Call for Submissions for Functional Fabric Fair Fall
October 27-28, 2026
Oregon Convention Center, Portland OR

Functional Fabric Fair invites industry leaders, innovators, researchers, and subject matter experts to submit proposals for the Fall Portland 2026 Expert Talks conference program. This season's featured theme is Bio-Based Materials: From Fiber to Fabric. If you have innovative ideas, research, case studies, emerging technologies, or practical solutions that can help advance the performance textile and apparel industry, we encourage you to submit a proposal.

Conference Audience:
The Expert Talks conference program is designed for professionals across the performance and outdoor apparel supply chain, including Apparel and Textile Designers, Product Developers, Sourcing and Purchasing Professionals, Material Innovation and R&D Teams, Sustainability Leaders, Brand Executives, Manufacturers and Exhibitors.

The program is built by the industry, for the industry, delivering educational, non-commercial sessions that provide practical knowledge, actionable insights, and valuable networking opportunities.

Important Dates:
Submission Deadline: August 24, 2026.

Acceptance Notifications: Proposals will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with final notifications issued by Friday September 4, 2026.

Proposals must be submitted using the online form below.

A maximum of three proposals may be submitted by any one company or individual.

Submission Guidelines:
Please complete the online proposal form and provide all requested information. After submitting your proposal, You will receive an email confirmation to the email address provided on the submission.

The Functional Fabric Fair Education Management Team will review all submissions.

All communication regarding your proposal will be sent to the email address provided on the submission form.

Speakers are responsible for their own travel and accommodation expenses unless otherwise approved by show management. If requesting a speaker fee, it must be clearly indicated within your proposal.

Selection Criteria:

Relevance and timeliness of the topic

Innovation and practical value for attendees

Clear learning objectives and a well-written session description

Expertise of presenter(s)

Educational, commercial-free, vendor-neutral nature of the session

Alignment with one of the conference tracks

Expert Talks Tracks:

Focus topic is "Bio-Based Materials: From Fiber to Fabric"

Navigating Tariffs and Government Policies

Women in Power in the Industry

Update in the Garment Industry

Innovation in Performance Fabrics

We look forward to receiving your proposal and showcasing the expertise, innovation, and thought leadership that continue to shape the future of the functional textiles and apparel industry.