CHANDLER, Ariz. — September 23, 2016 — Operator member textile services launderers and associate member suppliers offered rave reviews of TRSA’s Annual Conference (the 2016 event concluded here Wednesday) and gave especially high marks to the new Executive Exchange, sessions of scheduled one-on-one meetings between operators and associates to discuss future collaboration between them.

The event drew 225 textile services professionals, including more than 65 operators from nearly 50 companies. Participating companies in the Exchange numbered about 30 each from the operator and associate memberships.

Both were unaccustomed to the Exchange format, in which meetings took place simultaneously at tables in a large conference room that otherwise would be devoted to associates’ tabletop exhibits. Operators rotated between associates’ Exchange tables for two 2-hour sessions; in total, they could meet with 12 suppliers for 15 to 20 minutes each. “It exceeded my expectations. There were takeaways from every meeting,” observed Liz Remillong, strategic alliance VP, Crothall Healthcare, Wayne, Pa. Such a short period of time for each meeting ensured highly focused and productive discussion, she noted.

From the associate side, Scott Delin, healthcare sales vice president, Fashion Seal, Seminole, Fla., viewed operators recognizing the importance of supply chain matters to increasing their competitiveness. “Everyone’s looking for that one edge. We’re here to provide that edge,” he said, adding that associates benefited from receiving new insights into operators’ emerging business needs.

The conference was also a milestone for TRSA leadership as its top volunteer office (chairman) changed hands as planned, with the completion of the term of Douglas Waldman, CEO, Superior Linen Service, Tulsa, Okla. Elected to fill this post through 2018: David Potack, senior VP, Unitex Textile Rental Services, Mount Vernon, N.Y. Executive Committee and Board of Directors’ seats were also filled.

Keynote presentations highlighted the agenda. Each year, appealing to executives in the highest ranks of textile services operator companies, the conference program covers industry developments and economy-wide business and human resources trends to fuel these organizations’ results-driven strategic planning. Keynoters this year included:

• Capt. Mark Kelly, the combat pilot who became a Space Shuttle commander, shared his experiences as an aviator and family member that influenced his leadership style and philosophies of defining and achieving success.
• Scott Stratten: author, UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging. He discussed online and offline methods to stay in front of target audiences, emphasizing listening to customers and validating their concerns as key selling activities.
• Jason Young: author, Culturetopia: Ultimate High Performance Workplace. This Southwest Airlines veteran provided practical, easy-to-implement guidelines for a healthier and more productive and profitable organization culture.

Social events during the Sept. 19-21 conference fostered and renewed professional relationships and took advantage of the conference’s picturesque setting near Phoenix: the Gila River Indian Community, owners of the host hotel, the Sheraton Grand Wild Horse Pass Resort and Spa. Attendees were treated to hoop dancing and fire juggling displays at outdoor receptions and golfed on the hotel course, which features spectacular mountain views and rolling terrain that preserves vegetation indigenous to the area.

“I liked the venue and it was a great conference,” concluded Leonard McCullough, CEO and owner of Oklahoma’s Linen King textile service. He described the Executive Exchange as productive and very helpful for operators “and it seemed like the vendors got a lot out of it, too.”

Posted September 23, 2016

Source: TRSA

NEW YORK CITY — September 21, 2016 — LIM College, which is located in New York City and focused exclusively on the study of business and fashion, will offer a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree program in Fashion Media starting in Fall 2017. This new program will focus on all aspects of fashion media, including the development of content across traditional, social media, and video platforms, as well as media business management and marketing.

The B.S. in Fashion Media is a unique interdisciplinary program that integrates study in the business of fashion and consumer behavior with the development of creative skills. Built upon a foundation in the humanities and social sciences, the curriculum will combine elements of the fashion industry, core business competencies, and hands-on experience in multi-media content production.

Fashion Media majors will also gain practical experience through work on The Lexington Line, LIM College’s student magazine which focuses on fashion, beauty, culture, and college life. Named for the subway line that many students take from LIM’s residence hall to its academic buildings, The Lexington Line will give students opportunities to develop writing and reporting skills, publish original writing and photography, interview fashion professionals, critique runway shows, review products, style fashion spreads, and learn about marketing and distribution. In addition to the online version, a print edition of The Lexington Line is produced twice a year.

Says LIM College President Elizabeth S. Marcuse, “LIM College is ideally suited to offer a degree in Fashion Media. With our location in New York City — the nation’s fashion and media capital — and signature blend of classroom instruction and required internships, students will have access to a multitude of opportunities for real-world experience as they develop the wide-ranging skill set required of future media professionals. LIM has been a leader in fashion business education for nearly 80 years, so adding a Fashion Media major is a natural progression for us.”

With courses in reporting for both long- and short-form media, fashion styling, graphic design, intellectual property law, video and photography, brand building, global cultures and media, discovering and sharing trends, and influencing ever-savvier and digitally-connected consumers, graduates will be prepared to pursue a range of career paths, including those on the business and creative sides of marketing within the fashion and related industries, as well as in fashion publishing.

