Apparel Logistique conference - redefining fibre to garment retail supply chain

But tactically, Dubai has created the $220 million Textile City - where issues on movement of textile goods will be a challenge to the players in the region. The research wing of TransLogistique Canada will highlight what and how these challenges could be managed within a global supply chain.

True to trade routes and silk business paving the way for commerce in the days of yore, the $4 billion plus Dubai textile mart, is the crossroads of business today with a 1.4 billion booming consumer market extending from the CIS to Africa and the Indian subcontinent. It has emerged as one of the most modern and profitable trading points in this region's commercial map.

"We see Dubai's textile trade moving from strength to strength as Dubai Textile City will help the trade in tapping new market opportunities that were not available earlier, or were under-utilised," said Mr. Ashok Sawlani, Vice Chairman, TEXMAS - a group of 300 strong textile merchants in Dubai. The Dubai Textile City, slated to open by the second half of 2006, will occupy a space of 5,800 square feet.

With endorsement of stakeholders in the region, TLC conference will bring to light the textile and apparel supply chain issues, from fibre to retail - that is experiencing deflationary price trends, making cost reduction the key to survival.

This has forced players to rethink the role they play within the supply chain. With operating efficiencies already quite high, members of the supply chain need to look at strategies other than reducing labour costs to improve margins.

Two key areas on which to focus are collaboration with supply chain partners and innovation.

Collaboration offers an opportunity to reduce costs in the areas of product development, inventory holding, and manufacturing through better capacity utilisation, lower reject rates and fewer charge-backs.

Investment in the innovation of products, services and business processes can result in quantum jumps in profitability for a company.

Significant growth in revenue will only come by bringing exciting new products and services to customers. Customers will always make room for something new, useful and value-packed, and will be willing to pay higher prices for it.

The conference will have 7 sessions with one panel representing the stakeholders in the supply chain of the apparel and textile industry. The stakeholders will be drawn from textile manufacturing, exporters and importers, wholesale and retail trade, key distribution and consumer groups.

Some of the issues in the Apparel Logistics are -

- The reality of e-Tailor: Mass Customization in Fashion Business.
- Inventory Controlling - Dynamic Distribution and Production Points in Supply Chain.
- Collaboration in a Textile Group: Delivering Customer Service Effectively.
- Global Supply Chain: How they work in Textile and Apparel Group.
- TWIMP Elements in Apparel Business Strategy; Is it a leverage in global operations.
- Textile Quotas: the Dancing Elephant of SCM Opportunity?
- Regulation and Deregulation in Textiles: How to manage a changing scenario of global trade ?
- Reverse Logistics: What a Retail Garments Distributor Needs to Know.
- Merchandising: Improve In Store to Ensure Velocity - Lessons from United Colours of Benetton.
- Global Logistics: Giorgio lets the cat out of the bag in Dubai.

Dubai conference will interest major stakeholders in the apparel and textile industry in UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Syria, Mauritius, Madagascar, Jordan, Kenya, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka. Translogistique invites supporters from these countries to the conference-taking place in Kolkata on February 11 and Dubai on March 21, 2006.