This 45 min. presentation will review aerodynamic principles as applied to high performance apparel design with specific examples of how textile and prototype suit testing in a wind tunnel will assist Olympic athletes reach peak performance through drag reduction and improved ventilation. Like Formula 1 or the NASA Space Program, innovations from high performance can be adapted to consumer products.
Case studies will include: Canada’s Ownthepodium2010 “Top Secret” program; customized downhill skiing race suits produced by Helly-Hanson/Qwixskinz that were worn by 3 Canadian medallists at the 2017 World Alpine Championships; fabric and kinesio-tape imprinted vortex generators (Nike Aeroblades®) worn by numerous track athletes and medallists at the 2016 Rio Olympics and multi-fabric speedskating and cycling time trial suits (Nike Swiftskins and Swiftspins) that have been worn by world record holders and Olympic medallists, including 16 of 30 long track gold medallists at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
Who Should Attend:
Designers, Developers, Industrial Designers, Design Engineers, Product Managers and Directors and of Product Development, Design, Marketing, and Innovation.
Takeaways:
1) How aerodynamic drag affects athletic performance;
2) How to translate wind tunnel data into high performance apparel design;
3) Design techniques to reduce drag;
4) learnings on improving air ventilation through apparel.

Consumers say they want to buy sustainable and ethically made products but if that's the case, why is it so common for sustainable brands to struggle to meet their sales targets? Instead of discounting your prices to push product, learn how to build an engaged and loyal community that supports your brand with their dollars.
Topics Covered:
Building an authentic brand and communicating it in an era of greenwashing
Pinpointing your ideal customer and identifying how to reach them
Fostering an engaged community through strategic social media content
Creating a website and e-commerce flow that converts consumers

Get Explosive Growth. Crowdfunding and the New Marketing Model.
In this presentation Steve will not only talk about how to explode your growth through crowdfunding but also other proven strategies to get your audience begging for more.
List of points covered:
*What is this model?
*Why is this model changing the business world for the better.
*Why crowdfunding is the greatest thing to happen to entrepreneurs in the history of the business world.
*The real value in crowdfunding for your brand. Hint. Audience building.
*How to make it work for your unique brand or new product.
*How to know if your project will succeed before you start.
*Why the process of crowdfunding is the model for all great online marketing.
This presentation is for marketing professionals, designers, start ups, small business owners, midsized companies looking for growth and new product developers.

Organizations and business leaders are waking up to the importance of data science but many do not know where to start. Drawing on experiences gleaned from hundreds of clients, Michael Li provides successful case studies from companies in a variety of industries that have successfully incorporated data science into their products and services. He present a framework successful clients have embraced to jumpstart their data science efforts and help them prioritize high-impact data science projects. Attendees will walk away with successful data science case studies directly applicable to their work and key takeaways to help managers and executives identify initial quick-win projects to grow their data and AI initiatives.

James has been on both sides of the table: from developing and pitching products, to being pitched to as a retail buyer. In this talk James shares the biggest insights he's learned from seeing the inner workings of start-ups to globally recognized brands. With actionable examples this presentation will provide a unique overview, helping you Go-to-Market with products that are amazing AF.
Who Should Attend:
Anyone involved in product creation and commercialization: designers, developers, product managers, marketers, sales people and senior leadership.
Takeaways:
The Simple Secret - Organizing your Go-to-Market Cadence
You Don’t Know Anything - Listening to your Customers
First Idea = Worst Idea - Innovation through Iteration
Baseball has Three Strikes, you get One! - Organizing your Pitch

Let's talk about the changing nature of influencer marketing. Increasingly, we are seeing a number of fake influencers with fake followers which drive down quality and authenticity. Consumers are craving to connect and be a part of REAL change and real conversation. What about using social media for good, going back to the roots of what it was made for—conversation.
Then, how can we Co-create with our customers? Why co-create? And How? I'll show you the key tools to ask real customers what they want.
I'll provide simple and achievable examples of testing done at tentree and show some results of a few products we have co-created and sold out!

