July 21 — 23, 2020 Virtual Edition Register Now

Educational Program Schedule

Browse topics and schedule for Texworld USA/Apparel Sourcing USA Virtual Edition Educational Program. All sessions will be available for streaming as complimentary access to the virtual show.

Subject to change without prior notice. Check frequently for updates. Note that all educational sessions are in Eastern Standard Time.

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

Tuesday, July 21

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM EST | Building Back Better: Using Sustainable Development Goals as a Roadmap to Recovery

Moderator: Kerry Bannigan | Founder | Conscious Fashion Campaign

Panelists:
Danielle Solomon Nkojo | Manager, Global Sustainable Products | Kontoor Brands (Lee, Wrangler, Rock & Republic)
Erin Wallace | VP of Integrated Marketing | ThredUp

Type: Textile Talks

Description: As the pandemic continues to highlight the urgency to accelerate towards circular systems, hear from panelists how the Sustainable Development Goals can be used as roadmap for brands as they begin to recover from the current global challenges.

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM EST | Demand Planning During a Crisis

Moderator: Edward Hertzman | Founder & President | Sourcing Journal

Panelist:
Elizabeth Shobert | Vice President, Digital Strategy | StyleSage

Type: Textile Talks

Description: Overstocks—and overcorrections on the flip side resulting in understocks—have plagued the apparel industry for decades. Either way, retailers have struggled with getting assortments right. The outcome: larger markdowns and smaller margins. And that was during the relative good times. With the COVID-19 virus racing around the world, determining which products to make, where to sell them and when consumers might buy has become an even bigger gamble. This panel will reveal how the industry can make the right bets using tech tools that add science to the art of buying and planning.

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST | Setting the Bar: Science-Based Targets

Moderator: John Mowbray | Founder & Editor | Ecotextile News

Type: Lenzing Seminar Series

Description: Meaningful climate action requires measurable, fact based goals to define the direction and validate progress. What are the specific targets the textile and apparel industry needs to set and attain in order to achieve lasting, positive results for the environment? Experts from major brands and retailers come together in this seminar to share their thoughts on quantifiable goals to address climate change as a company and as an industry.

2:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST | How to Run a Successful Startup Fashion Business Today in Challenging Times

Type: Textile Talks

Description: StartUp FASHION interviews fashion brand owners about how they’re building an audience, ways in which they’re converting followers to customers, and their strategy for implementing important processes and systems to run a smooth business in today's changing landscape.

Wednesday, July 22

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM EST | Back to School 2020

Moderator: Edward Hertzman | Founder & President | Sourcing Journal

Type: Textile Talks

Description: With spring goods collecting dust and summer orders shrinking by the day, retailers are at a loss as to what to expect for back to school. With the onset of the novel coronavirus, sales dropped off a cliff as doors shuttered around the globe. But as cities and towns slowly come back to life, stores are reopening with the hopes of finding pent-up demand. Our panel will discuss what to expect from the key fall selling season and how to market to a consumer amid this new normal.

10:30 AM – 11:30 AM EST | Becoming Circular

Moderator: Tricia Carey | Director of Global Business for Apparel | Lenzing Fibers, Inc.

Type: Lenzing Seminar Series

Description: Circularity is the next frontier in the textile and apparel industry. Circularity requires a new perspective on the apparel lifecycle with focus on eliminating end-of-life waste. The market is already successfully changing the traditional apparel lifestyle with tactics such as rental, renewal, resale and recycling. Join this seminar to hear renowned sustainability experts discuss the circular economy and it's effect on the apparel industry.

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST | ONE WORLD: Fall/Winter 2021 Trend Presentation

Speaker: Kai Chow | Creative Director | The Doneger Group

Type: Textile Talks

Description: Our modern world feels increasingly interconnected, with people discovering that what happens far away directly impacts our lives over here. This awareness will usher in a collective interest in protecting and preserving the resources and cultures we share, while delighting in self-expression.

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST | Starting your Sustainable Journey - Resources, Tips and Tools

Moderator: Allison Zisko | Editor in Chief | Home Furnishings News

Type: Lenzing Seminar Series - Home

Description: Trying to implement a sustainability strategy into your business model can be challenging without the proper guidance. Join us as we cover essential topics and questions your organization should explore in developing a sustainability strategy. From choosing the sourcing partners and regions, to reliable resources and Materials to create the right sustainable product. We can help simplify those mystifying questions through expert panelists.

Thursday, July 23

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM EST | Building your Business - Why aren't you Near-shoring?

Speaker: Mercedes Gonzales | Director | Global Purchasing Group

Type: Lenzing Seminar Series

Description: Understanding the shift in consumer behavior and how to develop market strategies and product for the new market place will be explored in this discussion moderated by Mercedes Gonzales.

10:30 AM - 11:30 AM EST | Understanding Sustainability's Role in the Recovery

Moderator: Edward Hertzman | Founder & President | Sourcing Journal

Panelists:
Dana Davis | Vice President of Sustainability, Product & Business Strategy | Mara Hoffman
Megan Stoneburner | Director of Sustainability & Sourcing | Outerknown

Type: Textile Talks

Description: In the best of times, sustainability initiatives have often had to fight for funding. So, what happens to the march toward a more responsible supply chain during a crisis? How can brands and retailers uphold their values and meet their sustainability commitments when cashflow is erratic at best and the need to innovate demands investment? This panel takes a look at how sustainability directors can illustrate the financial, repetitional and operational advantages of moving steadfastly forward.

11:45 AM – 12:45 PM EST | Why Brands Matter More Than Ever

Moderator: Warren Shoulberg | Chief Editor | Stupidbusiness.com

Type: Textile Talks - Home

Description: As consumers return to the marketplace, one of the key things they will be looking for are trusted names - and that means brands. This lively session moderated by home business journalist Warren Shoulberg and featuring designer and well-known brand name Stacy Garcia as well as industry experts Donna Vance and Janee Ries, will examine the role of brands and how their place in the home textiles market is evolving given the new realities of the business.

1:00 PM - 1:45 PM EST | Design in the Post-Pandemic Home Business

Moderator: Warren Shoulberg | Chief Editor | Stupidbusiness.com

Panelist:
Tom Mirabile | Principal & Founder | Springboard Futures
Regan Inglesia | Chief Marketing Officer | WestPoint Home

Type: Textile Talks - Home

Description: Among the very many things that the coronavirus pandemic is changing in our society, one of the more overlooked aspects is what happens to design and the kinds of products people will want in their homes. We'll explore this subject in some depth with two experts in the field: Tom Mirabile, principle and founder of trend forecasting company Springboard Futures; and Regan Iglesia, chief marketing officer for WestPoint Home. The session will include new research as well on the post-pandemic design world.

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST | Changemakers: Fiber Companies Driving Textile Sustainability

Moderator: Tricia Carey | Director of Global Business for Apparel | Lenzing Fibers, Inc.

Type: Lenzing Seminar Series

Description: A brand is an important tool for advancing the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals in the apparel industry. Brands forge connections with people that can be used to raise awareness and influence attitudes and behaviors. When leading fiber brands in the textile and apparel industry collaborate to advance sustainability they can be a compelling force for change. Join this seminar to see how major fiber brands are working toward the Sustainable Development Goals and how you can benefit from their efforts.