CFA to Launch Tech Expo at Cal Mart
The California Fashion Association (CFA) will attempt to bridge old economy and new economy when it launches a fashion technology expo—dubbed Fashion Technology by Design—at the California Mart next month. More than 20 hi-tech companies will be on hand to network with educators and the industry at large about the latest advancements in design, data processing and back-office operations at the day-long affair.
The CFA, in conjunction with the California Technology Trade & Commerce (CTTC) department, will host the free event, which is funded by a grant provided to Long Beach City College by the community college chancellor’s office. The expo will be held from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Aug. 1 in the Cal Mart Fashion Theater.
The CFA is currently negotiating with potential exhibitors for the show, and it has already signed on software companies such as Methods Workshop, Vantage, Justwin Technologies, Imperial and worldapparel.com. These companies and others will be on hand to offer demonstrations and explain new technologies relating to design, illustration, pre-production data processing, and showroom-to-retail programming, as well as sales and marketing solutions.
“One of the issues relating to technology has been the lack of education for the educators,” said CFA executive director Ilse Metchek. “They don’t have many opportunities to learn about the latest state-of-the-art programs, so we want to bring them up to speed with this. We’re excited and hope this will become an annual event.”
The California apparel industry and educators have been hard-pressed to keep up with the rapid changes in apparel technology. The Sewn Products Expo is held in Los Angeles only once every two years and the Bobbin World Expo is held every three years with the next one set for August in Orlando. Plus, those trade shows focus chiefly on manufacturing equipment, while the Cal Mart event will focus primarily on software.
Additionally, opportunities are growing on the design front and demand has heightened for software solutions relating to pattern making, design, marking and grading, as well as B2B operations such as inventory control, sales tracking and costing, explained Helene Dervishian, apparel liaison for the CTTC.
“There’s been a lot of concerns from the industry that they are not aware of all the new programs and technology, so this should be an excellent opportunity to provide a forum to showcase what’s out there for academia as well as the apparel industry in general,” Dervishian said.
The CTTC has held forums with key industry leaders such as the CFA, Gerber Technology, Rampage and others that have focused on the need for technology to help increase output and turnarounds and decrease operating costs. Technology will be instrumental in helping smaller companies diversify and become more vertical.
For more information on Fashion Technology By Design, contact the CFA at (213) 688-6288.
