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An Alphabet Souper Bowl of Textile & Related Associations Create First-of-Its-Kind Collective To Support Allied Efforts
- Aug 29, 2024
- 3 min read
Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A collaboration of associations representing the global sewn products, textile, apparel and nonwovens textiles industries — known inclusively as the “Alphabet Soup Collective” in a nod to their various and plentiful acronyms — officially launched here last week.
The group comprises 11 industry associations:
AATCC | American Association of Textile Chemists and Colorists
AAPN | Americas Apparel Producers’ Network
ATA | Advanced Textiles Association
ATMA | American Textile Machinery Association
INDA | Association of the Nonwovens Fabrics Industry
NALA | North American Linen Association
NWI | The Nonwovens Institute
SEAMS | The Association & Voice of the U.S. Sewn Products Industry
SPESA | Sewn Products Equipment & Suppliers of the Americas
STA | Southern Textile Association
SYFA | The Synthetic Yarn and Fabric Association
The collective’s inaugural meeting, which was held during the 2024 Techtextil North America trade show, was a result of the associations’ desire to work more collaboratively on industry initiatives and events that are beneficial to all of their respective memberships. Moving forward the group will work to:
Bridge gaps in the various sectors of these soft goods industries’ supply chains.
Leverage the massive brain trust and expertise that exists among the association partners, sharing knowledge, ideas, and resources as needed to better the industry.
Identify ways to better support members through education and networking.
Coordinate industry calendars to avoid overlap on events and ensure industry stakeholders receive the best possible value from their invested time and resources.
“Bringing associations together in an allied industry — often with disparate goals but all aiming for the highest level of success — is something that has been an idea of many of these associations for years, and we’re happy to turn this much-needed initiative into reality,” said Harrie Schoots, leading industry expert and spearhead of the Collective.
“With each association working hard to provide the most benefit to their members, and with so many events each year, this Collective makes perfect sense. Representing thousands of members, our associations must find ways to work together and strengthen our collective presence as we face global challenges. We speak similar languages in our industry, and we are excited to involve our members in this effort to broaden our perspectives, understand each other’s issues and ensure the greatest value for everyone. I’m looking forward to the new heights we will reach together.”
Schoots added that the industry has adjusted to massive headwinds since NAFTA was signed in the early 1990s, and all of these associations have adjusted tirelessly to pivot to our members' needs,” he said. “This collaboration is the next step in our evolution as member-focused networks. Ironically, the final step in the AI takeover of our day-to-day business will have no AI at all … but simply people helping people. We still have to do that ourselves.”
In honor of these group efforts — and in true textile industry fashion — the association meeting was followed by a networking reception at Whiskey Kitchen in downtown Raleigh. The event brought together more than 280 industry professionals — representing brands, retailers, manufacturers, suppliers, technology providers, consultants and academics — from around the globe, most notably the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
“[The Alphabet Soup Shindig] was hands down, the best industry networking event I have ever attended,” said Graham Page, co-founder at iAtelier Corporation and Principal at AlchemyX, LLC. “Where else can you connect with the entire industry from start to finish, from fiber to retail? The energy was palpable. This sort of thinking is exactly what is needed in these difficult times in our broader industry. Innovation happens when you mix people and ideas to address big challenges.”
The Alphabet Soup Collective thanks all of the sponsors of the evening's networking reception, and looks forward to ongoing collaboration in the future.
"I view the textile and apparel Industry as one large, interconnected family, with all its challenges and opportunities,” said Lynsey Jones, executive director of the Americas Apparel Producers’ Network (AAPN). “As a new executive director of an historic association, this meeting was invaluable for gaining insights into the goals and efforts of my industry ‘brothers and sisters’ and exploring how we can collaborate to support our members, the industry and emerging talent. We are looking into areas like a collaborative calendar and additional co-hosted events, just to name a few. The Alphabet Soup Shindig was just the start!"
For more information on each association, we invite you to visit the websites linked above. For media inquiries, you can reach out to Maggie McDonald at maggie@spesa.org.
