SPESA's conference, which is taking place on 8 to 10 October 2024 hopes to tackle the biggest issues facing the US's sewn product supplier industry today.
An opening keynote by Apparel and Textile Industry Advisory board member Krista Schreiber, who has 25 years of experience working for leading brands such as NIKE and Lululemon, will reveal how empathetic leadership is the secret to generating high performance results.
Global Nuclear Concepts' Rickey Ruff will bring an industry hot topic to the event — revolutionary sustainability. He launched the first-ever nuclear-powered carbon offset to decarbonise fashion manufacturing and will be sharing the inspiration behind and potential impact of this idea to bolster sustainability efforts in the industry.
A panel of next generation industry experts and young entrepreneurs will share their efforts, insights, and vision for the future. The panel will feature Lila Rousselet from Montloup, Michael Mayr from silana, Jessica Ramey from Mercantilia Consulting and Marine Savard from mmode.
There will also be a trio of experts sharing their expertise on the latest textile technology advancements and a discussion on how technology can be used to drive ROI within the sector from apparel software specialists Aptean and Lectra.
SPESA members will also be invited to join a local factory tour, starting with the Cirque du Soleil's international headquarters and costume workshop. Attendees will also be able to visit the CTT Group (a Collegial Centre for Technology Transfer at the Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe), which is a non-profit organisation that specialises in applied research, development, and analysis in the field of technical textiles, geosynthetics, and advanced textile-based materials.
He added: "We are drawn to Montréal because of its rich industry presence, but we’re also excited to showcase a beautiful, fun, and historic city.”
