EXPERT TALKS ON-DEMAND
Wednesday Sessions: April 8
9:30 AM
Forum Insights
Spring/Summer 2028
Speakers:
Alexa Dehmel, Performance Apparel Design & Functional Material Advisory | Innovation & Sustainability, Alexa Dehmel - Consulting & Design
10:30 AM
PERFORMANCE COLORS by Nora Kuehner
Update Winter 2027*28 |
Kickoff Summer 2028
Speakers:
Nora Kühner, Independent Fashion & Design Consultant
12:30 PM
Beyond PFAS:
Rethinking Durability and Chemical Persistence in Textile Finishing
Speakers:
Vasav Sahni, CTO, EMPEL
1:30 PM
The Regenerative Reality: Aligning Wool Supply Chains with EU Mandates
Speakers:
Natalie Norman, Head of Sales & Success, The New Zealand Merino Company Limited
2:30 PM
The Science Behind
Performance
Speakers:
Jan Beringer, Senior Scientific Expert, Hohenstein Laboratories | Matt Sutton, Sr Manager of Product Integrity, Peter Millar
3:30 PM
Innovating and Scaling Sustainable Materials: Circularity, Biodegration, and the Future of Synthetic Textiles
Speakers:
Cheryl Smyre, VP, Parkdale Advanced Materials, Parkdale Inc.
4:15 PM
Closing Remarks
Speakers:
Stewart Sheppard, Founder & principal consultant, S2 Consulting
Thursday Sessions: April 9
9:15 AM
Opening Remarks
Speakers:
Stewart Sheppard, Founder & principal consultant, S2 Consulting
9:30 AM
Women in Power in the Industry: How Women Leaders Turn Materials Innovation into Market Adoption
Speakers:
Mya Franklin, Director of North America Business Operations, LifeLabs | Chris Goddard, President and Founder, CGPR | Katarzyna Schoewe, Former Vice President, Innovation & Product Design, Outdoor Research | Lynn Bush, Senior Director of Design, Billabong, Spyder | Jodie Taylor, Director - Owned Brands, Backcountry.com LLC
10:25 AM
Textile-to-Textile Recycling: Proving What's Real in a DPP World
Speakers:
Jan Beringer, Senior Scientific Expert, Hohenstein Laboratories | Jeffrey Margulies, Partner, Los Angeles, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP | Tim Sherry, Sustainability Technical Manager, Hohenstein
11:20 AM
Next-Generation Bio-Based Elastane: Scaling regen™ BIO Spandex Through Integrated Fiber & Fabric Engineering
Speakers:
Malvina Hoxha, Director US Marketing, Hyosung TNC | Thomas Chiu, Director, R&D, Chia Her
1:00 PM
Trade Policy & US
Sourcing
Speakers:
Jon Devine, Senior Economist, Cotton Incorporated
2:00 PM
Ensuring Human Health: The Social Side of Materials Production
Speakers:
Alex Helander, Director of Business Development North America East Region, bluesign technologies ag
2:45 PM
Performance
Without Persistance: The Next Standard for Synthetic Textiles
Speakers:
Chad Bolick, Director Strategic Accounts and Global Apparel Brand Sales, Intrinsic Advanced Materials