MEET THE MANUFACTURER
Location
The Old Truman Brewery
146 Brick Lane London E1 6QL United KingdomRefund Policy
Description
MAKE IT BRITISH presents
Meet the Manufacturer
CONNECTING YOU TO UK FACTORIES
Why attend this conference & trade show?
Everyone is talking about a return to UK manufacturing, some would even say it never went away. Even George Osborne announced in the last budget that Britain should be manufacturing more. But in reality, how easy is it to grow manufacturing in Britain again, particularly in an area like clothing and textiles, which was one of the biggest sectors to be affected when production went overseas in search of cheaper labour? And where do you even begin to start if you are looking to make garments or accessories in Britain again?
Over 2 days this June the Make it British Meet the Manufacturer event will help to solve these problems and inspire you to walk away with a positive action plan for successfully manufacturing in the UK.
When?
DAY ONE - WEDNESDAY 11TH JUNE 2014
Conference 9am - 5pm
Trade Show 10am - 5pm
DAY TWO - THURSDAY 12TH JUNE 2014
Conference 9am - 5pm
Trade Show 10am - 5pm
The Conference - 9am - 5pm
DAY ONE - BRITISH MANUFACTURING IS BACK!
Day one looks at the bigger picture and will be helpful for businesses looking to bring clothing manufacturing back to the UK. Lots of talk about skills and Speakers and panelists will include:
- Mary Portas, retail expert and founder of the British-made lingerie brand Kinky Knickers – opening the conference and keynote speaker
- Tony Lutwyche, once described by the Financial Times as the most important figure in English tailoring, will be stories from Savile Row and revealing details of the work he has done at his Cheshire Bespoke workshop for clients including Chester Barrie, Ralph Lauren and M&S
- Steven Barr, head of the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) will present details of the Reshore UK initiative
- Lucy Siegle (The Observer) will chair a panel including Mary Portas, William Church, owner of Joseph Cheaney & Sons and David Evans from Grey Fox Blog, who will discuss what the words ‘Made in Britain’ mean to them and whether a ‘Made in Britain’ label really represents quality and craftsmanship these days
- Jenny Holloway from Fashion Enter and Sophie Glover from ASOS will explain why ‘Made in Britain’ is here to stay
- Daliah Simble, head of production and sourcing at Roland Mouret will discuss the skills gap in UK apparel manufacturing at a factory and head office level
- Ian Scott, Supply Director at Mulberry, and Bridgwater College, will share how they successfully set up an apprenticeship programme that has created 300 new craftsmen and women for the new Mulberry factory in Somerset.
- Tony Gaddum from Gaddum & Gaddum, James Shaw from Albam Clothing and Jayne West from Creative Skillset will debate ‘Making it British: the Challenges and Opportunities.’
Day two ‘Building Great British Brands’ will focus on issues faced by smaller brand owners, and start-ups on how to launch and build a Great British brand with advice on how to work with UK factories and manufacturers:
- Ian Maclean, managing director of John Smedley will deliver the keynote on why the UK is poised for a new industrial revolution
- James Eden, CEO of British menswear brand Private White V.C., Harriet Barford & Polly Wilkinson from womenswear brand Draw in Light and Simon Middleton, The Great British Banjo will be quizzed by Debra Hepburn founder of the website Young British Designers about what makes a Great British brand, and whether they believe that a ‘Made in Britain’ label can help sales in the UK and abroad
- Daniel Harris, founder of the micro mill London Cloth Company, and Kate Dawson from The All in One Company, who launched her own clothing company knowing nothing about manufacturing, recount their experiences of setting up their own factories to build their brands
- Journalist, Eve Pollard OBE, from Eve Pollard Designs shares her thoughts on why manufacturing her clothing label in the UK was the only way to go
- A panel of UK factory owners and designers, including James Fisher from Globe-trotter, Lindsay Taylor from cloth weavers Holland & Sherry and Sital Punja , owner of Threads London, will close the day with a discussion on how to get the most from working with UK manufacturers.
Alongside the conference there will be a trade show housing over 40 of the best fashion & textile manufacturers in the UK. Factory owners will be on hand to show you the quality and diversity of the garments, fabrics and accessories that they can manufacture, and the services that they can provide. A great opportunity to 'meet the manufacturer' face-to-face.
Our Partners
Once described by the Financial Times as the most impotant figure in English tailoring
Organised by
Make it British is an organisation promoting British craftsmanship and UK manufacturing. Founded in 2011 by Kate Hills as a way of supporting British brands that manufacture their products in the UK, the website provides a platform for news and views relating to all things ‘Made in Britain’, as well as a directory of businesses that manufacture in the UK.