The trade show Apparel Textile Sourcing (ATS) started 2016 in Toronto, Canada and expanded to Miami, Florida in 2017. Now, there will be an edition in Germany: From 11th to 13th September 2019, Apparel Textile Sourcing Germany will take place at Estrel Berlin – Hotel & Congress Center announced the ATS.
More than 2,000 attendees are expected. They can get information about product development and sourcing, participate in a world-class seminar series, take advantage of matchmaking events between potential business partners and will have the opportunity to connect with more than 200 manufacturers from Europe, Asia and Latin America.
“While finding factories is a primary reason retailers and brands attend sourcing shows, ATS trade shows also bring leading industry professionals, trade commissioners and government officials together into an open forum to interact with those shaping the current and future trade ecosystems in the apparel industry. Our matchmaking platforms have been very helpful to brands and retailers as well as our manufacturers. European brands and retailers can now become involved in the ATS experience,” commented founder and CEO Jason Prescott.
The organisers decided on Berlin as the German ATS location as it is a hub for design, retail, fashion and many other creative sectors. With numerous other events, fashion shows and technology conferences the city has the most influence on the apparel and textile market in the region.
”What ATS has done for the Americas, will now be available to German and European buyers at large. We look forward to assisting both the exhibitors and attendees of ATSG to leverage the IAF network during the show in September,” said Matthijs Crietee, General Secretary of the International Apparel Federation (IAF).
“While many shows for sourcing and retail have become too large, predictable and lacking energy, ATS events have offered contrast and focus. ATS efficiently showcases both Asian and regional vendors, in a setting that focuses on product development while addressing the major challenges in global sourcing. In addition, ATS has successfully delivered a seminar series that is blended into each day of the trade show,” shared Jeff Streader, Managing Director of Go Global Retail and former executive with VF, Guess, Billabong and American Apparel.
“European brands and retailers who visit the show will have the ability to meet exhibitors with numerous capabilities and finishing techniques. We will host a Made in China pavilion that will provide visitors a balance of mass market manufacturers that can service larger programs, along with factories that service brands or retailers who have smaller programs. As the consumer market has changed, so have many of the factories throughout China in order to accommodate the shift,” stated Chairman Cao of the China Chamber of Commerce for the Import and Export of Apparel and Textiles (CCCT).
In view of an apparel industry that is becoming further homogenised with retailers and factories developing private labels and starting their own brands, orders getting smaller, but with more seasons, and e-commerce encroaching on B2B in addition to B2C, professionals across the industry need to be nimble and aware of ways to refine their supply chain, many times at a moment’s notice. This is where the ATSG wants to start and help both start-ups and established companies alike.
