#222 From Global to Regional – and Back Again: Why JEC Forums Matter More Than Ever
20.05.2026 18 min Staffel 5 Episode 180
Zusammenfassung & Show Notes
As part of #Composites360onTour, I had the opportunity to sit down with Anne Carole Barbarin, Regional Director Forums & Events at JEC Group, during JEC World 2026 in Paris.
What started as an on site interview quickly turned into a much broader reflection on how the composites industry works today — and why regional formats like the JEC Forums are becoming increasingly important alongside global flagship events like JEC World.
JEC World represents the full, global dimension of composites: technologies, materials, applications and ambitions from every corner of the world. It shows what is possible.
But when it comes to making sense of complexity, building trust and turning ideas into real projects, the conversation often continues elsewhere.
This is where the JEC Forums play their role.
In this interview, Anne Carole explains how JEC has deliberately built the forums as regional, curated and highly focused platforms, designed to bring the entire value chain closer together — from materials and processes to components and end use applications. Rather than scale, the emphasis is on relevance, quality and outcome.
A key pillar of this approach is the Hosted Buyer Program. Especially for industries navigating composites for the first time — such as aerospace, automotive, defence, construction or renewable energies — the forums provide orientation, education and access to the right partners, without requiring participants to be experts from day one.
The conversation also places JEC Forum DACH 2026 into this context. Taking place on 20–21 October 2026 in Cologne, right in the heart of North Rhine Westphalia, the forum will connect one of Europe’s strongest industrial regions with the wider DACH and neighbouring European ecosystems. Cologne is not just a venue — it is a signal of industrial density, accessibility and cross border collaboration.
Beyond DACH, we also look at the international JEC Forum landscape:
• JEC Forum Southeast Asia, taking place on 23–24 June 2026 in Taipei, reflects the fast growing application markets and supply chains of the region.
• JEC Forum Middle East, now scheduled for 8–9 December 2026 in Riyadh, highlights how composites are aligning with industrial transformation and long term national strategies.
• JEC Forum Italy, returning in 2027 in Turin, continues to strengthen regional ecosystems through rotation and proximity.
This interview was recorded before the final program announcements — making it an ideal moment to understand the idea, philosophy and strategic thinking behind the forums.
👉 To continue the conversation, join us live on LinkedIn on 27 May 2026, when I’ll be discussing JEC Forum DACH 2026 together with Anne Carole Barbarin (JEC Group) and Elmar Witten (AVK).
Because in composites — impact starts with understanding the format.
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▶Website 4: https://www.contentcreatorclub.de
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#️⃣🔥Hashtag:
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What started as an on site interview quickly turned into a much broader reflection on how the composites industry works today — and why regional formats like the JEC Forums are becoming increasingly important alongside global flagship events like JEC World.
JEC World represents the full, global dimension of composites: technologies, materials, applications and ambitions from every corner of the world. It shows what is possible.
But when it comes to making sense of complexity, building trust and turning ideas into real projects, the conversation often continues elsewhere.
This is where the JEC Forums play their role.
In this interview, Anne Carole explains how JEC has deliberately built the forums as regional, curated and highly focused platforms, designed to bring the entire value chain closer together — from materials and processes to components and end use applications. Rather than scale, the emphasis is on relevance, quality and outcome.
A key pillar of this approach is the Hosted Buyer Program. Especially for industries navigating composites for the first time — such as aerospace, automotive, defence, construction or renewable energies — the forums provide orientation, education and access to the right partners, without requiring participants to be experts from day one.
The conversation also places JEC Forum DACH 2026 into this context. Taking place on 20–21 October 2026 in Cologne, right in the heart of North Rhine Westphalia, the forum will connect one of Europe’s strongest industrial regions with the wider DACH and neighbouring European ecosystems. Cologne is not just a venue — it is a signal of industrial density, accessibility and cross border collaboration.
Beyond DACH, we also look at the international JEC Forum landscape:
• JEC Forum Southeast Asia, taking place on 23–24 June 2026 in Taipei, reflects the fast growing application markets and supply chains of the region.
• JEC Forum Middle East, now scheduled for 8–9 December 2026 in Riyadh, highlights how composites are aligning with industrial transformation and long term national strategies.
• JEC Forum Italy, returning in 2027 in Turin, continues to strengthen regional ecosystems through rotation and proximity.
This interview was recorded before the final program announcements — making it an ideal moment to understand the idea, philosophy and strategic thinking behind the forums.
👉 To continue the conversation, join us live on LinkedIn on 27 May 2026, when I’ll be discussing JEC Forum DACH 2026 together with Anne Carole Barbarin (JEC Group) and Elmar Witten (AVK).
Because in composites — impact starts with understanding the format.
