Fashion Business in a Changing Environment
We live and do business in interesting times. In stark contrast to gloomy economic news from Europe, a world of many market opportunities is unfolding at record pace. In a few years time the world has gone from a division between production areas and market areas to a big global market place. Nobody questions the importance of the internet as a sales channel anymore. Those things are clear, but we now face the challenge of making the most of these opportunities.
- How do you go about establishing a brand in emerging markets?
- How do you reach young consumers that are perfectly combining the real and the virtual world?
- How do we make successful use of modern techniques such as social media to really get to know and eventually to reach the consumers?
Always reaching the right consumer with the right product means mastering the art of managing a worldwide supply chain as if all the players were sitting in the same room.
Meeting at the 28th IAF World Apparel Convention in Oporto (Portugal) from September 24-28, 2012 means hearing about and sharing state of the art experiences in global fashion marketing and supply chain management. Prominent speakers from different parts of the world will touch upon the convention theme. The event is jointly organised by IAF and its Portuguese member association, ATP (Associação Têxtil e Vestuário de Portugal).
Program and speakers
Monday, September 24
6th IAF Golf Tournament at Estela Golf Club in Pvoa de Varzim (open to all delegates)
IAF Board of Directors dinner (by invitation only)
Tuesday, September 25
Welcome and registration of delegates, Sheraton Porto Hotel & Spa
IAF Meetings, Palácio da Bolsa, Oporto
8.30 GINETEX meeting, Sala dos Jurados (bus leaves at 8.00 from hotel)
9.30 IAF Board Meeting, Sala das Assembleias Gerais (for board members only; bus leaves at 9.00 from hotel)
11.00 Eurasia-Fashion Project final meeting, Sala das Assembleias Gerais (IAF members are welcome to attend; bus leaves at 10.30 from hotel)
11.00 GINETEX meeting, Sala dos Jurados (bus leaves at 10.30 from hotel)
12.30 Lunch, Sala dos Retratos (for IAF members only; bus leaves at 11.45 from hotel)
12.30 IAF round table on Global Responsibility, (incl. lunch), Sala dos Jurados (by invitation only; bus leaves at 11.45 from hotel)
14.00 IAF General Assembly, Sala das Assembleias Gerais (for IAF members only)
16.30 Transport back to hotel by bus
18.30 Departure by buses to Guimarães (all delegates and partners)
19.30 Welcome reception and gala dinner, Paço dos Duques de Bragança
23.00 Transport back to hotel
Wednesday, September 26
Welcome and registration of delegates, Sheraton Porto Hotel & Spa
9.30 Opening Session of the 28th IAF World Apparel Convention
- IAF President, Harry van Dalfsen
- ATP President, João Costa
- State Secretary for Entrepreneurship, Competitiveness and Innovation of Portugal, Carlos Oliveira
10.30 Coffee/tea break
10.50 Economy Session
Topics: general economic outlook: Asia, Europe, Latin America, USA; opportunities in emerging markets; how to position a brand in a new market
Moderator: Camilo Lourenço, Journalist (Portugal)
Keynote speaker: Professor Daniel Bessa, General Director COTEC (Portugal)
Forum participants:
Carlos Botero, President Inexmoda (Colombia)
Kevin Burke, President and CEO AAFA (USA)
Govind Shrikhande, Customer Care Associate & Managing Director Shoppers Stop Ltd. (India)
Fernando Pimentel, Director ABIT (Brazil)
Hasan Arat, Representative of Istanbul Ready Made Garment Exporters’ Associations – İHKİB (Turkey)
12.45 Lunch buffet
14.30 Supply Chain Session
Topics: sourcing developments, integrated planning, logistics, cost cutting, sustainability
Moderator: Paulo Nunes de Almeida, ex-ATP President, AEP Foundation President (Portugal)
Keynote speaker: Dr. Harry Lee, Chairman TAL Apparel Limited (Hong Kong)
Forum participants:
Guido Brackelsberg, Managing Director Setlog GmbH (Germany)
Kurt Cavano, Founder, Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer TradeCard, Inc. (USA)
Jan Hilger, Director Operations Formalwear ESCADA (Germany)
Bob McKee, Fashion Industry Strategy Director INFOR (USA)
Andreas Schneider, Managing Partner GCS Consulting (Germany) and Mauro Scalia, Project Manager EURATEX (Belgium)
Nicolas Mouze, Commercial Director DHL (Iberia)
16.30 Closure of the sessions
18.30 Departure from hotel to Alfândega do Porto
Possibility to visit Modtissimo textile fair, Celebration party 20 years of Modtissimo and its 40th edition
Cocktails and buffet dinner
IAF International Designer Award Fashion Show
22.30 Transport back to hotel
Thursday, September 27
10.00 Technology and Innovation Session
Topics: innovation in digital solutions for fashion business, new ways of attracting consumers, web sales and mobile shopping, e-commerce models
Moderator: Braz Costa, Director General CITEVE, President Textranet (Portugal)
Keynote speaker: Joachim Hensch, Senior Head of Product Excellence Man, HUGO BOSS AG (Germany)
Forum participants:
Michel da Silva, CEO Unic (Netherlands)
Frank Bober, CEO Stylesight (USA): inspiring and enabling creativity through technology
M ike Fralix, President & CEO TC2 (USA): additive manufacturing and augmented reality
Ed Gribbin, President Alvanon, Inc. (USA): how does the consumer get the right size in the shop?
Remco Vroom, Director Mobile Augmented Reality & CEO TAB Worldmedia (Netherlands)
12.30 Lunch buffet
14.00 Fashion Retail and Consumer Behavior Session
Topics: market developments in major fashion markets, branding, cross channeling
Moderator: Ken Watson, CEO Industry Forum (UK)
Keynote speaker: Magdalena Kondej, Global Head of Apparel Research Euromonitor International (UK)
Forum participants:
Sanjeev Mohanty, Managing Director Benetton India Pvt Ltd. (India)
Shubhankar Ray, Global Brand Director G-Star RAW (Netherlands)
Isabel Cantista, Managing Partner Fast Forward Innovation (Portugal)
Koen Snoeren, New Business Development Manager GfK Panel Services Benelux (Netherlands)
16.00 Closing Session
- Presentation of 29th World Apparel Convention 2013 in Nanjing (China), Xiao Ling (CCCT)
- President of IAF, Harry van Dalfsen
- President of ATP, João Costa
17.00 Farewell drinks including Port wine tasting