Halifax, United Kingdom, 26 September 2022. The ASBCI will call on the fashion industry to work together to find collective solutions to its most pressing challenges at the Fashion Re:set Summit on 11 October in York. Structured around four key themes – ESG, sourcing, digital transformation, and staff wellbeing and talent management – and delivered through a combination of presentations and panel discussions, the event format has been designed to encourage debate and foster collaboration at all levels between ASBCI members and the wider industry.
The summit will be opened by a keynote presentation on the current state of the industry from fashion technology storyteller and analyst Ben Hanson, editor in chief of The Interline, the fashion technology news publication and community dedicated to fashion and retail technology.
Ben will be followed by an exploration of ESG in the fashion industry, with a panel discussion featuring contributors from industry and academia. Moderator Suzanne Ellingham from fashion trade show organiser Hyve Events will be joined by Anne Peirson-Smith, Professor of Fashion, School of Design, Northumbria University, Stella Claxton, lecturer and senior research fellow at Nottingham Trent University, Peter Hughes, head of sustainability business development at Eurofins | BLC, and Bureau Veritas softlines technical Consultant Helen Colebourn.
The sourcing segment will be opened by Angela Gaskell, group sourcing, sustainability and fit director from N Brown. Angela will then join the sourcing discussion panel, which includes Kate Hills, founder of Make it British, Jenny Holloway, CEO of Fashion Enter, Phil Oakley from Kornit Digital, and Suzanne Ellingham, sourcing director of Hyve Events, to discuss how the industry can overcome the sourcing challenges of the last few years and the opportunities of new technologies, near-shoring, made-on-demand, and personalisation.
Jason Wang, chief operating officer for Alvanon, will address the summit by video from the US in the digital transformation session, talking about the digital fit ecosystem and the roadmap to a sustainable and profitable future. Other key speakers in this session include Morgan Lopes digital marketing director from French luxury retailer Printemps, which has just opened its first metaverse store, Stephen Taylor from IBM Consulting, and Michael Lock, VP of software sales at Lectra.
Will Verdon, head of product development at Lyle & Scott, will discuss sustainability and digital technologies with Nigel Read from DeSL, and Sue Mardon, head of technical at Alison Hayes, will do a joint presentation with Optitex.
The speakers will then join discussion moderator Ton Wiedenhoff from Alvanon to debate the challenges, opportunities, benefits, and potential pitfalls of digital transformation and take questions from the audience.
The summit will close on a topic that has been catapulted into the limelight by Covid – employee wellbeing and its link with talent management and the skills shortage. Sean Liddell from Mindful Training is among the speakers, and he will look at how employers and employees can reduce stress, anxiety, and poor wellbeing and create new, sustainable opportunities to become more resilient and empowered.
ASBCI Chairman Dr Alistair Knox said: ‘For years, the conversation has been about the need for change – for more sustainable business models, for new technology, for plans to tackle skills shortages or supply chain issues. But while there are many businesses out there doing good things, meaningful industry-wide progress on many of these issues has been slow. And Covid shone a spotlight on the industry’s weaknesses.
‘However, Covid also demonstrated the link between sustainability and sustainable business in its broadest sense. To move forward on climate, attract and nurture talented people, and ensure a profitable future, we must tackle these issues together – within businesses and as an industry. Which is why the ASBCI is calling on the industry to come together at the Fashion Reset Summit on 11 October.’
More information on the programme can be found on the ASBCI website: https://www.asbci.co.uk/event/asbci-events-and-conferences/asbci-autumn-conference-2022
The summit will take place at the Hilton Hotel York on Tuesday 11 October 2022. It will be hosted by Dr Julie King, Executive Dean, School of Digital, Technologies and Arts at Staffordshire University and ASBCI event director, and is sponsored by Optitex (gold sponsor) and, DeSL, Eurofins Softlines and Leather, Hyve Events/Source Fashion, and Lectra (silver sponsors), with TexPro as a supporting partner. Registration is from 8.50am and places can be booked via the ASBCI website: www.asbci.co.uk – 01422 354666 – asbcioffice@asbci.co.uk.
About our sponsors
Optitex
Optitex is a global software provider of integrated 2D-3D CAD solutions for fashion retail, transportation seating and interior, and furniture industries. Our solutions digitally streamline design, development and production throughout the supply chain, enabling efficient workflows and quick response to market demands. Optitex offers brands, retailers and manufacturers a one-vendor solution for delivering high-quality and fit-assured products, on demand and on budget. Backed by over three decades of experience and a growing base of 30,000 users, our solutions are highly intuitive, sustainable and cost-effective. To learn more about Optitex, visit www.optitex.com.
DeSL
DeSL is a market leader in digital transformation solutions including integrated end-to-end PLM software for the fashion, apparel, textile, footwear, and retail sectors. Offering a wide range of software solutions as critical tools for today’s progressive and sustainability focused companies. Modular design provides flexibility and scalability to leverage digital technologies from SMB to Enterprise level businesses. Founded and headquartered in Cardiff, Wales, in 2002, DeSL has locations in New York, NY, San Francisco, CA, and Istanbul, Turkey. www.desl.net
Eurofins Softlines & Leather
Eurofins is Testing for Life. Eurofins is the global leader in food, environment, pharmaceutical and cosmetic product testing, and in discovery pharmacology, forensics, advanced material sciences and agroscience contract research services. Eurofins is also a market leader in certain testing and laboratory services for genomics, and in the support of clinical studies, as well as in BioPharma Contract Development and Manufacturing. The Group also has a rapidly developing presence in highly specialised and molecular clinical diagnostic testing and in-vitro diagnostic products. With over 61,000 staff across a network of 940 laboratories in 59 countries, Eurofins’ companies offer a portfolio of over 200,000 analytical methods. Eurofins Shares are listed on Euronext Paris Stock Exchange. www.eurofins.com
Hyve Events/Source Fashion
Source Fashion is the gateway to UK retail. We connect global manufacturers and suppliers to buyers, retailers and designers who are looking to responsibly and sustainably source new products. From raw materials, fabrics, trims, and packaging, all the way through to contract manufacturers offering in house design services, Source Fashion brings the inspiration and tools together in one exciting destination to bring new ranges to life.
Lectra
As a major player in the fashion, automotive and furniture markets, Lectra contributes to the Industry 4.0 revolution with boldness and passion by providing best-in-class technologies. The group offers industrial intelligence solutions – software, equipment, data and services – that facilitate the digital transformation of the companies it serves. In doing so, Lectra helps its customers push boundaries and unlock their potential. The group is proud to state that its 2,500 employees are driven by three core values: being open-minded thinkers, trusted partners and passionate innovators. Founded in 1973, Lectra reported revenues of 388 million euros in 2021 and is listed on Euronext (LSS). For more information, please visit lectra.com.
TexPro
TexPro is a market intelligence tool designed to empower the textile and apparel sector with high-quality data and accurate information to help businesses make informed decisions around sourcing and strategy. Trusted by leading fashion brands, TexPro is powered by Fibre2Fashion, an international business platform serving the textile, apparel and fashion industry for over two decades. As a powerful B2B media and market research medium, Fibre2Fashion is backed by rich experience, wide industry network and global presence worldwide. Proudly termed as ‘Knowledge Disseminators’ by industry leaders, Fibre2Fashion has carved its niche in the industry by offering service excellence and accurate, reliable as well as on-time information to its users each time. www.fibre2fashion.com/texpro
