ATSC 2019 TO DEBUT FASHION LAB CONFERENCE SERIES FOR SMES, DESIGNERS, INDEPENDENT RETAILERS, ENTREPRENEURS, STUDENTS AND MICRO BRANDS

Top industry experts to present at this first-of-its-kind fashion series at Toronto International Centre, August 19-21, launched to help Canadian talent succeed

Toronto, Ont., August 12, 2019 — The Canadian fashion, apparel and retail community will have a first-of-its-kind opportunity to learn about the latest trends and insights in marketing, costing, sourcing, sustainability and running a fashion business from some of the industry’s top experts next week, as they come together for a unique Fashion Lab™ conference series being launched at the Apparel Textile Sourcing Canada (ATSC) show.

Canada’s No. 1 apparel sourcing event, ATSC – which takes place August 19-21 at the Toronto International Centre – announced the launch of this second conference track in addition to the show’s popular international seminar series, following the successful introduction of the Fashion Lab at its sister show, Apparel Textile Sourcing Miami, in May.

Curated by Frances Harder, owner of Los Angeles-based Fashion For Profit Consulting, and produced by TopTenWholesale.com and Manufacturer.com, the Fashion Lab is being launched to give a boost to SMEs, designers, independent retailers, entrepreneurs, students and microbrands looking to succeed in Canada’s thriving apparel and textile sector.

“Education has always been a core focus of the ATS trade shows, yet we found that there was a need to cater to up-and-coming designers, buyers and brands in addition to established industry players – something most trade fairs fail to do,” said Jason Prescott, CEO of JP Communications, producer of the show and publisher of North America’s leading of B2B trade platforms TopTenWholesale.com and Manufacturer.com. “The Fashion Lab fills this important industry gap by offering guidance and inspiration on how to succeed in today’s rapidly-evolving retail and production landscape.”

Featuring 500 international apparel and textile exhibits, and dozens of conference sessions, ATSC provides an unprecedented industry platform for sourcing, networking and education. Since the event’s inception in Toronto in 2016, ATS trade shows – which now also take place in Montreal and Miami, with a new ATS show making a debut in Berlin, Germany in September – have drawn tens of thousands of visitors.

Trending Fashion Lab Talks

According to Harder, “attendees at the Fashion Lab sessions will hear from some of the industry’s top local, national and international experts about the latest fashion industry trends, the challenges today’s designers, brands and retailers face and how to overcome them, and the evolving shopping preferences of today’s consumers.”

Fashion Lab presenters will provide unique insight into topics such as how to successfully launch a fashion line, tips and tricks to drive website traffic and boost online sales, emerging technologies that change the way consumers interact with brands, strategies and tactics for e-commerce, new digital shopping channels, experiential retail, sustainable solutions, the critical role of social media in the world of fashion, how to successfully working with a manufacturer and best advice to cost merchandise for maximum sales success.

Speakers include fashion experts such as:

  • Former DKNY and Adidas Head of Licensing Sal Khokhar, CEO of Kollective Moda;
  • Sought-after fashion business and career coach Christine Daal;
  • Leading fashion consultant Anna Livermore;
  • Popular trend and style forecaster Cynthia Florek of The Trend Office;
  • Author, educator and Fashion for Profit president Frances Harder;
  • Facebook ads expert Kevin Moore;
  • Top branding and fashion lawyer Ashlee Froese;
  • And many others.

A full list of ATSC seminars can be found here.

Latest Canadian, International Fashions to Hit the Runway

On August 20 at 12:15 p.m., ATSC – in partnership with Toronto modeling agency Spot 6 Management – will showcase international brands, collections from top Canadian students, and the latest garment trends from exhibitors in a show-stopping fashion extravaganza.

Event visitors will have unique opportunity to see the latest creations by local talent – such as Farley Chatto, Rhowan James, Dorian Who, Christopher Paunil and JmTrends – as well as trending global designers. International talent includes top designers from South Asia – whose creations will be featured in the show’s India and Bangladesh Pavilions – as well as the latest fashions from eight of China’s top brands, featured in the show’s Brand China AVENUE section: Veralba, Sanyi, Rebody, Jilier, HODO, Bosideng, Aparso and Aiyimei.

For more information about the Apparel Textile Sourcing Canada show, visit www.appareltextilesourcing.com.

Media are invited to attend this one-of-a-kind event, which is free-of-charge for all those who register at www.appareltextilesourcing.com. Excellent interview opportunities with local fashion designers, as well as industry experts and show organizers, will be available. 

Connect with Apparel Textile Sourcing shows:

About Apparel Textile Sourcing 
Apparel Textile Sourcing is the apparel industry’s link to the entire global supply chain. Resources, experts and manufacturers come from more than 20 countries and cover the worlds of fashion, apparel, textiles and sourcing.  New sources, products and ideas come alive with education, fashion shows and trade opportunities. The ATS brand produces a range of shows, as follows:

ATS Canada (Toronto) — August 19-21, 2019
ATS Canada (Montreal) — August 23, 2019
ATS Germany (Berlin) — September 11-13, 2019
ATS Miami — May 2020

2019 marks the 2nd year ATS expands to Montreal. More than 500 sourcing professionals are expected to visit the Sheraton Montreal Airport Hotel – located at 555 Boulevard McMillan – where 70+ suppliers from China, Bangladesh, India, Canada and more will exhibit, as ATS continues to expand in Canada’s prime hub for fashion. “Quebec’s fashion sector represents more than 80,000 jobs and close to 2,000 companies. The manufacturing capabilities that the Apparel Textile Sourcing show brings to Montreal add an important infrastructure that meets the needs of many industry players across the province,” said Mathieu St-Arnaud Lavoie, Deputy Director & Director of Market Development of mmode, the Metropolitan Fashion Cluster.

Pre-show/post-show matchmaking
While ATS trade shows take place over a number of days, tradehappens 365 days a year. ATS maintains a 24/7 Buyer Relations team year-round to help buyers find manufacturers through Manufacturer.com and 1000s of wholesale brands on TopTenWholesale.com. Together both platforms enable visitors to connect with the proper exhibitors long before and after trade show dates alongside hundreds of thousands of other suppliers. Attendees can source online at their leisure or speak with a matchmaking agent free of charge any time.

About JP Communications
JP Communications INC (JPC INC) are the producers of the Apparel Textile Sourcing Trade Shows in Toronto, Montreal (ATSC), Berlin, Germany (ATSG) and Miami, Florida (ATSM). JPC INC is also the publisher of North America’s leading business platforms for sourcing professionals to find wholesalers, manufacturers and importers: Manufacturer.com and TopTenWholesale.com. The company was founded in 2005 by CEO Jason Prescott, who is also a bestselling author of Wholesale 101, published by McGraw Hill.

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Media information and to RSVP:

Kendra Titley
GBPR
kendra@gailbergmanpr.com
905-886-3345