FEIBP Congress 2026: Understand. Adapt. Innovate.

When the brush industry descended upon Lyon for the 66th FEIBP Congress, the French city became home for a few days to a familiar mix of manufacturers, suppliers, old friends and new faces from across Europe and beyond, brought together to share ideas, discuss industry developments and make those all-important connections that are at the heart of the annual gathering.

Sitting at the meeting point of the Rhône and Saône rivers, Lyon is famous for its history, architecture and, perhaps above all, its food. But while the city provided the backdrop, there was plenty happening inside the Congress too, with three days of presentations, discussions, workshops and the sort of conversations that are every bit as important as the official programme.

This year’s theme was Understand. Adapt. Innovate. Three simple words that proved surprisingly good at tying together a programme covering everything from climate change, raw materials and regulation to new products, new technology, industry communication and plans for World Brush Expo 2028.

Opening Session

FEIBP President, Simon Lorrillière of Brosserie Brenet, opened proceedings by welcoming delegates and reflecting on the value of occasionally stepping away from the normal working environment. Time away from desks, emails and everyday pressures provides an opportunity to think differently, meet others and look at businesses, products and challenges from a different perspective.

Climate change was chosen as one of the central subjects of the Congress, not because it is the industry’s only challenge, but because its effects can reach into so many areas, from energy, raw materials and transport to production and markets.

Delegates were encouraged to keep an open mind throughout the three days. The answer to an existing problem, or even the beginnings of a future innovation, might just emerge from one of the discussions taking place in Lyon.

A refillable, sustainably designed toothbrush from French company Apimani, kindly included in delegates’ welcome bags, provided a suitably industry-specific reminder. At least twice a day, while brushing their teeth, delegates could think about innovation!

FEIBP and ABMA: Strengthening Industry Relationships

The increasingly close relationship between FEIBP and the American Brush Manufacturers Association (ABMA) was highlighted by the attendance of current ABMA President RJ Lindstrom of Zephyr Mfg.

Looking back at the 2026 ABMA Convention in Puerto Rico, RJ highlighted the strong international attendance before turning to next year’s event, which will take place in Scottsdale, Arizona, from 23–26 March 2027. A special attendance rate will be available to FEIBP members, with registration opening on 1 January.

RJ also briefly updated delegates on the revised ANSI B165.1 standard, approved in January 2026 and valid through 2031.

In time-honoured tradition, the two Presidents exchanged gifts, with RJ presenting FEIBP President Simon Lorrillière with a handmade wooden charcuterie board in the shape of his home state of Missouri, together with a selection of local products.

Past ABMA President Alessandro Acquaderni of SIT Brush concluded by highlighting the “hidden return on investment” of attending international industry events: the relationships, conversations and friendships formed outside the formal programme, which can continue to provide value long after the event itself.

Introducing NEW FEIBP Vice-President

The newly introduced Vice-President, Caroline Schroth of Rothlaender, spoke about her background in the industry and her hopes for the coming years as World Brush Expo approaches.

Her vision centred on building a European community around creation, new ideas, local sustainable materials and a stronger collective voice for the industry in Europe and internationally.

Welcoming New Attendees

A sizeable group of first-time attendees was introduced, with existing members encouraged to seek them out, speak to them and invite them to join their tables so that they quickly felt part of the FEIBP community. These were:

Patrick Schmid, A+B Bürsten Technik AG
Nicolas de Paoli, Brosserie De Paoli
Daniel Devirieux, Brosserie Devirieux
Migeul Almeida, DKSH
Jean-Paul Duwa, Duwa Brosses
Yves Schläppi, Ebnat AG
Matteo Niccolai, FASS SpA
Sofia Teles, Filkemp
James Cottam, Industrial Brushware Corporation
Lila Thielin, Maine Brosserie SA
Cyrille Rozan & Celine Blanc-Glevarec, Malige Raval’Or
Tim Nüssli, PEKA Pinselfabrik AG
Alexandre Zulick, Ridrement & Brosserie Nouvelle
Yves Martin, Rothlaender & Co GmbH
Kirsten Waffenschmidt, Waffenschmidt GmbH
Andreas Ehmann, Christof Aurich & Alain Le Coq, Zahoransky

FEIBP Congress 2027 – Marrakesh, Morocco

Looking ahead, the next Congress promises something rather different. From 6–9 October 2027, the FEIBP will head to Marrakesh, marking its first Congress outside Europe and reflecting the association’s new EMEA direction.

