2013 Annual Meeting

May 5 - 7 | Eden Roc Renaissance Hotel | Miami Beach, Florida

APPAREL MADE IN THE AMERICAS: A CONCENTRATED FORUM ON CURRENT SOURCING SOURCING STRATEGIES

“As I meet with senior retail and brand executives, I hear over and over about sourcing in this hemisphere, which some call “re-shoring”. TheY say that the key driver is speed - which effects total cost. As we learned at our ‘town meeting’ in Panama in Nov 2012, there are strong and mixed perceptions about this region related to verticality, flexibility and cost.  Our (AAPN) role is to be both educator and facilitator. In 2013, our forum theme is simply about the Americas and the "new normal" - shorter cycle times; less inventory; strain on and opportunity in the supply chain.. "
        -- Rick Horwitch, VP of Bureau Veritas and President of the AAPNetwork

A HIGH LEVEL UPDATE ON THE ‘AMERICAS’:

• Vertical vendors in this hemisphere are gaining market share in all markets.
• The region has world class management proving that companies who manage complexity well win
• Product complexity is expanding so it isn't just a basic's play anymore.
• Asia is peaking in apparel production. Speed is beginning to beat price which is bringing production back closer to the market.
• Niche leaders in the US are transitioning from a cost-only filter to a focus on better services and faster high value products.
• This hemisphere’s producers are proven, transparent world leaders in sustainability and social responsibility 

Keynote Speaker: Tom Nelson, Managing Director, VP Global Product Procurement VF Asia.
In 2012 Tom was responsible for production and sourcing of over 400,000,000 garments. His vision of the future comes from the world's largest brand manager.

New World: The Consumer of the Future (click to download now): 
Kurt Cavano, Chairman & Chief Strategy Officer, Tradecard

Asia and the Americas: A Report Card:
Jeannamarie Cox Peifer, Owner, JCox, An Apparel Svcs Co

Emergence of Asian-Level "Vendors" in the Americas 
Anton Wilson, DMM Technical Development, Target (Retired 2012)

Five Years From Now - a Forecast
Rick Horwitch, VP Solutions/Business Development, Bureau Veritas; Carlos Arias, CEO, Kaltex Apparel; Kurt Cavano, Chairman & Chief Strategy Officer, Tradecard; Mike Todaro, Managing Director, AAPN

What does AAPN need to become for its members? Are we at a tipping point? Is the stability of our hemisphere a priority?
We will discuss the shifting dynamic of our member and this network.