Are you looking to start your own clothing or accessory line and want to try selling it online &/or wholesale? Or do you currently have a collection you are selling that you are ready to start outsourcing for help? Or maybe you work with a large company that does it all under one roof, but are not sure how to take the next step to get the key people help so production can go faster? At the end of the day, all of these problems are connected to learning the process of how to take an idea into a product, which is what this interactive discussion will be. We will look at the overall cycle of idea to pattern to sample to sales, and discuss who, what, where, when, and why you need to get some team players behind your idea in order to get some momentum behind your business. We will also look at where you can do it yourself, in order to save as much money in this process as possible!
During this discussion, we will invite members of the audience to present their apparel ideas for a rough estimate on steps and cost in order to take your idea into a product. You can bring a sketch or picture, or a garment that represents your idea, or even just verbally describe what you are aiming to do – whatever you have to enable us to see your idea. We will discuss your idea in front of the group, and help you to problem solve & cost the path from idea into a product you can sell. No idea is too small, and each one is unique!

Intellectual property (“IP”) is at the heart of a company’s ability to build a distinctive brand with proprietary design staples. IP refers to the inventions, literary and artistic works, aesthetic designs, and logos, names and slogans used in commerce. Despite the importance of IP, it is commonly misunderstood.
This session looks at the different forms of IP, how they apply to the apparel industry, and some common pitfalls to avoid in securing and maintaining rights.

Are you starting a new brand? Let's talk smart fund management, operations and growth when it comes to starting a clothing brand.
We'll cover:
*Tips on creating and sticking to a budget for your brand
*Suggestions on how to get access to growth capital
*How to stretch your dollar to its maximum while building your brand
*Information on some of the hidden pitfalls and costly mistakes as you launch your brand
*So much more!

The Presentation:
I will BOLDLY walk you through the process of successfully “Being Creative.” WITNESS the conception of a creative idea, EMPATHIZE as the world breaks it down and have PRIDE when your creativity allows a small part of you to reach out and impact peoples lives in a way that few have the chance to do. This “road map” to a corporate system, will guide you through the ins and outs of taking your ideas and making them a reality.
Who should Attend:
Everyone will benefit from this presentation, trust me.
Takeaways:
1) What to do after you’ve been struck with a creative moment
2) What to expect before your creativity becomes a product
3) What to do after your creative product hits the market

An interactive workshop highlighting “The importance of understanding your S&OP (Sales and Operational Planning).”
S&OP is a key area of your business and deserves 100% of your attention as you can double your business if executed properly.
- Stay consistent (annually, quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily)
- With a constant review of the consumer needs by gathering data via a product and demand review.
- Taking into consideration your supply and capacity abilities.
- Maintaining a keen eye for demand balancing and financial integration with an executive or owner review.
- Being nimble and flexible to grow or shrink your product range to adapt to your changing consumers needs.

What does it mean to have a sustainable supply chain? How do you build one? How will you measure / report on your impact? These are the questions we will be addressing in this high-level interactive session.
Specifically, we will discuss:
Levels & opportunities for sustainability
Sourcing both globally & locally
Understanding the impacts of raw materials, finished goods & transportation
Social responsibility
Tracking, measuring & reporting your progress/impact

Get the fabrics right and the garments will be right! Raw materials are 50% of the cost of your garment, so mistakes can be very costly and stressful.
Using lots of storytelling, Ruth’s experiences developing and sourcing technical fabrics for lululemon, this interactive workshop will explore:
*How to find good suppliers
*Barriers to overcome
*Developing vs. Sourcing your own fabrics
*There will also be lots of opportunity for Q&A

Gen Z is set to be the largest consumer group to grace planet earth with their presence, attitudes and style. Join Emily for a session to uncover both macro and micro perspectives set to impact apparel and consumer goods for the next two decades ahead.

Do you have a website that gets little to no organic traffic?
If you have a brand new website or even a website that’s getting little to no traffic, you can still generate a lot of traffic from Google and rank organically. In this session, Apparel Business Consultant and SEO Specialist, Glynis Tao will present the fundamentals of SEO (Search Engine Optimization), what factors does Google look for when ranking your website, and most importantly understanding what the user wants. She will show you that it is possible to rank at the top of Google even with a new website.
Topics Covered:
What is SEO?
How much money will SEO make for you?
How does Google actually work?
Google Ranking Factors
A step-by-step guide to SEO for clothing brand owners
Website audit for attendees