What You Missed in Austin!
- SPESA
- 19 hours ago
- 4 min read
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Austin for the 2025 SPESA Advancements in Manufacturing Technologies Conference! Bringing this event to Austin was a bit of an experiment for us, and we are very happy that we did. You are all a big part of our success, and we look forward to hosting you again soon!
For those of you who weren't able to attend in person, check out the links below to see what you missed!
2025 Advancements Conference Info
Meeting Materials
Presentations
Here are the slides that were shared during the conference.
Hot Topic Session #1 | Made in America: Turning Demand into Manufacturing Opportunity
AI & Automation: Reshaping the Future
ACC Fashion Incubator & Lectra
Photos
You can check out event photos on Facebook and Instagram. We will continue to add to these as we collect more photos from attendees. If you have any good ones, please send them to Marie@spesa.org.
Press
Just Style wrote about the event here.
All event press coverage is available here.
Any additional event press will be shared in SPESA’s newsletter (Behind the Seams) here. Subscribe for industry news!
Sponsors
Once again, we want to thank our event sponsors for helping make this and every SPESA event possible. Click the links below to learn more about these incredible SPESA members and industry suppliers.
A special thanks to Aptean and Lectra for sponsoring our networking receptions (see below)! It wouldn’t be a SPESA event without an open bar.
We also want to give a shout out to the Texas Fashion Industry Initiative and the ACC Fashion Incubator for their tremendous help bringing the local industry to the event.
What Was Special About 2025?
Made in Texas
The 2025 Advancements Conference featured sessions on global topics that are relevant to any market such AI & Automation; sourcing; and manufacturing scalability, but also brought a sharp focus to U.S. production and nearshoring. A topic that was especially pertinent as President Trump announced a new round of tariffs while we were in Austin.
Keeping it local, we were thrilled to partner with the Texas Fashion Industry Initiative to introduce our attendees to the state’s burgeoning industry. Touching on a wide range of issues from building successful supplier relationships to managing carbon footprints to inspiring emerging designers, the TFII panel kicked off our day with a discussion on the manufacturing opportunities available in Texas, and the challenges ahead.
Showing Up & Showing Off
As always, the 2025 Advancements Conference also featured SPESA members — the creators of the most advanced machinery and technology available in today’s market — discussing the industry’s challenges and their solutions. “This event is crafted for our members to show off a bit, not through a sales pitch, but through the incredible wealth of knowledge they possess,” SPESA President Michael McDonald explained in an event press release. “The amount of expertise that will be in that room in Austin will blow you away.”
McDonald continued: “The only way for us to move forward as an industry is to continue having dialogues like those that will take place in Austin. When you are talking about the challenges in our industry, like reshoring production, integrating technology, or automating operations, you need to hear from both the manufacturers facing these challenges and the suppliers who are creating the solutions. SPESA is honored to be the facilitator.”
Networking with Friends
The conference's educational sessions all took place at the Austin Central Library on April 3rd. However, we informally got he balling rolling with a Welcome Networking Reception at the Austin Community College Fashion Incubator the evening of April 2nd.
Attendees had a chance to tour the facility; check out some of the equipment — acquired through the Fashion Incubator’s partnership with SPESA member Lectra — hear from Director Nina Means and SPESA President Michael McDonald; network with industry colleagues; and, of course, sample some tasty local beverages!
This reception was also open as a separate event to the Austin sewn products industry at large.
The April 3rd Reception, sponsored by SPESA member Aptean, focused a bit more on entertainment than education, but was no less important to our event! Per usual, our plans to shut down the party at 7pm were quickly thrown out the window and attendees continued their conversations long into the night, making new friends and memories to last a lifetime.
We aren't sure yet where the next SPESA Advancements Conference will take place, but it will be somewhere good! Keep an eye on the SPESA website for updates.
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