Posted September 21, 2016

Source:  LIM College

PARIS — September 19, 2016 — The Paris fashion shows organized by Messe Frankfurt France in a turbulent economic and political environment that gives little prominence to stakeholders sent out reassuring signals: business was good. Exhibitors who managed to create lines with new articles and innovative products even sensed a certain buoyancy in the market. Messe Frankfurt France had a significant drop in visitors, in view of the numbers of tourists recorded in Paris over the last few weeks. Considering the circumstances, the shows recorded a limited decrease of 4.6 percent.

Visitors continue to be very international: 80 percent. However, numbers of visitors coming from countries that had recently been subjected to visa restrictions were down compared with the usual figures.

In contrast, the American continent, represented first and foremost by Colombia, Argentina and Mexico, posted good results that were up by 5 percent. This demonstrates how very attractive the shows are, helping them to draw in customers from much further afield. The trend is confirmed by the good results from Australia, with an increase of 20 percent.

Northern and Eastern Europe have as a whole increased their visitors from an increase oaf 13 percent to 20 percent on average, following the example of Norway, Finland, Denmark, the Ukraine, Romania, Lithuania, Bulgaria, Austria and Switzerland to name but a few.

Following repeated increases in numbers of French visitors, this September 2016 show confirmed the interest shown by domestic buyers with a significant rise of 11 percent. This means the shows are becoming unmissable events for the French market.

The figures demonstrate that Messe Frankfurt’s trade shows are firmly established in their global reference markets and generate sales for exhibitors, which ensure the sustainability of their business.

TEXWORLD PARIS

Exhibitors and visitors viewed this September’s international trade show for fabrics, trimmings and accessories as a success. They particularly applauded the excellent organization, wide range of services and availability of staff.

The general scenography was praised for its elegance and the clear layout, which set off the fabric collections to their best advantage and further supported the upscaling of improved and creative products from exhibitors. The general forum, Texworld’s inspiration book and the catwalk area designed by the artistic directors Louis Gérin and Grégory Lamaud all found favor with visitors on the lookout for professional information and creative tips.

Novi from Hakatex stressed “the positive and calm atmosphere was a good place for discussions, facilitating meetings and contributing to efficient business dealings”.

ELITE, the new segment organized by Texworld to provide a core of producers of fabrics for higher-end markets, was met with all-round approval by the selected exhibitors. “I feel fortunate to be able to host my customers in a space like ELITE, where the backdrop transported us to the heart of Paris” said Ali Onder Beytekin from Kotonteks.

There was a very good standard of visitors as well as attendance by exhibitors’ existing customers. This was confirmed by Chaoyang Fang, sales manager at Hi-Tex who commented on “a very high standard of visitors, in particular those from my target market of Europe. Texworld is the place to be. Texworld Paris is the best exhibition in Europe!”

APPAREL SOURCING PARIS

Since the show had generated a 37.5 percent increase in numbers of exhibitors, this in turn led to higher visitor numbers associated with more extensive ranges.

The great majority of clothing manufacturers expressed their satisfaction with the September 2016 show and were pleased with new contacts that proved to be relevant.
Taking Guatemala as an example, which drew a lot of attention with their lines for active wear. “Apparel Sourcing Paris is really a pleasant surprise. We were able to meet companies from all over Europe and even from Latin America, which gave us real business opportunities”, said Enrique Woc, international sales director at the Guatemala-based knit producer Startex.

The segment for short lead times continues to grow. For the first time, a Moroccan pavilion, in addition to some Tunisian companies, exhibited their solutions for fast and exclusive sourcing from nearby countries.

On this subject, Michael Scherpe has signed a strategic agreement with Karim Tazi, president of AMITH (the Moroccan Association for the Textile and Clothing Industries) to promote the Moroccan textile industry on an international scale.

This rich variety for international sourcing, much appreciated by visitors, allows them to find solutions for their projects more easily, quickly and conveniently. This was confirmed by Dennis Lam and Iftikhar-ul-Hassan of Masood Textile Mills: “Everything is very clear and open, which makes communications easier. If I was a buyer, this is the only show I would put in my calendar”.

AVANTEX PARIS: High technology + fashion

This third Avantex Paris show proves how sound the underlying concept is. It will be expanded by February 2017 to take account of the global nature of innovation in all areas of fashion, from design through to the retail sector.

“I enjoyed a wide variety of discussions on a high level during the round table sessions in the agora, which then carried on at the stands. Exhibitors amassed many contacts during the four days. What is important is that a dialogue, which may have started a year and a half ago, leads to actual business in the form of orders.

Visitors who were new to the show also immediately found what they were looking for from among the existing products, as of course the offer at Avantex is constantly being developed”, commented Michael Scherpe, President of Messe Frankfurt France.

Coloreel’s concept for instantaneous dying and embroidery, the highly technical jacket from Tafta, Picapics’ all-in-one photo studio, Umorfil’s textifood and the plant-based textiles from Green Defence epitomise the products offered through this constantly developing concept, which blends technology and fashion, with the end consumer as the key target.

Summing up, Michael Scherpe encouraged the textile branch to keep on innovating, improving and moving forward.

Posted September 19, 2016

Source: Messe Frankfurt