ASBCI Fashion Re:set Summit scheduled for October 11 in UK

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, Michael Lock, VP of software sales at Lectra, and speakers from Optitex and DeSL.

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.”

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.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KD)