Fespa has confirmed the programme for its first Sportswear Pro conference, taking place on 21 March 2024. Running alongside the new Sportswear Pro exhibition at RAI Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Delegates will learn about the latest developments in the sportswear manufacturing industry, as well as cutting edge innovations used in on-demand and customised sportswear production.
Key themes will be sustainability, personalisation and automation in the sportswear sector. Hosted in English, the sessions will include Innovations in Materials and Fabrics for Sportswear in which Paul Foulkes-Arellano, founder of consulting firm Circuthon, will shed light on sustainable textile finishes, dyes and printing, and what this means for the sportswear sector;
Circular Economy Redefined – Designing for Circularity will see Ana Kristiansson, founder and creative director at Desinder, will explore the power of circular thinking and will outline a framework for sustainable design strategies for the sportswear industry;
A panel session, Sustainability in Sportswear. A closer look beneath the surface. What does it really mean and how do we achieve it? will be moderated by Samantha Taylor, founder of The Good Factory. It will cover topics such as: material selection, scalable sustainable practices and on-demand production for sportswear items. Confirmed panellists include Kevin Van Lancker, founder of Sportswear Of Tomorrow; consultant sportswear design specialist Soudi Masouleh and Nicole Espey of the Institute for Textile Technology, ITA, RWTH Aachen University;
Another panel session, The Power and Potential of Customisation and Personalisation will take the form of a roundtable discussion moderated by Fespa’s personalisation ambassador Richard Askam and featuring circular economy innovation and strategy consultant Serena Bonomi and technical consultant James Lawrence-Jones discussing the potential for customisation in sportswear.
Duncan MacOwan, Fespa’s head of marketing and events, commented, ‘We’re thrilled to introduce our first Sportswear Pro conference, created in response to demand for greater insight into the shifts in sportswear production supply chains. At the conference, as well as at the exhibition, delegates will be able to see the latest manufacturing innovations; gain insight into production processes; find out how key trends are impacting the industry; connect with experts and learn about the market’s continued growth potential.
‘We look forward to hosting the inaugural Sportswear Pro conference programme in Amsterdam and inspiring people involved in all stages of the garment production process – be it sportswear manufacturers, clothing producers, textile printers, sports apparel designers and more.’
The conference will run alongside a sportswear production-themed exhibition space, where visitors can see end-to-end manufacturing solutions from suppliers including Kit Builder, Optimus, Universe Productionand Valadio. Visitors will also be able to explore the Personalise Make Wear smart factory, which will showcase live end-to-end production and personalisation of sportswear and sports merchandise.
