From the Sector

The eleventh edition of Hong Kong fashion event CENTRESTAGE closed with a new attendance record. According to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the four-day fair attracted more than 12,000 trade buyers from 93 countries and regions. Buyer numbers from Vietnam, Russia, the United States and Malaysia showed notable growth, providing a current indicator of Hong Kong’s reach as a fashion and sourcing platform.

The attendance figures also need to be read in the context of the event format. CENTRESTAGE formed part of Hong Kong Fashion Fest and combined design presentations, brand showcases, runway programmes and commercial meetings. Other lifestyle events ran concurrently. CENTRESTAGE and Salon de Time were also opened to the public free of charge, together recording more than 20,000 public attendances.

For manufacturers, brands and sourcing teams, the buyer composition is more informative than the public visitor count. Buyers from 93 markets point to a broad international sourcing base. Growth from Vietnam and Malaysia also reflects Southeast Asia’s increasing importance as a consumer, production and sourcing region. Higher buyer numbers from the US are noteworthy against the backdrop of changing trade and sourcing configurations.

The figures are organiser data and should therefore be treated as event metrics rather than independent market statistics. Even so, they are useful for industry monitoring. They suggest that physical B2B platforms continue to matter alongside digital sourcing tools when brands, designers, suppliers and international buyers need to establish new relationships and reassess regional production networks.

The market does not wait, and it does not grant easy answers. Across the absorbent hygiene, personal care, and wipes sectors, business is undergoing a period of intense, necessary adjustment. New European rules on packaging, single-use items, product safety, and end-of-life are forcing companies to drop old assumptions about materials and performance. At the same time, producers must keep their goods safe, reliable, and affordable for the babies and aging adults, who rely on them every day. 

From 22 to 24 September 2026, EDANA’s OUTLOOK™ returns to the Hotel Miragem in Cascais, Portugal, for its twenty-fifth edition of the conference. 

OUTLOOK™ began in Monaco in 2001. It focused then on baby diapers and menstrual protection. Over a quarter of a century, the work expanded. It grew to cover adult incontinence, wipes, complex international product safety, and strict environmental compliance. In 2007, the conference met in Cascais. Returning to the Portuguese coast this September marks a milestone, but the focus remains squarely on the work ahead. 

The three-day programme takes on the hardest questions in the supply chain directly: 

Day 1 Keynote — Global Macroeconomics & Shocks: Henry Curr, Economics Editor at The Economist, will open the plenary with his keynote presentation, "The Teflon world economy and what could finally break it." Curr oversees global economics coverage for The Economist and has written some 30 cover stories on labour markets, public debt, the future of global commerce, and the risks of "homeland economics" and green protectionism. Drawing on discussions with top policymakers and executives, he will explore how global markets have absorbed successive crises—from geopolitical conflicts to AI-driven labour disruption—and what structural risks could still disrupt demand and capital investment.

Session 1 — Market Drivers in a Challenging Environment: Moderated by Jacques Prigneaux (Market Analysis & Economic Affairs Director, EDANA), this session examines the pivotal market drivers redefining the competitive landscape. Industry specialists Kaushik Mitra (Chemical Market Analytics by Dow Jones), Dr. Annika Trümpler (Schlegel und Partner), and Natalia Bezrebra (Euromonitor) will address shifting polyolefin supply, pricing downslides, post-crisis supply chains, and the strategic expansion of major Chinese hygiene manufacturers entering the European market. 

Session 2 — Global Product Safety Compliance Panel: Moderated by Luminita Barbu (Regulatory Affairs Director, EDANA), this high-level panel addresses the complex matrix of international consumer product safety regulations, compliance standards, and policy trends. Featuring legal and regulatory authorities—including Claudio Mereu and Natalie Konings, Partners at Bird & Bird—the discussion will highlight the practical implications of international initiatives such as the UN Principles for Consumer Product Safety, alongside regulatory divergence and convergence across the EU, US, and China. 

Day 2 Keynote — Future Retail Trends & Consumer Shifts: Renowned retail futurist Theresa Schleicher opens Day 2 with her keynote, "Next Growth: The Bigger Consumer Shifts on the Horizon." Widely regarded as one of Europe's leading retail futurists, Schleicher is a former Managing Director at Hirschen Group, an author of acclaimed retail trend studies, a retail start-up investor, and a strategic sparring partner for Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, the Zukunftsinstitut, and global giants like Procter & Gamble, L'Oréal, and Beiersdorf. Her session will uncover macro consumer trends, economic resilience, and emerging opportunities in absorbent hygiene. 

Session 3 — The Consumer Lens: Redefining Value in Absorbent Hygiene: Moderated by Murat Dogru, this senior leadership panel puts the consumer perspective at the centre of innovation. Featuring senior leaders including Sara Järup (Global Material Development Director at Essity), Matrice Jackson (Director, Global R&D at Kimberly-Clark Corporation), and Giulia Antonioli (Head of Communications, Reputation & Public Affairs, Baby Care Europe at Procter & Gamble), the panel examines how consumer expectations around sustainability, dignity, and transparency are redefining value across femcare, adult incontinence, and baby care. 

Session 4 — The Transition in Wipes & Interactive Q&A: Focusing on "Wipes: The Pros and Cons of Going Plastic-Free," this session brings together technical and public affairs experts—including Brieuc Lits (EDANA), Wolfgang Tenbusch (Albaad Deutschland), Sergio Rosales Calderon and Sebastien Monges (BCNonwovens), and Elisabeth Swennenhuis (Magnera Corporation)—to evaluate EU policy tools (SUPD, EMPCO, EPR schemes), Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), and the performance trade-offs of pulp versus viscose spunlace. The session concludes with a dedicated live Q&A and open floor discussion with the audience. 

Session 5 — Can Absorbent Hygiene Products Become Circular? Led by EDANA’s Sustainability Director, Rawaa Ammar, this forward-looking session explores actionable circularity for the nonwovens sector. Featuring insights from Jeff Stubbe, CEO of Woosh, the session shares real-world operational lessons on closing the diaper loop and demonstrating that circularity can operate as an economically viable business model rather than a small-scale trial. 
    
Exhibition, Business Meetings & Networking 
Beyond the conference hall, OUTLOOK™ 2026 provides extensive commercial and networking platforms: 

Tabletop Exhibition: A dedicated showcase featuring 20 innovative companies presenting advanced technologies, materials, and services.     

Private Meeting Rooms: Dedicated business spaces designed for private discussions and commercial partnerships. 
    
Evening Social Programme: Delegates will connect during the welcome cocktail at Hotel Miragem and an evening reception at the historic Valverde Sintra Palácio, set in the scenic hills of Sintra. 

OUTLOOK™ 2026 is built for decision-makers. Alongside the plenary sessions, the event hosts a curated tabletop exhibition of 20 innovators, dedicated private meeting rooms for commercial discussions, and structured networking. Delegates will also gather for an evening reception at the historic Valverde Sintra Palácio in the Sintra hills. 

More than 500 senior leaders across the value chain—raw material suppliers, machine builders, converters, brand owners, and retailers—will attend. You can track industry shifts from behind a desk, but you cannot replace being present when the sector evaluates itself and decides its course.