#Sustainability

2026-08-20

Execs help steer Cascale’s consumer goods agenda in Athens

VF, TAL Group co-chair Cascale’s 2026 Annual Meeting this September.

Day ONE at 2025 Cascale Annual Meeting © 2026 Cascale

The 2026 Cascale Annual Meeting, taking place September 15–17 in Athens, Greece, will convene leaders from across the global consumer goods value chain to tackle one of the industry’s defining questions: how to accelerate meaningful, system-wide transformation. Guiding those conversations as this year’s co-chairs are Sean Cady, vice president, global sustainability, responsibility, trade, and government affairs at VF Corporation, and Dr. Delman Lee, vice chair at TAL Apparel Limited.

“At VF Corporation, we believe reducing the environmental impact of global supply chains requires robust measurement and analysis followed by collective action by all actors. At this year’s Cascale Annual Meeting we will continue to use our voice and scale to help align decision-makers across the industry to drive focused, systemic interventions for the betterment of the planet and its people.” — Sean Cady, VP, Global Sustainability, Responsibility, Trade, and Government Affairs at VF Corporation

“True transformation in consumer goods depends on deep collaboration across the value chain. We are committed to building a program that addresses the realities of the broader system and also helps scale the innovation and financing models needed to support a resilient and sustainable system for all.” — Dr. Delman Lee, Vice Chair at TAL Apparel Limited

Key takeaways

Industry leaders to guide critical conversations: Sean Cady (VF Corporation) and Dr. Delman Lee (TAL Apparel Limited) will serve as co-chairs of the 2026 Cascale Annual Meeting, taking place September 15–17 in Athens, Greece.

Collaboration in action: Sessions will spotlight practical solutions — including financing models, strategic partnerships, and cross-value-chain collaboration — to help organizations accelerate measurable impact.

Experience the cotton value chain firsthand: An optional European Cotton Alliance field trip will connect participants with sustainable sourcing, regenerative farming, and real-world collaboration across the cotton value chain.

Registration and sponsorship now available: Organizations can register to attend or explore sponsorship opportunities to connect with hundreds of leaders shaping the future of the consumer goods industry.

Co-creating future solutions

This year’s program will move beyond historical discussions to identify and drive solutions that reduce the industry’s social and environmental impact while supporting those that work throughout global supply chains. Guided by the event co-chairs, sessions will examine the structural barriers that continue to slow progress on sustainability and emerging practical solutions to overcome them, as well as future opportunities that can help organizations scale impact together.

From discussion to action

Attendees will have opportunities to engage with global brands, manufacturers, retailers, policymakers, investors, and solution providers through keynote presentations, interactive discussions, networking events, and collaborative working sessions designed to spark new ideas and accelerate action beyond the meeting itself.

Highlighting the fact that Greece is the European Union’s largest cotton producer – accounting for roughly 80 percent of EU cotton production – an optional field trip, hosted by the European Cotton Alliance, will showcase sustainable sourcing, regenerative farming, and collaborative approaches to building more resilient supply chains. The limited-capacity field trip is open to all Annual Meeting attendees, including interested media.

Join the conversation in Athens

The 2026 Cascale Annual Meeting is proudly supported by lead sponsor, Worldly; additional sponsors include VF Corporation, TAL Apparel Limited, Better Cotton, Cotton Council International, Fair Wear Foundation, GSCS International, HQTS, Inspectorio, Lenzing AG, and many more.

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