🌐🔗Visit Our Website:
▶Website 1: https://www.dersocialceo.com
▶Website 2: https://www.compositeslounge.com
▶Website 3: https://www.imbeo.de
▶Website 4: https://www.contentcreatorclub.de
🌐🔗Follow Us: LinkedIn
▶
/ imbeo ▶
/ content-creator-club ▶
/ compositeslounge ▶
/ der-social-ceo #️⃣🔥Hashtag:
#Composites360OnTour #JECWorld #IlkayÖzkisaoglu #JECWorld #CompositeIndustry
Transkript
So wonderful
good afternoon,
one more time.
This is JEC WORLD, the third day.
And yeah,
after JEC WORLD is of course
our next stop:
JEC FORUM DACH
in Cologne
in October 2026,
as you can see in our backdrop.
But there is not only JEC FORUM DACH,
there are also a bunch
of other JEC FORUMS,
and I'm happy to have
Anne-Carole Barbarin with me.
She's the Regional Director
of the regional events, the FORUMS.
Anne-Carole,
thank you for being part of our show.
Thank you Ilkay.
It's a tradition already.
Yes.
And it's always great
because we love the energy
that is coming up in JEC WORLD.
Now, I have noticed
there are also some learnings
that you're taking from the FORUMS.
now to JEC WORLD.
The keyword here is Hosted Buyer Program.
What did you do there?
With the
FORUMS and the Hosted
Buyer Program, you can see
we succeed in managing
and organizing
a lot of business meetings.
So we learned
from these programs from the FORUMS,
and we brought this program to JEC WORLD,
which didn't exist yet.
And for the first time at JEC WORLD,
we managed to bring 150 participants.
We call them
first-time buyers.
So they are hosted buyers,
but they come
for the first time
to JEC WORLD,
and we reimburse them
partially or totally for
transportation fees.
We offer them up
to three nights
in a four-star hotel
in the Paris
city center.
And in exchange,
they are organizing
with our exhibitors,
a lot of business meetings.
So it is really powerful
and successful.
And this kind of programm
ofcourse aplied to every FORUM.
So I'm happy to hear that
this is well received
and accepted
by the buyers.
Community
I would like to focus on the Hosted
Buyer Program
also on the FORUMS right now,
because I think the FORUM
is quite good
established with the suppliers.
Wich have a booth at the FORUMS.
And we would like
to dive deeper
into the buyer side.
Maybe you can give us
a glimpse:
Okay there is the transportation,
the hotel costs are covered,
but the buyer, in germany will think,
i need to allocate some of me time to move to the FORUM.
What would
you say to the peaople that are considering doing this.
What would be your arguments for people
to join as hosted
buyers?
First of all, I would say that
the composites industry
is very complex.
Through the FORUM,
we cover the whole value
chain, which is very complex.
So it is very hard to understand.
We are targeting
buyers who are quite new
to the industry.
And with this
Hosted Buyer Program,
we help them
learn more about solutions and partners
that can help them go faster
to market with their products.
We try to communicate to all this
potential buyers,
that we help them.
This is a part of the JEC mission.
We are here to promote the composites industry
world wide and to help the composite industry grow.
With the Forum and the conference program
but also our Software
wich allows us to organize all the businessmeetings
we are helping endusers of the composites industry.
By helping them search for the right supplier,
or new supplier, or secure the supplychain
in this time of crisis
Whatever conflicts we are heaving in the world.
Coming from the industry,
you see the complexity of composites,
without a doubt it there.
You have the full value
chain from raw materials
intermediate items
component manufracturing
then prepreg comes into the discussion,
then you need to fridge, ceep them cool.
What I want to srelay to you, community:
you don't need to be
a composites expert
to join as a hosted buyer.
Even if you have a rudimental knowlege about composites,
like Anne-Carol said
the mission is to educate you.
give you information
attent also the conferences and the speeches
so you understand the full valuechain of composites.
Because we want to be lightweight, get more structure,
more mechanical strenght into the product.
So you dont have to be an expert in this.
If you leave JEC FORUM DACH
and you feel you are now an expert,
then we have not done our job.
Exactly.
So don't be shy.
Even if you have a rudimental knowlege
Apply through the website,
fill in the form, and
the JEC-team
will review it.
And the liklyhood is very high that you will be accepted,
once you hve a certain need
or want to be inspired by composites.
Yes and feel free also to use our
AI recommendation
system.
Because we are working
with the same software for 4 years now.
The software learns
from requests
and when you browse some
composites worlds in the system,
The system can send you some
recommendations.
For you.
It is basically reading your mind
and suggesting
relevant content.
Yes, exactly.
And we learned with this edition
of JEC WORLD that
the participants like the AI recommendation a lot.
Very comfortable.
It is.
I use
AI tools as well.
Copilot, my daougther use ChatGPT
What AI does, it consider the context and
generate new ideas
within a context.
Wich you have yourself not thought about.
So Hosted Buyer Program, please apply.
Let’s
talk about Cologne.
Last year was
Dresden.
Mayby a short comment from your side.
How was Dresden for you?
I will say
“klein aber fein.”
Yes, your german is improving by the day.
Small is beautiful.
