Tuesday, October 8th

​

2:00 PM - 5:00 PM | SPESA BOARD MEETING (Board Members Only)

Le Mount Stephen Hotel, Strahcona Room (Mansion, 2nd Floor)

​

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM | WELCOME RECEPTION

Bar George, 2nd Floor

All conference attendees are invited to join the SPESA Board of Directors for a networking reception to officially kick off the conference! Attendees are encouraged to use this event as a jumping off point for the rest of your evening and make dinner plans with your new connections. Drinks & light snacks to be served. 

​​​​​

​

Wednesday, October 9th​​​

​

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM | BREAKFAST

Le Mount Stephen Hotel, Elizabeth Ballroom

​

9:00 AM | 2024 SPESA EXECUTIVE CONFERENCE BEGINS

Le Mount Stephen Hotel, Elizabeth Ballroom

​

9:00 AM - 9:15 AM | BIENVENUE

• Michael McDonald, SPESA

​

9:15 AM - 9:30 AM | SPESA CHAIRMAN'S ADDRESS & ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING

Our first order of business in Montréal is to take care of a little business. SPESA Chairman Mark Hatton will provide a brief update on the state of the industry and our association. SPESA members will have the opportunity to vote on the new SPESA Board of Directors Class and to raise any new business in front of the association. While only SPESA members can vote for Board members, all attendees will gain value from the Chairman's address. 

• Mark Hatton, American & Efird​

​

9:30 AM - 10:00 AM | OPENING KEYNOTE | MOTIVATING HIGH-PERFORMANCE RESULTS THROUGH EMPATHETIC LEADERSHIP 

Krista Schreiber is an accomplished leader with more than 25 years of expertise in apparel and textile development, product operations, supplier strategy, and quality production for world-renowned brands such as Nike, Lululemon, Cotton Incorporated, and Arc’teryx. Citing specific examples from her impressive global career, Krista will share how her empathetic leadership style, centering around cultivating curiosity, clarity, and communication, can motivate high-performance results in our industry. 

• Krista Schreiber, Apparel and Textile Industry Advisory

​

10:00 AM - 10:45 AM | INDUSTRY HOT TOPIC | REVOLUTIONARY SUSTAINABILITY

Bringing two unlikely yet very exciting sectors together, Rickey Ruff launched the first-ever nuclear-powered carbon offset to decarbonize fashion manufacturing. He’ll share the inspiration behind and potential impact of this revolutionary idea to bolster sustainability efforts in our industry.

• Rickey Ruff, Global Nuclear Concepts​ - In conversation with Michael McDonald

​​​

10:45 AM - 11:00 AM | COFFEE BREAK

​

11:00 AM - 11:30 AM | FIRESIDE CHAT | PRAIRIE WEAR

Holli Markwald is all about creating positive global impact and communities of support through her role as CEO of Prairie Wear, a global (but based in Canada) leader in versatile sustainable bras powered by science to be better for your body and the planet. This intimate fireside chat gives attendees the opportunity to learn more about Holli’s career path, company, and why she champions sustainability as a core value in start-ups and small businesses.

• Holli Markwald, Prairie Wear ​- In conversation with Michael McDonald
   

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM | ENTREPRENEUR PANEL | GETTING TO KNOW THE NEXT GENERATION OF OUR INDUSTRY

Inspired by discussions at our most recent conference in Los Angeles, we wanted to dedicate time focusing on and learning from the next generation that will be shaping the sewn products industry. This panel brings together a group of young entrepreneurs to share their efforts, insights, and vision for the future of our industry.

​​

Moderator:

• Marine Savard, MMODE 
   

Speakers:​

• Michael Mayr, Silana 

• Jessica Ramey, Mercantilia Consulting​

• Lila Rousselet, Montloup 

​​

12:30 PM - 1:15 PM | LUNCH

​

1:15 PM - 2:00 PM | PANEL DISCUSSION | ADVANCEMENTS IN TEXTILE TECHNOLOGY

While SPESA usually zones in on cut-and-sewn manufacturing, beyond fabric, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take advantage of the vast wealth of knowledge and established textile industry in the region. So, we figured: new country = new topic. Speakers on this panel not only produce textiles in Canada, but research ways to make them better and more accessible for Canada and the rest of the world.

 

Moderator:

• Michael McDonald, SPESA

 

Speakers:

• Navi Cohen, SRTX

• Carlos Agudelo, ​​Tengiva

• Valerio Izquierdo, CTT Group

​​

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM | NETWORKING BREAK

​

2:30 PM - 2:45 PM | CANADIAN INDUSTRY UPDATE

​

2:45 PM - 3:15 PM | FIRESIDE CHAT | CANSEW

Cansew Inc., a Canadian leader in industrial sewing threads, dyeing, elastic, and accessories, is celebrating a century of innovation and adaptation. We are excited to hear what the company has learned in the past 100 hundred years of manufacturing, and what its team can teach us about maintaining a legacy brand.