The five-star Kenzi Rose Garden, set among palm trees in Marrakesh’s Hivernage district, will provide the base for the Congress, while the programme will include a gala dinner at Jad Mahal.

With the help of an experienced local agent, delegates will also have plenty of opportunities to discover Marrakech beyond the conference room, from exploring the medina, souks and palaces to taking to the skies in a hot-air balloon. For those preferring their sightseeing a little closer to ground level, camel rides, off-road buggy adventures and a Moroccan cooking experience are also among the activities planned. Marrakech looks set to take the FEIBP Congress into exciting new territory, in more ways than one.

FEIBP Innovation Award 2026

Innovation was once again firmly in the spotlight, with five companies shortlisted for the FEIBP’s 16th Innovation Award. Each presented a new development from the past year, with the nominees as follows:

Ebnat AG, Switzerland: NEW Closed-loop Recycling Updates the Inspire Range
Lessmann GmbH, Germany - Knotted Cup Brush with Reduced Imbalance
Roth Composite Machinery, Germany – Flying Cabinet
SIT, Italy – SPID Hand Brush A 60 Year Journey of Ongoing Innovation
Zahn Pinsel, Germany: ORBEX Flexible Brush for Miniature Painting

Full details of each of the nominated innovations can be found via this link.

Climate Fresk Workshop

Climate Fresk is an interactive workshop designed to make climate science more accessible. Working in teams, delegates arranged and connected cards representing different aspects of climate change to create a visual cause-and-effect web, or ‘Fresk’.

The workshop encouraged lively discussion and helped participants understand how individual environmental issues form part of a much larger, interconnected system.

For the full report on this workshop and additional teambuilding sessions, please click here.

FEIBP Working Groups

During the afternoon, the four FEIBP Working Groups met to discuss the latest sector developments and exchange views. The groups represent Technical Brushes, Professional Hygiene Brushware (PHB), Paintbrushes and Personal Care Brushes.

Teambuilding: Wine Tasting - A Taste of Lyon

Wine is an important part of French culture, so a teambuilding event hosted by Chai Saint Olive, a winemaking cellar in the heart of Lyon, provided a suitably local addition to the Congress programme.

During a relaxed tasting session, delegates learned more about the winemaking process and how factors including grape variety, soil and methods of fermentation and ageing can influence the character of the finished wine. It was an enjoyable opportunity to discover a little more about French wine and, of course, put some of that newfound knowledge to the test.

Les Bateaux Lyonnais

The day ended on the water, as delegates and partners boarded a Bateaux Lyonnais boat for an evening cruise along the Rhône and Saône.

With dinner served on board, the cruise offered a chance to relax after a busy day and see Lyon from a different perspective, passing through the city as its buildings and landmarks lit up for the evening.

Brush Forum

The second full day of Congress activities began with the Brush Forum, bringing together suppliers, machinery manufacturers and Innovation Award nominees in a in an informal exhibition setting.

Participating companies included Wöhler Brush Tech (Germany), Wöhler Bohemia (Czechia), FASS (Italy), Perlon (Germany), DKSH (Switzerland), Pogliani (Italy), Lessmann (Germany), Borghi (Italy), Rothländer (Germany), Roth Composite Machinery (Germany), Zahn Pinsel (Germany), Ebnat (Switzerland), Zahoransky (Germany) and Loewert Group (Switzerland).

With products, machinery and new developments on display, the Brush Forum gave delegates the opportunity to speak directly with participating companies, ask questions and continue many of the discussions started during the previous day’s presentations.

FEIBP Update

Representing the FEIBP Secretariat, Feriel Saouli of SEC Newgate Group provided an update on the association’s activities over the last 12 months.

The FEIBP is now formally incorporated as an association with legal entity in Belgium with the handover from the previous Secretariat now considered complete. Its first Annual General Assembly had to be held online because Belgian rules require accounts to be approved by 30 June, which was before the usual Congress date.

Increasing membership and sponsorship identified as important for long-term financial health and industry representation. With a membership drive underway, Feriel put forward a strong appeal for existing FEIBP members to recruit through their own industry networks.

Two new members announced: Cottam Brush (UK) and Barbosa y Hijos (returning Spanish member).

World Brush Expo 2028

Klaus Van Cauwenberghe of i-ONE shared the latest details/progress/something World Brush Expo 2028 that will take place from 16 to 18 May 2028, in Ghent, Belgium where the whole industry will gather for the 4-yearly, specialised industry show.

