Workshops & Seminars

The Canadian Apparel Federation is hosting sessions on Fast Fashion across Canada presented by the Industry Forum.

Fast Fashion & Fast Supply Chains - strategic and operational implications for Canadian fashion firms

Schedule/Location:

• Montreal,  Wyndham Montreal Airport   - Monday November 23, 2009
• Vancouver, Delta Vancouver Suites  - Wednesday November 25, 2009
• Toronto, Westin Prince Hotel  -  Friday November 27, 2009

Each workshop runs a full day:

• Registration 8:00 - 8:30 a.m.
• Workshop : 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Fast Fashion is about improving speed to market and keeping today's unpredictable consumers coming back for more. Plan to attend this workshop, presented by Ken Watson of the Industry Forum, the leading international expert on Fast Fashion.  Topics include:

• fabric flow, coloration processes, and getting around the limitations of suppliers;
• commercial know-how on supply chain specifics so you can benchmark your own company's performance relative to the needs of front-runners, like Zara;
• the guiding principles behind the Fast Fashion model, and how you can reduce time to market;
• speeding up the supply chain cycle, and reducing risk factors while delivering better products faster; and
• how to improve your product development processes - eliminating inefficiencies and waste along the way.

For full agenda - see below.

Who should attend: This workshop is ideal for companies who want to kickstart a process of continuous improvement. It's a natural follow-up for those who attended previous Fast Fashion workshops.

Price:

Canadian Apparel Federation members: $100 plus GST ($105.00), Non-Members: $150.00 ($157.50) plus GST. Lunch is included.

Registration:

Option I - Online Registration/Payment. To register online click on the link for the seminar you wish to attend below.  There is a $5 discount per person for those registering on-line.

• Montreal, Monday November 23, 2009
• Vancouver, Wednesday November 25, 2009
• Toronto, Friday November 27, 2009

Option II: Register by fax - download the fax registration form HERE

This workshop will provide you with valuable insight into how to achieve speed to market from concept to delivery to the consumer. Since Fast Fashion, by its nature, is difficult to forecast, elements of the chain need to be responsive to demand signals. Learn what processes enable the Fast Fashion cycle to be short enough to react and deliver within the season.

Learn from a 5 year international project looking at the intricacies of fast fashion models worldwide, in particular that of Zara.  Competitors and other firms in all sectors of the apparel industry are reacting to the  success of the Fast Fashion model and incorporating similar processes to meet the challenge of rapidly changing consumer behaviour.

Using case studies workshop will show how retailers, brands and manufacturers can follow Zara and other fast fashion brands and improve speed to market, increase responsiveness, and overall supply chain performance.  This workshop is essential for firms trying to understand the management processes and behavior required to deliver speed and low cost.

Agenda

• Introduction
• Fast Fashion business drivers
• The success of Zara and Inditex :  The Zara business model
• Key criteria for success in Fast Fashion

Lunch

• European retailers and brands  - what are they doing? H&M, M&S, New Look, Next, Oasis, Primark, Topshop, Ben Sherman, S.Oliver
• Fast Fashion Supply chains - Key Performance Indicators and key steps to improve performance
• People, processes and technology in a Fast Fashion environment.
• Q&A
• Conclusion and close

Background

Industry Forum is the UK sector leader in implementing best practice in the fashion supply chain from concept to carrier bag. Starting from its domestic base and its pioneering work with UK chains and brands, the organisation now assists companies internationally. Clients include major international retailers, brands and manufacturers.  This updated session will present many new ideas, including a focus on the financial benefits of fast fashion.

Ken Watson, Managing Director, Industry Forum

This is the third time that the Canadian Apparel Federation has brought Ken Watson to Canada.  With his pioneering Fast Fashion workshops Ken Watson  travels throughout the world providing insights into managing the fashion supply chain.

Ken Watson is an industry leader in helping apparel firms implement best practices in the fashion supply chain from concept to completion.  Major retailers and manufacturers regularly access Industry Forum tools and services through implementation projects and in house industry workshops.