The 2014 Symposium has been developed by industry experts to address the needs of the sewn products industry. The Symposium will once again be a structured program allowing time for presenters to interact with symposium attendees during and after each session and, as always, the program will allow for plenty of time to spend on the exhibition floor where companies from all aspects of the industry will be showcasing their latest innovative products and developments from around the world.
Held concurrently with the exhibition, the symposium will contain ten sessions with more than 60 presentations in a variety of formats that will cover a wide range of topics from fit, sizing and virtual try-on technologies, smart garment and e-textiles, enterprise software, design and product development, automation and robotics in apparel manufacturing, welding and stitch free, selecting needles, threads and construction strategies, and re-shoring, near-shoring and startup manufacturing options.
Re-Shoring, Near-Shoring, and Startup Manufacturing Strategies
Re-shoring and near-shoring initiatives – even start-up initiatives – are currently taking place and are important trends impacting the Americas – North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean Basin. Historically notable apparel companies did not consider all of the costs involved in sending their manufacturing offshore, such as inventory carrying costs, traveling costs to check on suppliers, intellectual property risks, and opportunity costs from product pipelines being too long. Today they are looking at new opportunities for re-shoring and near-shoring.
Advancements in Non-Apparel Sewn Products Manufacturing Technologies
Manufacturers of non-apparel sewn products – technical, industrial, furniture, bagging, bedding, automotive, aviation, military, marine, recreation, – are continually challenged to stay up-to-date on new developments in technology and cost effective methods of manufacturing custom-designed products. Advancements in labor saving devices and attachments, programmable equipment, and fully automatic equipment from light duty to extra heavy duty are explored — ideal for manufacturers whose specialties are geared to high end production requiring very high quality construction and expertise.