AGENDA
Scottsdale, AZ
November 16-18, 2026
Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16
1:00pm-7:00pm
7:00pm-9:30pm
9:30pm-12:00am
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17
7:00-8:15am
8:15am-1:00pm
1:00pm-2:00pm
2:00pm-4:40pm
7:00pm-9:30pm
9:30pm-12:00am
8:15am-1:15pm
1:30pm-2:30pm
1:30pm-5:00pm
7:00pm-9:30pm
9:30pm-12:00pm
Registration
Princess Ballroom Foyer
Welcome Reception & Dinner
Palomino Plaza
Sponsored by Staplcoton
Cotton Club
Plaza Bar
Sponsored by OIamAgri
Breakfast
Princess Ballroom Foyer
General Session
Princess Ballroom
Opening Remarks
Liz Hershfield, Executive Director of Cotton Council International and Co-Director of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
KEYNOTE: The State of Fashion
Nick Blunden, President of the Business of Fashion
McKinsey
PANEL: Consumer Trends and Perspectives
Global Economic Outlook
Elliot Eisenberg, Economist
Global Trade Outlook
Angela Hoffman, Vice President of Corporate Affairs of Catalyst Brands
Lunch
Princess Plaza
General Session
Princess Ballroom
PANEL: Why U.S. Cotton
Henning Strauss, CEO of Strauss
Joerg Bauersachs, Head of Technical Services of Cotton Council International
PANEL: Cotton - Built to Perform
Nick Pence, Senior Director Global Materials of Under Armour
William Kimbrell, CEO and President of Cotton Incorporated
Marc Lewkowitz, CEO and President of SUPIMA
Dinner
Copper Canyon
Sponsored by LDC
Cotton Club
Plaza Bar
Sponsored by OmniCotton
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18
7:00am-8:15am
Breakfast
Princess Ballroom Foyer
General Session
Princess Ballroom
Opening Remarks
Liz Hershfield, Executive Director of Cotton Council International and Director of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
Fireside Chat: A Brand Outlook on U.S. Cotton
Sarah McMullin, Senior Vice President, Owned Brand Global Sourcing and Development of Target
PANEL: Deep Dive into U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol Regenerative Cotton Offerings
Hank Reichle, President and CEO of Staplcotn
PANEL: Innovation in Cotton Farming
Brendan Collins, Co-Founder and CEO of Avalo, Inc.
Jennifer Crumpler, Director of Stakeholder Relations of Bayer Cropscience
PANEL: The Future of U.S. Cotton
Buddy Allen, President & CEO of American Cotton Shippers Association
Wayne Boseman, President of Carolinas Cotton Growers Cooperative
Kevin Brinkley, President & CEO of PCCA
John King, Senior Vice President of Olam Agric
Nick Peay, Senior Cotton Trader at Louis Dreyfus
Closing Remarks
Liz Hershfield, Executive Director of Cotton Council International and Co-Director of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol
Lunch
Princess Plaza
Farm Tour (optional)
Farewell Dinner
Princess Ballroom
Sponsored by Cofco
Cotton Club
Plaza Bar
Sponsored by ToyoCotton
The biennial COTTON USA™ Summit is hosted by Cotton Council International and the U.S. Cotton industry in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).