Five Key Insights from Performance Days Munich

Last month, we had the privilege of exhibiting at Performance Days Munich, now recognized as the premier textile trade show for innovative materials, and which drew a record-breaking 3,838 attendees. It has become the absolutely #1 fabric sourcing show for the outdoor/apparel industry. Before the event fades from memory, we’d like to share a few key insights from our time at this outstanding show.

1. The European market is robust! Brands are demanding new and advanced performance materials, which is what X-Pac® specializes in and delivers.  
2. Sustainability is crucial, but not at the cost of compromising material performance. We fully embrace this principle, striving to create the most durable, sustainable laminates possible to ensure product longevity.
3. X-Pac® is increasingly being recognized by premier brands across Europe. We foresee similar growth and value opportunities in Europe as we have successfully achieved in the United States.
4. We spent less time explaining what X-Pac® is, and more time about how it can provide a solution to a brand’s problem with regards to their specific products and applications. 
5. Our marketing investment in Europe is beginning to pay off as our brand recognition is much higher than in years past.

At the show, we introduced our innovative X-Pac® VX21 Ocean Edition laminate, made from reclaimed fishing nets and launched this fall in partnership with Peak Design, a renowned manufacturer of packs, bags, and camera accessories dedicated to minimizing environmental impact. Highlighting this collaboration, we showcased Peak Design’s award-winning bag, The Everyday Backpack, featuring an exclusive Coyote Brown colorway made with our sustainable material.

We’ve recently just returned from ISPO Munich, the world’s largest trade show for sporting goods and sportswear that took place December 3-5, where we were awarded a coveted ISPO Textrend Top 10 Award for our above-mentioned X-Pac® VX21 Ocean Edition fabric. Stay tuned for our key ISPO insights we’ll be sharing later this month!