TEXTILES.ORG
Functional Fabric Fair, powered by PERFORMANCE DAYS®, has announced its new educational Day 0 Sustainability Workshop and Expert Talks program for the Fall 2025 edition, taking place Nov. 11–13 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Ore.
Functional Fabric Fair will kick off on November 11 with the return of the Day 0 Sustainability Workshop, sponsored by Hyosung, a full-day paid conference program open to both exhibitors and professional attendees. New this year, Day 0 will be held in the Deschutes Ballroom at the host hotel, Hyatt Regency Downtown Portland, located across the street from the Oregon Convention Center. The program will take place from 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. and will include breakfast, lunch and a networking happy hour beginning at 4:00pm. Curated and facilitated by Jill Dumain of Fractal CSOs, Todd Copeland of Copeland Consultancy LLC and Kevin Myette of bluesign technologies, the full-day workshop will bring together industry leaders and sustainability practitioners for new sessions shaped by attendee feedback.
Day 0 Sustainability Workshop topics will include:
- Innovator’s Panel
- How to Scale New Technologies
- Supply Chain Decarbonization
- Circularity (e.g., Textile-to-Textile Recycling)
- Understanding Risks of Forced Labor
- Evolving Regulations and New Legislation
- Supply Network Complexity
The 2025 edition will spotlight textile-to-textile recycling, with regulations such as Extended Producer Responsibility programs.
The exhibition hall will be open November 12–13 and will feature the Expert Talks, sponsored by CovationBio™ Sorona®. The program will include more than 15 educational sessions, free for all attendees, covering topics such as textile recycling, bio-based materials, supply chain collaboration, tariffs updates, microplastic solutions, human rights protections and industry trends.
Expert Talks highlights include:
Wed., Nov. 12
- PERFORMANCE COLORS by Nora Kuehner
- Focus Topic: Textile-to-Textile: The Role of Recyclers
- The (Chemical) Additives Panel
Thurs., Nov. 13
- From Imposing to Inclusion: Rethinking Human Rights Protection in the Supply Chain
- Tariffs and Evolving Trade Policies and Their Impact on U.S. Apparel Sourcing
“This edition’s expanded educational programming reflects the textile industry’s urgent need to address sustainability, circularity and compliance challenges head-on,” says Steve McCullough, event vice president of Functional Fabric Fair. “By bringing together leading experts and practitioners with all new programming, Functional Fabric Fair provides attendees with actionable insights and strategies to shape the future of performance textiles.”
In addition to education, the exhibit hall will feature over 350 sustainable-certified suppliers showcasing functional fabrics, finishes, trims and accessories for the 2026/2027 fall seasons.
Registration
The trade-only event is free for verified designers, product developers, purchasing agents, material managers and students in the outdoor, performance and lifestyle apparel sectors. The Day 0 Sustainability Workshop requires separate paid registration and has limited seating availability.
Discounted hotel rates are available at select partner properties near the Oregon Convention Center here. For full show information and updates on all 2025 editions, visit: www.functionalfabricfair.com.