​

Moderator:

• Bob Kirke, Canadian Apparel Federation

​​

Speakers:

• Gabe Elberg, Cansew

• Leslie Schachter, Cansew

 

3:15 PM - 4:15 PM | PANEL DISCUSSION | THE EVOLVING BUSINESS CASE FOR TECHNOLOGY AND HOW IT DRIVES ROI

We couldn’t leave the apparel manufacturing capital of Canada without talking about manufacturing technology. Join two of our very own SPESA members in a discussion on how new technology is driving change on the factory floor; the tools needed to build competitive production capabilities; and how and where to invest, strategically, to combat hidden production costs and get the best return on your investment.

​

Moderator:

• Michael McDonald, SPESA

 

Speakers:

• Leonard Marano, Lectra

• John Robinson, Aptean

​

4:15 PM - 4:45 PM | INDUSTRY CASE STUDY | DIARRABLU

Diarra Bousso is an entrepreneur, creative mathematician, and multidisciplinary artist. She is the founder of the fashion tech company DIARRABLU, focused on weaving sustainability seamlessly into a unique design and manufacturing process known for thoughtfully merging the worlds of artisans and algorithms with the goal to reduce waste. She will share with the audience her multi-disciplinary approach to innovation in design and learning. ​​

• Diarra Bousso, DIARRABLU

​​​​

4:45 PM - 5:00 PM | CONFERENCE WRAP-UP & CLOSING REMARKS

• Michael McDonald, SPESA

​

6:00 PM - 10:00 PM | NETWORKING DINNER

We are trying something a "little different" this year: a walking food tour in Old Montréal! We will travel to three different restaurants in the iconic neighborhood, sampling bites and drinks at each, while learning a little about the food, culture, and history of the area. Don't worry: There will still be plenty of opportunity for mingling, networking, and an open bar to close out the evening.

​

The bus will leave from Le Mount Stephen at 5:40 p.m. (17:40) to head to Old Montréal. If you would prefer to drive yourself, please let Maggie or Marie know. 

​​

​

Thursday, October 10th

​

8:30 AM | NETWORKING BREAKFAST

Le Mount Stephen Hotel, Elizabeth Ballroom

 

9:00 AM - 6:00 PM | FACTORY TOURS

The bus will leave from Le Mount Stephen at 9:00 a.m. 

Please plan to dress comfortably and wear closed-toed shoes.

​

Tour stops include: 

​

• INNOTEX
  INNOTEX is an innovative manufacturer of turnout gear, Tech Rescue gear, Energy gear, Airflow 3D Technology, and more. The company's craft and Canadian facility goes back more than a century. In the late 1960s, the company became the outerwear division of Bombardier Recreational Products. And then, after more than 20 years of manufacturing extreme sports outerwear, winter sports, and football protective equipment, the transition began to FR industrial and military protective apparel in the mid-1980s. Eventually, a new management team decided to merge the know-how of extreme sports and fire retardants for industrial and military use in the designing and manufacturing of apparel. Its mission: to continuously innovate through textile.

​

• Cirque du Soleil Costume Workshop
  All Cirque du Soleil costumes are custom-made and the majority are produced at the Costume workshop at the International Headquarters. The workshop, the only one of its kind in North America, employs specialists in shoemaking, textile design, lace-making, wig-making, patternmaking, costume-making, and millinery. This will be an immersive visit, giving attendees the opportunity to hear from multiple staff on all the steps, resources, and technology that goes into a Cirque du Soleil production.

 

• CTT Group
  CTT Group (a Collegial Centre for Technology Transfer at the Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe) is a non-profit organization specializing in applied research, development, and analysis in the field of technical textiles, geosynthetics, and advanced textile-based materials. CTT Group supports the growth of companies in the textile industry and geosynthetics through technical services, research and development, and expertise in product innovation and improvement, promoting sustainable development. CTT Group also contributes to the overall development of the industry by supporting initiatives related to workforce renewal. CTT Group is therefore an essential driver of innovation at the heart of a constantly evolving industry.

 

6:00 PM - 7:30 PM |  CLOSING RECEPTION

Bar Dominion (1243 Metcalfe St, Montreal, Quebec H3B 2V5, Canada)

Join us for a final drink to toast a (hopefully) successful event!​ Drinks & light snacks to be served. ​

​

*Agenda subject to change. A final version will be shared with attendees ahead of the event.

​

 

Still need to register? Click here!

​

Click here to return the main event page.