Top Cos. to Present at AAFA Summit
Representatives of Nike Inc., the Authentic Fitness Corp., Li & Fung USA, the J. Jill Group and American Textile will be among the speakers at the “Speed to Market Symposium” on Jan. 30 at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles.
The daylong event, sponsored by the American Apparel & Footwear Association and Walter Wilhelm Associates, will focus on how to get products into stores faster through the use of technology and other planning tools.
Technology executive Warren Hartenstine of Walter Wilhelm will open the event, addressing topics such as trend development, fabric sampling, costing, visual merchandising, sourcing and product lifecycle management. He will also address radio frequency identification.
Marilyn Tam, former president of Reebok International’s apparel group, will deliver the event’s keynote address during lunch.
Stephen Pearson, executive vice president of the J. Jill Group; Jonathan Spier, president of the Apparel Holdings Group; Kathy Van Ness, president of Authentic Fitness; Larry Miller, president of Nike’s Michael Jordan division; and Kent Grimes, former product development executive for Nordstrom Inc., will sit on a panel titled “Why Speed to Market Is Critical.”
Rick Darling, president of Li & Fung USA; Salvador Llort, executive vice president of Confecciones del Valle; and Lance Rutenberg, executive vice president of American Textile, will address collaboration in the product development process.
The registration fee is $250 for AAFA members and $350 for nonmembers. Contact Joan McNeal at jmcneal@apparelandfootwear.org for more information. —Robert McAllister
