DAYS®
- Diana Wyman, Executive Vice President, American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC)
“We are fortunate to have the valuable guidance of highly respected industry stakeholders,” said Steve McCullough, the Fair’s event director. “Especially in these unprecedented times, it has been more important than ever to collaborate with the best of the industry so that we can be nimble in anticipating industry needs and adapting our channels to connect and facilitate business among the apparel textile community.”
Recently, Functional Fabric Fair powered by PERFORMANCE DAYS® announced the development of a virtual business and education platform beginning early summer, which will connect suppliers and sourcing professionals through matchmaking, appointment setting and digital learning. Due to the pandemic, the third edition of the July 2020 New York event has been postponed to January 25-26, 2021, at the Javits Center, aligning it with Winter Market Week events. Functional Fabric Fair Portland is scheduled to take place November 18-19, 2020 at the Oregon Convention Center.
Board Member Comments Regarding New Advisory Role
- “In our extraordinary partnership, we have created a new standard of textile exhibitions in the US market. In these times of change, collaboration has been more important than ever before and together, we will continue to enable the industry to stay connected. This network will be of utmost importance to set the upcoming milestones for the community.” Marco Weichert, Founder & President, Weichert Agencies GmbH & PERFORMANCE DAYS®
- “Functional Fabric Fair brings real value to our industry. As an education partner, we’ve witnessed their fresh take on sustainability and performance. It’s an honor to collaborate further with this excellent team.” - Casey Strauch, US Marketing Manager, Hohenstein Group
- “AATCC is always looking for new ways to share information, ideas, and connections within the textile industry. Functional Fabrics Fair’s focus on educational content makes it a natural partnership.” - Diana Wyman, Executive Vice President, American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists (AATCC)
- “This is a challenging time for our industry, and it’s how we deal with this as a collective global textiles community that will help define and set the foundation for our future. The CORDURA® brand has always believed that innovation becomes amplified by collaboration, and we are sincerely appreciative of this opportunity to be a part of this transformation for the Functional Fabrics Fair powered by Performance Days.” Cindy McNaull, Brand Business Development Director, CORDURA®/INVISTA
- “Performance Days demonstrated the need to have an Ingredient Sourcing Exhibition centred on the technical apparel fabrics; the Functional Fabric Fair is refreshing the concept to take it to a bigger stage. Using the straight forward principle of an educational zone filled with presentations & a Fabric Forum offering the ability to touch the latest product, all supported by supplier brands, is why it makes sense. I am honored to participate and lend my experience to the development of these converging global platforms” Charles Ross, Performance Sportswear Design Specialist
- "We have enjoyed participating in several Functional Fabric Fair shows and have found the format to be very constructive, allowing for not only intimate product meetings but also insightful, interactive presentations and easy social gatherings that seem very organic yet unique in a sea of industry events. We are looking forward to collaborating and actively helping to evolve our industry gatherings while continuing their appeal and success in our 'new normal.’" Stephen Kerns, President, Schoeller Textiles USA
About Functional Fabric Fair powered by PERFORMANCE DAYS®:
Functional Fabric Fair powered by PERFORMANCE DAYS®, and organized by Reed Exhibitions, is a trade-exclusive event and platform showcasing the latest trends in textile development for the apparel industry. In addition to a curated marketplace dedicated to the responsible sourcing of high-performance functional fabrics and accessories, FFF provides expert-led education, supplier recommendations and a university program that exposes students to textile and apparel developers. www.functionalfabricfair.com
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