Performance Days is extending its role beyond material sourcing with the launch of the Sustainability Exchange, a dedicated format intended to bring expertise, innovation and practical solutions together for the textile industry's sustainability transition.

Anna Schuster, Head of Sustainability at Performance Days, links the initiative to a broader shift in day-to-day decision-making: “Sustainability is no longer a specialist topic. It affects every company, every product and every supply chain. Navigating the changing sustainability landscape starts with bringing the right people together.” The Sustainability Exchange is therefore positioned as a meeting point “for sustainability professionals across the value chain, where brands, suppliers and solution providers can work through these challenges together instead of tackling them in isolation.”

The format will debut on 13-14 October 2026 in Munich, alongside the largest Performance Days edition to date. For the first time, the event will expand across three exhibition halls (A4-A6).

A core theme is turning legislation into action. Performance Days points to new regulations such as ESPR, the Digital Product Passport and EUDR as factors reshaping global supply chains and making sustainability an increasingly strategic business topic.

The Sustainability Exchange is set up to connect regulatory requirements with practical solutions via organisations working in certification, compliance, circularity, traceability and responsible sourcing.

Among the first confirmed participants are bluesign, Control Union, Fashion for Good, Global Standard, Hohenstein, Retrakt and China Textile Recycling.

The programme includes a Sustainability Stage covering legislation, circular systems, biosynthetic material innovations, sustainability data, repairability and consumer communication, plus Workshop Tables and an on-site Repair Service delivered with Second Ascent.