This year’s IAF Convention will take place in Philadelphia, October 22nd to 25th in the Bellevue Hotel. We are hosting it together with our US member association SPESA, the Sewn Products Equipment Suppliers of the Americas, and with the support of AAFA, the American Apparel and Footwear Association.

True to IAF’s mission, this Convention will uniquely bring together the full global supply chain, including US, Canadian and European brands; (Latin) American, European, African and Asian manufacturers; and solution and technology providers, educators and policy makers. We expect about 250 delegates from over 20 countries.

The Convention offers a mix of educational and social activities, including a 1.5-day conference, an off-site festive dinner, a business matchmaking activity and the IAF Golf Tournament.  It is a global event hosted in a different location every year, such as previously in Dhaka, Antwerp, Lahore, Rio de Janeiro, Mumbai, Istanbul and Maastricht. Our C-Suite level speakers have represented, among others, Hugo Boss, H&M, Inditex, Desigual, Disney, VF, Zegna, Esquel and Escada, as well as McKinsey, BCG, the ILO, the World Bank, and the OECD.

The theme of the convention is Industry Transition and we focus on the buyer-supplier collaboration that is imperative to get there. On such major industry challenges as sustainability, digitalization, transparency and profitability, we take a supply chain approach, hearing on each issue from brands and manufacturers and solution providers what really works to drive change. 

More info and Agenda available here: