AAPN at the Functional Fabric Fair 2025

November 11 - 13, 20025
Portland, OR Convention Center

First, let us say this clearly: AAPN membership showed up. 
One of our friends from Copen captured it perfectly: "It was the smallest but busiest booth.”

And it was. The booth stayed busy because of you. Members came by, brought their customers, made introductions, and in many cases we literally walked someone straight to an AAPN member when we knew there was a match. We witnessed the power of the network in real time — real conversations, real opportunities, and real momentum. It was another reminder that face-to-face networking remains one of the strongest engines of progress in our industry.

Our Learnings From the Floor

Here’s what stood out most from our conversations throughout the show:

1. Many emerging brands, those new to the region — and even some regional suppliers — did not know who AAPN is.
This was hard for us to hear, but it is a major opportunity for us to expand our network.

2. Small and medium brands want to source in the Western Hemisphere… but don’t know where to begin.
The interest is there, but so is uncertainty. AAPN can and will help bridge this gap.

3. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been strong in mills, but there is concern about investment in cut & sew and trims.
Upstream strength is growing, but downstream capacity needs support and confidence. I think our members know a little about this!

4. The industry still needs help forging relationships.
A surprising number of people said, “I don’t know anyone. I don't know who to trust”. That’s exactly where AAPN thrives — connecting the dots.

5. Many people shared the perception that “full, complete supply chains don’t exist in the West.”
We need to actively counter this mindset by showcasing real Western Hemisphere success stories and elevating the wins happening across our membership.

6. Transparency across T2, T3 & T4 remains a major gap.
We will continue to educate during the Annual Conference and Carolina Mill Tour — but where else can we highlight our capability to demonstrate total transparency? This is a challenge we need to solve together.

What This Means for AAPN

Your presence in Portland reinforced something powerful: our membership shows up, and the industry needs exactly what AAPN is built to offer — connections, intelligence, regional understanding, and trusted relationships. We’ll be using these learnings to shape upcoming content and programming, including member spotlights, the agenda for the Annual Conference, and more tools to help brands understand how to enter and succeed in the Western Hemisphere.

For more details on the event, click here --> AAPN FFF 2025 Registration Page