Prime Source Forum returns with better ideas

STeP offers production facilities the possibility of a modular analysis of all relevant company areas including quality management, use of chemicals, environmental protection, environmental management, social responsibility and health as well as safety. The decision to launch SteP at this event has again underlined the importance of PSF – The annual forum for the global fashion industry.

This 8th assembly followed two satellites, last year, PSF - Focus on India held in Gurgaon and earlier this year, PSF - Focus on ASEAN held in Jakarta. PSF organisers, APLF Ltd. a joint venture between UBM Asia Ltd and its French partner, the SIC Group, is now considering holding two new satellite events, PSF - Focus on China and PSF - Focus on Latin America, following the 2nd edition of PSF - Focus on India to be held in Delhi on 16 July 2013.

This 8th PSF was also preceded by a half-day conference at the Clothing Industry Training Authority (CITA) on sustainability and compliance requirements relevant to textile and garment industry with Jason Kibbey, Executive Director and CEO of Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) as the masters of ceremonies.

It included several presentations and two panel discussions by industry experts with the first session focused on “Managing hazardous chemicals in the textile supply chain” and the second on “The road to green and sustainable global value chains – lessons learned!” Representatives of organisations and companies including BASF, Bureau Veritas, Central Textiles, China Water Risk, H&M, Migros, Textile Council of Hong Kong, VF Corp. and 3p spoke at the half-day conference.

This 8th edition of PSF was more interactive than any before. Its international mix of delegates from more than 22 countries sat in roundtables in a hotel room environment, where they were able to freely network and discuss with their supply chain partners while social compliance solutions provider INFACT Global Partners Ltd, provided digital voting gadgets for delegates to vote on a range of polling questions pertaining to the panel discussion topics with accurate real-time results.

Business networking opportunities at the forum were added by the presence of a significant number of companies/organisations representing a  wide cross-section of the global fashion industry’s supply chain, which included Ann Taylor, BASF, Benetton, Birla, Busana, Cabela, Central Textiles, Coach, Coats, Connor, Debenhams, ecVision, Esprit, Groz Beckert, Fusion Retail, Hohenstein, Hong Kong Non-Woven, InvestHK, Jones Intl, Kiabi, KPMG, Lululemon, Maersk, Micro-Pak, M&S, Milo’s, New Balance, Nimkartek, Oeko-Tex, Optitex, Ralph Lauren, SFBC, Target, Texbase, Thai Ministry, The Woolmark, Tradegood, Triumph, UL, W.L. Gore and many more.