Fespa has confirmed the programme for its first Sportswear Pro conference, taking place on 21 March 2024. Running alongside the new Sportswear Pro exhibition (19-22 March, RAI Amsterdam), delegates will learn about the latest developments in the sportswear manufacturing industry, as well as innovations in on-demand and customised sportswear production.
Being hosted in English, the sessions will include:
- ‘Innovations in Materials and Fabrics for Sportswear’ with Paul Foulkes-Arellano, founder of consulting firm Circuthon, who will shed light on sustainable textile finishes, dyes and printing, and what this means for the sportswear sector.
- ‘Circular Economy Redefined - Designing for Circularity’. Ana Kristiansson, founder and creative director at Desinder, will explore the power of circular thinking while outlining a framework for sustainable design strategies for the sportswear industry.
- ‘Panel Session: Sustainability in Sportswear’ will ask what this really means, and how is it achieved? The session will be moderated by Samantha Taylor, founder of The Good Factory, and will delve into topics such as material selection, scalable sustainable practices and on-demand production for sportswear items. Other panellists include: Kevin Van Lancker, founder of Sportswear Of Tomorrow; consultant sportswear design specialist Soudi Masouleh; and Nicole Espey, Institute for Textile Technology, ITA, RWTH Aachen University.
- ‘Panel Session: The Power and Potential of Customisation and Personalisation’. In this roundtable discussion, circular economy innovation and strategy consultant Serena Bonomi and technical consultant James Lawrence-Jones will explore the potential for customisation in sportswear. The session will be moderated by Fespa’s personalisation ambassador Richard Askam.
The conference will run alongside a sportswear production themed exhibition space and the ‘Personalise Make Wear’ smart factory with live end-to-end production and personalisation of sportswear and sports merchandise.