Well, well, well. This is... interesting.

I received a slightly weird email yesterday with some inquiry about the ETF. The European Textile Forum. You know, this tiny, lovely, utterly historically-focused week of madness that I have the honour of organising.

Well... apparently, it somehow got to be listed on some weird event website, and now it's listed there as 

"The European Textile Forum, set to take place in the charming town of Mayen, Germany from November 3 to November 9, 2025, promises to be an inspiring gathering for professionals and enthusiasts in the textile industry. This week-long event will feature a diverse lineup of workshops, discussions, and networking opportunities, designed to explore the latest trends, technologies, and sustainable practices in textiles. Attendees can expect to engage with industry leaders, gain insights into innovative materials, and participate in hands-on sessions that highlight the artistry and craftsmanship inherent in textile design." 

Erm. You got the week-long right, but somehow missed a beat with the latest trends thing. Unless you got stuck in, you know, let's say the 11th century and are now surprised to learn about those new-fangled late medieval trends.

Also, industry leaders. You'll definitely find some really, really good people there. But... somehow I have the feeling that it's not the industry that website is talking about. 

And then, to make things even weirder, I found out that Mayen seems to have snuck over across the pond for our Forum in 2023, because it's listed as taking place in Birmingham, USA. (Apparently we also were quite schizophrenic, too, if there were more than 500 people there. I only counted a few more than a dozen, and I'm pretty convinced that I did attend exactly that event.)

Now I'm wondering if that listing explains the occasional very weird mails and registrations I had for the Forum in the past years, with people from far away proposing some presentation about some very modern process and how to make it more sustainable. 

Funnily, also, the link promising to explain how the event got to being listed there leads... nowhere. Well, to a 404, but basically the same.

I've put in a request to delete this event listing now. I'm all happy for the Forum to get exposure, and for people to know about it, but then at least add a link to our own website, and a correct description, thankyouverymuch.