The organising bodies of Munich’s Performance Days and its Functional Fabric Fair spin-off in the USA have teamed up to launch a comprehensive year-round digital fabric sourcing marketplace. Performance Days Loop, as it’s been called, will host an initial 8,000 products from almost 200 suppliers, with the expectation being that by the end of its first full season this will rise to 12,000.
“We are really excited about this joint project and are certain that the industry will greatly appreciate the synergies resulting from the bundling into a unique, year-round online platform with double the amount of reach,” said Marco Weichert, Head of Performance Days.
Intrinsic to Performance Days physical events has been its ‘Forum’ installation, at which visitors can browse through the latest collections of functional fabrics. Given the restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, this has in recent showcases been hosted online in a bid to ensure sourcing professionals can keep a pace with the industry’s latest innovations.
German organisation Design and Development GmbH and US firm Reed Exhibitions – which run shows in Munich and Oregon, respectively – have now teamed up to establish a comprehensive platform for stakeholders that will be accessible year-round, not just at physical or digital shows. The platform will integrate features enabling 3D visual technology to accentuate and simulate the design, look and feel of fabrics, getting people as close to the real thing as they can in the absence of a Performance Days trade fair.
“The Functional Fabric Fair collaboration with Performance Days has been an ideal match of people and resources that has allowed us to provide premium experiences, interactions and value with our in-person events,” said Stephen McCullough, event director at Functional Fabric Fair by Performance Days. “Now with our digital platform, we can provide curated suppliers and products, unparalleled access to top trends, and experts sharing important industry insights in one centralized online location.”
Looking ahead, Loop will also tie-in with future events, and will either be used to host digital showcases – likely in the era of COVID-19 – or run alongside physical events, enabling industry stakeholders access to the show’s content where it isn’t possible to attend. “Performance Days Loop in partnership with Functional Fabric Fair is now well on its way to becoming one of the most important digital networks for the industry,” concluded Weichert.