With cooperation continuing between World Brush Expo, FEIBP and ABMA, the aim is to attract more visitors, more exhibitors and high-quality professional attendance.

The target exhibition area is 20,000 m² gross - all in one hall at Flanders Expo which is conveniently located approximately 1.5 km from Ghent city centre, with direct tram connection.

To further facilitate even easier access, planned shuttle transfers between airports and Ghent for exhibitors and visitors will be available, with the option to include possible transfers to/from Bruges also being considered.

The exhibitor-focused website will launch soon.

Working Groups

Representatives from the different Working Groups updated the audience with reports from the meetings that took place the previous day.

Paintbrush: Urte Rietdorf of Friedrich Platt reported that the group discussed its role in representing the sector with a common voice, alongside key challenges including rising energy costs, sustainability and climate change. Members shared examples of using renewable energy and reusing materials to reduce costs and environmental impact, while also considering the balance between regulation and action taken by individual companies. Concern was raised that excessive regulation can add further cost and administrative burden.
Personal Care: Peter Langenegger of Ebnat AG reported a strong turnout of around 20 participants, with discussion bringing together interdental manufacturers and machinery suppliers to explore production requirements and possible technical solutions. The group also considered new EU rules governing environmental claims and the need for companies to ensure sustainability claims are accurate and compliant.
PHB: Simon Lorrillière of Brosserie Brenet reported that the PHB Charter is being updated to ensure alignment with current regulations, with approval planned for the group’s next meeting in Paris in May. The group also intends to increase its visibility through regular posts highlighting its members and activities.
Technical Brushes: Jürgen Lessmann and Thomas Holland-Letz reported on discussions covering the economic outlook, import duties on brush wire and the possible inclusion of stainless-steel wire in ongoing measures, with members encouraged to raise awareness of the potential impact on European brush manufacturers. Roth Composite Machinery also provided an update on its software developments, while the group plans to contribute more content to FEIBP’s website and LinkedIn presence.

After many years as Chairman of the Technical Brushes Working Group, Jürgen Lessmann stepped down from the role, with Paolo Acquaderni of SIT elected as his successor.

Communication and PR

Vice President Caroline Schroth outlined plans for a new FEIBP communication and PR strategy aimed at strengthening the collective voice and visibility of the European brush industry. LinkedIn will play an important role, with the number of FEIBP companies active on the platform increasing from 49 to 68 over the past year. Members were encouraged to contribute and share content, connect with one another and support FEIBP activity, with the central message: get engaged and be visible.

The 66th FEIBP Congress was formally brought to a close with a final call-back to the Congress theme: Understand. Adapt. Innovate. A challenge was issued for at least ten new innovations to be brought to Marrakesh in 2027.

Gala Evening

The final evening brought delegates and guests to Lyon’s Musée des Confluences for the Congress Gala Dinner, held among the exhibits in the museum’s Origins gallery.

Before dinner, guests had the opportunity to explore the exhibition, which looks at some of humanity’s biggest questions: where do we come from and who are we? With dinosaurs, meteorites and the story of our origins providing a rather unusual backdrop, the venue tied neatly into the Congress theme. Understanding the past, after all, can help us better prepare for the future.

Guests were then seated among the exhibits for dinner, accompanied by a selection of wines previously introduced during the Congress wine tasting.

The winners of the Innovation Award were also announced during the evening, with Zahn Pinsel’s ORBEX brush taking the top prize. Click here to find out more about the award-winning modular ball-click brush system for precise work in hard-to-reach areas.

The evening concluded with music and dancing, bringing the 66th FEIBP Congress to a suitably lively close.

Our thanks go to the FEIBP Board, particularly to Simon Lorrillière and Izabela Kolon (Brosserie Brenet), for arranging another wonderful Congress, jam-packed with industry insights, valuable connections... and plenty of fun!

About the FEIBP

The European Brushware Federation (FEIBP) brings together brush-related companies from across Europe, providing opportunities to connect, share knowledge and tackle common industry challenges. Alongside encouraging cooperation and the exchange of ideas, the Federation represents its members' interests in European and international policy and regulatory matters. To find out more about the FEIBP, its activities and the benefits of membership, click here.

Want to see what you missed? Visit the FEIBP section of the Image Gallery for a selection of event photos.

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