The Apparel Textile Sourcing Germany (ATSG) trade fair will take place for the first time in Berlin from September 11 to 13, 2019.
Two hundred manufacturers from all over the world will come together at the Estrel Conference Center Berlin. Visitors will be given the opportunity to learn about developments and trends in the global clothing and textile market. The spectrum ranges from sustainable clothing to trendsetting production techniques. The organizer is JP Communications Inc. With trade fairs under the umbrella brand ATS (Apparel Textile Sourcing), the company is already a well-known player in the North American textile and clothing industry. The exhibited product categories include fabrics, technical apparel, mixed and knitted fabrics, home textiles, leather, natural and synthetic fibers, ready-made goods, fashion accessories and more.
We ask Jason Prescott, CEO JP Communications and founder ATS (Apparel Textile Sourcing) trade shows, if another textile fair is really necessary and what makes Berlin so attractive as a business location.
Why another fabrics show? Aren’t there enough? (From Premiere Vision and Texworld to Milano Unica or Fashion SVP)
It is very true that there are several shows in big cities that are well known–Las Vegas, New York, Paris, etc…. I think it is also true that many of these organizers have seen attendee and net square feet exhibition declines over recent years. The most recent show in Las Vegas was held entirely under one roof instead of multiple convention centers. Many are also reading about the death of fashions shows. While those statements might seem contradictory to organizing a new apparel and textile trade show, the industry continues to develop rapidly with retail growth being driven by digital and consumer shifts. Localization in sourcing is key. Speed to the market is everything. Population continues to grow in every major city and metropolitan area throughout the world. Retail is not shrinking. People are still wearing clothes. The ATS brand has had rapid and unexpected growth in every city we have entered. Our shows in Toronto and Miami all experienced double digit growth again in 2019. There might be some good luck. Good timing and risk versus reward gambling paying off, but I feel it is more common sense driven–and we also do not steer an aircraft carrier like other shows. The Apparel Textile Shows can pivot quickly. Our shows are also produced internally by our online sourcing brands, TopTenWholesasle.com and Manufacturer.com. The databases are very big. Communication to an entire ecosystem throughout the world can be done on many platforms with speed and ease. We see Berlin as a very similar market opportunity Toronto and Miami possessed: All very recognizable and busy cities. All experiencing migration, immigration and retail growth. All being very fashion conscious markets. All not having a solid B2B infrastructure for production.
Why in Berlin, and what makes this show different from Asia Apparel Expo which is also already located in Berlin?
Census data says Berlin sits at 3.5 million people with almost 6 million in the major Berlin-Brandenberg metro region. Berlin is a young city full of Millennials now maturing in their careers, life paths and taking entrepreneurial bets. Thousands of microbrands and incubators swarm around Berlin. It is a very liberal city with a consumer that seeks a nesting pad in a global world. Yet, there is little B2B infrastructure for sourcing, especially apparel and fabric. I am not very familiar with the other Asian-based apparel expo, but we are not looking to identify ourselves with any particular region. While our first show will certainly be heavy on China and the South East Asia side, we will also host Mauritius and several other EU regions of production. Our Miami show this past May had over 50% of its exhibitor base from outside of China. Our Toronto show happening next week is geared to do about the same. We are sure this will happen in Berlin as well. We just need to get off our feet first, which is never easy. ATSG will focus on education and inspiration. Over a dozen seminars will take place from the world’s top experts, starting with my friend Wilson Zhu giving the keynote. Wilson is the COO of Li and Fung and one of the world’s top supply-chain experts. Nobody wants to visit a trade show to just seek factories. They want to learn. They want to connect. They want to be inspired. We need to accomplish that.
Will there be denim exhibitors, and if so, which ones?
There is no specific focus on denim. We will have several denim exhibitors from China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Mauritius–but it is not the focus this year. There will also be a footwear pavilion of Premium China suppliers and a 50/50 mix of apparel and textile producers.
Published On : 26-08-2019
Source : Sportswear International
