Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt, warmly welcomed the guests of the Texpertise Lunch. Lucie Brigham, Chief of Office of the UN Office for Partnerships, and Kerry Bannigan, Executive Director of the Fashion Impact Fund, addressed the panel via video message. The two long-time Texpertise partners pointed out the importance of partnership initiative and transparency in the global textile industry for sustainable transformation and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
In order not to get lost in the current crisis issues, but to face them constructively, a new way of thinking is needed. What this means in concrete terms was then explained by Prof. Dr. Maren Urner in an insightful and inspiring short lecture on the topic of "Leave your stone-age brain behind". The path to dynamic thinking leads via changed questions:. "What and how do we want to change" instead of "What are we against?". Taking initiative instead of paralysis - also by coming together in new groups, old thought patterns and habitual actions can be overcome. And last but not least, he said, it is the discovery and telling of new stories that helps people experience self-efficacy and explore new paths.
In personal and exciting conversations during the lunch, alliances were formed and joint paths into the future were discussed right away for the new year.
Texpertise, the textile business network, unites all textile trade fairs and their partners of Messe Frankfurt worldwide and makes an essential contribution to the indispensable sustainable change of the global textile industry: Together. Through networking, inspiration and innovative approaches.