Apparel Textile Sourcing Canada expands in 2019

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Jul 17, 2019

Canada's only apparel and textile sourcing show, Apparel Textile Sourcing Canada (ATSC), is introducing four new pavilions to its 2019 edition to meet the demand of Canada’s booming apparel industry. 

 
Held from August 19 to 21 in Toronto, and on August 23 in Montreal, the trade show aims to connect Canadian retailers with the world’s major apparel and textile manufacturers. 
 
After doubling in size in 2018 and expanding to include additional categories such as accessories, giftware, and home electronics, the 2019 tradeshow will focus on introducing three new country pavilions - Ghana, Peru, and Turkey - as well as a first-of-its-kind Testex Certified Factory Pavilion. 

The Ghana pavilion will feature some of the region’s top, adaptable textile and ready-made garment producers, while the Peru Pavilion will introduce attendees to unique Peruvian textiles and apparel, and recognized producers and exporters of some of the world’s best cotton, alpaca and many other fall/winter fashion products ideal for cold climate. 
 
Likewise, some of the top textile producers from Turkey will visit Canada for the first time including Abiteks and sister company Gaia-Sourcing.com, supplier to brands such as O’Neill, Espirit, Laurel, Bogner Jeans, S.Oliver and others. 
 
Finally, Swiss textile testing and certification organization Testex will be returning to the show with its own ten-booth pavilion. 
 
“Issues related to sustainability and compliance are at the forefront of sourcing and purchasing decisions for many enterprise-level buyers across North America,” explained Chase Vance, ATSC Director.

“As a result, Testex has taken an industry lead, and through its pavilion, will present examples of manufacturers that have simplified the process to meet the most stringent compliant regulations in the global apparel and textile industry.”
 
Launched in Canada in 2016, the tradeshow has been growing in line with Canada’s apparel market forecast, which is expected to be worth almost 39 billion Canadian (29.66 billion U.S.) dollars by 2020 — a 20 percent increase from 2016.  

“In spite of global trade uncertainties, the Canadian apparel and textiles industry is thriving, with an increasing number of Canadian businesses looking for alternative sources of supply to keep up the pace of growth,” explained Jason Prescott, CEO of JP Communications, who heads several sourcing platforms including ATSC. 
 
“The show has become one of North America’s most significant sourcing trade fairs, delivering extensive international offerings and key education to meet the evolving needs of the industry,” added Prescott.

“Nowhere else in Canada will you find to this scale of global ambassadors, trade commissioners, export councils and private sector executives coming together with thousands of apparel and textile industry representatives, from C-Level executives to SMEs and start-ups.”
 
ATS will equally be taking place in Berlin in September and Miami, in May 2020.