Of course the FORUMS are not this big
like JEC WORLD,
they are little events
but very busy.
The Dresden edition was a little edition.
We had around
300 participants
but with 300 participants we manage to organize nearly
1000 business meetings during this 2 days.
Wich is a lot.
We generated also for all our
50 suppliers
almost 2000 leads.
This is realy important because our
software
helps organize
their businesmeetings.
It is also a software where buyers can put
on the company profiles
and the software is also the app
and the badge leading retreval
An all in onte tool to bring a lot of leads.
For every supply company
And its recorded in the app.
So nothing get lost in the transaction.
Even if you have an tight schedule.
Everything is recorded in the app.
And exportable.
Exactly
And it exports all the leads.
With contact details.
That is
the key:
networking,socializing, learn about composites and leads.
Exactly.
We guarantee ROI
for suppliers
and we have also satisfaction surveys
for every FORUM
and now we can say tah we have
100 % satisfaction for every suplying company
and also the buyers are very happy
to discover new potencial partners.
Okay then lets move to Cologne.
Cologne is easy to reach: plane,
train, car.
Elmar Witten said this morning:
“We are at the borde to Belgium, Netherlands and France of course.
Your sales-team is offering this to all the neighbor countries.
Yes, this is for the whole
DACH region and Europe.
Wich is interesting because
the connection to the neighbor States is important.
Its still time untill the conerence of JEC FORUM DACH
will be fixed and finalized
Elmar Witten is working with high speed on it.
Program will be
finalized this summer.
And after summer we may have a Linkedi-Live event
and we can announce the program so that
everyone can go there prepared
and write down what meetings they can make
and what confereces to look for.
I am pleased to the
that JEC FORUM takes center stage
in further countries
Feel free to talk about the other ones
until JEC FORUM DACH comes
As you know, we begun the journey
with JEC FORUM DACH.
Then there was the JEC FORUM in Italy in 2023.
We are planing to organize the third
edition of JEC FORUM ITALY in Turin
next June in 2027
and also Hamburg for the next edition
of JEC FORUM DACH in 2027
But before, hopefuly
we will launch the first
JEC FORUM MIDDLE EAST
in Rihat, Saudi Arabia.
We try hard to rganize this event and hope to make it live.
And then in June we have the second deition of
of JEC FORUM SOUTH EAST ASIA
The first edition was in 2024 in Bangkok Thailand
And this second edition
in partnership with Taiwan Composites associations
in Taipeh, Taiwan.
Alright, you mentioned Hamburg also?
In Hambrug is a lot of aerospace and marine industry.
And its in the north.
That is the first time your are this up north
Fantastic location.
Congratulations for this coice.
Switzerland will be also on your plan one day right?
Hopefully.
Definitely the south.
Switzerland, Austria or Munich.
I wanted also to add
that we partnered every year
for the JEC FORUM DACH with Composite
with Composites United
and Composites Germany as an umberella.
We will have their support for JEC FORUM in Cologne and Hamburg.
We will organize the third day
Composite Tour of this edition in Cologne to DLR.
Deutsche Luft- und Raumfahrt,
fantastic organization of course.
They are spread all over Germany,
and in cologne is their headquater, that will be cool.
I have onle seen Braunschweig and Augsburg so far.
Would be great to see also Cologne.
Thank you so much Anne-Carole
for keeping us updated on the JEC FORUMS.
Thank you from our community for
your relentless work.
Hosting the buyers
taking the learnings to JEC WORLD:
Doing this fantastic row of FORUMS
and I am happy to see how it expands and grows.
And i am hoping that
there are further regions in the next 2 years.
Who knows?
Thank you so much dear community
and now sign up for
JEC FORUM DACH 2026
and upcoming events.
You will see that on the JEC events website.
Ilkay
Özkisaoglu
with
#Composites360onTour
today
from
Cologne.
In 2026,
the journey
continues
to Cologne.
To the
heart
of North
Rhine-Westphalia,
the
industrial
powerhouse.
Here, where
the Rhine
flows
and the
cathedral
towers,
the Jack
Forum
will open
its doors
in 2026 at
the Maritim
Hotel
Cologne.
Right
on the
river,
in the
heart of
the old
town.
And: the
legendary
AVK
Innovation
Awards.
These
awards
recognize
the best
ideas
in
products,
processes,
and
research.
Digitalization
and
innovation
drive
growth.
Getting
there?
Easy.
Cologne
Bonn
Airport
is only
15
kilometers
from the
city
center.
Easy
routes,
easy
connections.
And:
Cologne is
a rail hub.
Direct
connections
from
all over
Germany
and Europe.
Fast,
convenient,
and
sustainable.
JEC
Forum DACH
2026 –
Cologne
becomes
the meeting
place for
the
composites
community.
Business.
Innovation.
Awards.
Rheinische
Energie.
Be there
when the
future of
the
industry
is written.
Stay
informed,
stay
connected,
stay
inspired.