Further reinforcing its position as the industry's top intellectual
forum in the U.S., the
Materials at WSA Expo & Conference announces
"The Future of Footwear Manufacturing in China", the newest addition
to its widely successful educational workshop program for its
upcoming July event. This workshop will provide insight from the
industry's leading experts on the status of the footwear
manufacturing economy in China, adding to the already unparalleled
offering of educational resources at the conference, taking place
July 27-29, 2008 in Las Vegas.
The Future of Footwear Manufacturing in China, will be presented by Robert A. Kapp, former president of the U.S.-china Business Council, and Art Carver, president of Sourcing Resource Group, Inc. This workshop will give attendees an overview of the economic and political trends within China, and how they relate to the U.S., and will also review China's new labor laws and how they impact footwear manufacturers and raw material suppliers in China as well as emerging countries.
Dramatic changes are taking place in footwear manufacturing in China, making for an unsettling situation. Factory owners are finding it increasingly difficult to maintain control of their cost structures, and are no longer willing to take the risks that they have in the past, said Carver. This workshop will identify the risks being faced in China, and in turn, create a list of ways to address the growing problems. There is no doubt that this workshop will generate a controversial and lively discussion from the attendees.
As with the entire industry, the situation in China has changed
substantially over recent years and bringing together these leading
experts to discuss the perception versus reality of the
manufacturing process is a tremendous resource and learning
opportunity for our attendees,
said Courtney Harold, show director,
Materials at WSA Expo & Conference.
In
addition to "The Future of Footwear Manufacturing in China" seminar,
Materials at WSA Expo & Conference will also present a two-part
workshop presented by color forecasting leader Pantone on July 28
and 29, 2008. These workshops will include previews of upcoming
seasons
color palettes, as well as an overview of color forecasting
trends and design rules within the industry. Materials at WSA Expo
& Conference will also once again host its cutting-edge trend
forecast area, which will reflect the direction of the new season by
showcasing innovative materials from exhibiting suppliers.
The Future of Footwear Manufacturing in China workshop will take place at 9:00am on July 28 and pre-registration can be completed online at www.materialsatwsa.com. Space is limited.
About Materials at WSA
Materials at WSA, which launched in February 2008 alongside The WSA Show, expands the breadth of this industry marketplace to include the supply chain by focusing on materials, design, components, technology and sourcing alongside the finished product, becoming easily accessible to brand and retail leaders. The show, held concurrently with The WSA Show and The Collections at WSA, attracts product development, design and sourcing executives and their teams, and represents the source of products, services and information for the footwear supply chain in the U.S.