Compass Talks: A ‘Meeting Place’ on the Future of Global Consumer Goods

Above: Compass Talks / Sharon Gai, Leopold Grupp (Stölzle Lausitz), Jonathan Roxlau (Wurm), Klaus Striebich (Consultant RaRE Advise, former board member of German Council of Shopping-Places) (Photo: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Thomas Fedra)

Compass Talks, a new discussion format on the future of the global consumer goods industry, was launched at Messe Frankfurt on 5 February 2026.

The inaugural event served as the new SME meeting place for decision-makers from various fields, including politics, business, trade and the media. Guided by the motto ‘Envisioning the Future of the Global Consumer Goods Market’, these experts explored a wide range of topics impacting the industry, such as artificial intelligence, regulations, platform strategies and sustainability.

Photo: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Thomas Fedra

Compass Talks / Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt (Photo: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Thomas Fedra)

“The global consumer goods industry is becoming noticeably more dynamic. Orientation is shaped above all through personal exchange.

“With the Compass Talks, we are creating a forum for the first time that brings together diverse perspectives and concrete solutions – thereby conveying a new image of the retail and consumer goods industry to politicians, the media and market participants,” said Julia Uherek, Vice President of Consumer Goods Fairs, Messe Frankfurt.

Compass Talks / Jan-Frederik Kremer (Industrieverband Schneid- und Haushaltswaren), Guilhem Pinault (La Brigade de Buyer), Mads Ring Damgaard (Stelton), Dr. Ralf Deckers (IFH Köln), Frauke Holzmeier (Moderation) (Photo: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Thomas Fedra)

Compass Talks / Finn-Maximilian Hillen (Recozy Sustainable Manufacturing), Christina Mayr (Westwing), Sebastian Müller (Gründl), Thorsten Giersch (Moderation) (Photo: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Thomas Fedra)

Moderated by Frauke Holzmeier (ntv/RTL) and Thorsten Giersch (Markt und Mittelstand), the event presented the survey results of the new IFH industry index on trends, opportunities and challenges in the global consumer goods industry.

Compass Talks / Sharon Gai (Photo: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Thomas Fedra)

Compass Talks / Ben Hammersley (Photo: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH / Thomas Fedra)

Other highlights included keynote addresses by Sharon Gai (artificial intelligence and innovation expert, as well as former executive at Alibaba) and Ben Hammersley (futurist, author and digital expert), alongside panel discussions featuring prominent opinion leaders from the worlds of business and trade.

Among them were Dr Ralf Deckers (IFH Cologne); Leopold Grupp (Stölzle Lausitz); Finn-Maximilian Hillen (Recozy Sustainable Manufacturing); Jan-Frederik Kremer (Industrial Association of Cutlery and Household Goods and Federation of the European Cookware and Cutlery Industries); Christina Mayr (Westwing); Sebastian Müller (Gründl); Guilhem Pinault (La Brigade de Buyer); Mads Ring Damgaard (Stelton); Jonathan Roxlau (G. Wurm); and Klaus Striebich (RaRe Advise, International Council of Shopping Centres, German Council of Shopping Places).