This is a great write up from Textile World covering all the goings on at our Annual Conference in Miami earlier this year.
AAPN LeaderING The Apparel Industry
TextileWorld: July 22, 2019
AAPN’s annual meeting featured relevant speakers and discussions, and provided lots of opportunities for networking and developing business relationships in the apparel supply chain.
TW Special Report
The Americas Apparel Producers’ Network’s (AAPN’s) 2019 pro:Americas Annual Conference was set against the backdrop of the beautiful Faena Forum and Faena Hotel in Miami Beach, Fla.
The two-day event was packed with meaningful presentations that resonated with the more than 200 attendees who came from every aspect of the supply chain. Always on message, AAPN Managing Director Mike Todaro opened the meeting with his take on where the organization stands and how the network remains focused on gathering the right people to develop Western Hemisphere business strategies.
The keynote speaker, Strategic Futurist Nancy Giordano, is the CEO and founder of Play Big Inc., where she considers the emerging intersection of technology, business and society. She spoke about ways to deal with change and the speed of change happening with culture and technology. She offered six ways to “Play Big:” to wonder versus resist; navigate versus replicate; contribute versus extract; be connected versus alone; engage in leaderING versus leaderSHIP; and to be audacious versus incremental. There was emphasis on leadering as a way to play big and have an impact on the world in a more dynamic and more humanistic way.
Other speakers included Barbara Zeins, Gerson & Gerson; Kurt Cavano, retired/founder GT Nexus; Paula Rosenblum, managing partner, RSR Research; Veronia “Roni” Start, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising; Tony Anzovino, Haggar Clothing Co.; Suzy Ganz, Lion Brothers; and Matt Hornbuckle, Stantt Shirt.
In an AAPN first, day one featured an all-female panel discussion comprised of Lynsey Jones, Carter’s; Jill Coleman, Alvanon; Pam Peale, DeSL; Maggie Martinez, Seaboard Marine; Linda Tiberi, Under Armour; and Rosenblum. Kim Macaulay, Kim Macaulay Associates Inc., moderated the panel who discussed the topic, “Is manufacturing coming home?” Read More