Design & Development, event organiser of the Performance Days trade fair for functional fabrics and materials, has cancelled the April event in Germany. There will not be a postponement of the functional fabrics and materials trade fair to a later date in the first half of the year, with the protection of visitors and exhibitors being the priority.

Instead, the fair is working flat out to create digital alternatives to ensure that customers, and the entire sports and textile industry can still be informed about the latest fabric trends and innovations in terms of function, fashion and sustainability for the summer 2022 season

Although the current ban on events in Germany does not include the fair date, the fair organisers wish to emphasise that the health of exhibitors and visitors remains the top priority. Additionally, with travel bans and many restrictive measures in place to avoid the spread of the virus, holding Performance Days in April 2020 would not be justifiable towards the globally based customers also from an economic perspective. After extensive monitoring of the COVID-19 virus pandemic and conscientious consideration of alternatives, such as postponing the fair to a later date in the summer, and in close exchange with exhibitors and attendees, the fair team has now decided, with a heavy heart, to cancel the fair for what would have been the kick-off of the fabrics for the summer 2022 season, according to a press release on the show.

“The safety and health of our visitors and exhibitors is given our top priority. Even though the current event ban in Bavaria only applies until April 19, 2020, we would like to help in curtailing the spread of the corona virus beyond that date. In view of the current uncertain situation, in which new short-term decisions have to be taken to protect the health of everyone, we believe it makes sense not to postpone the event to a later date either, but to send a clear signal that we are acting far-sightedly and responsibly by cancelling the trade fair for the summer 2022 kick-off,” general manager Marco Weichert of the show said.

Nevertheless, in order to keep the industry informed on the latest trends of exhibitors, all departments are currently working flat out on digital solutions. As around 1000 new fabrics and ingredients from exhibitors for summer 2022 have been made available to the fair headquarters, it is planned to present these trends in digital form in the next few weeks.

“We treasure the good, close, and intensive contact with our exhibitors dearly, some of whom have been working together with us since the fair was founded ten years ago. Such close partnerships are faced with challenges in adverse times. We will be working hard to prepare the presentation of exhibitor trends in virtual form in order to inform the industry, and to support our partners”, Lisa Lechner, senior project manager of the show said.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (GK)

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