Sportswear Pro and co-located events to uncover innovations for on-demand garment manufacturing

With just a week to go until Sportswear Pro 2024 (19 – 22 March, RAI Amsterdam, The Netherlands), a host of international exhibitors are preparing to showcase their latest technologies in garment production, design and decoration.

Sportswear Pro comprises a dedicated exhibition space covering all aspects of on-demand, customised sportswear production from digital printing, to embroidery and heat sealing, and software solutions for process automation and supply chain management. Sportswear Pro will also be host to a dedicated conference programme, taking place on 21 March 2024.

Alongside Sportswear Pro, FESPA will host FESPA Global Print Expo, European Sign Expo and Personalisation Experience (from 19 – 22 March 2024), enabling visitors to explore the breadth of technologies involved with speciality print, signage and personalisation in a single venue, as well as access networking opportunities and learn about industry trends.

On display

At Sportswear Pro, a number of digital printing solutions will be showcased by Valadio, a Czech Republic based print-on-demand business that delivers personalised products to key European markets. The company will exhibit printing technologies for items such as clothing, bags and badges.

From equipment to digitisation software, a multitude of embroidery innovations will be displayed by: Cre8iveskills, a specialist in digitising, vector art conversion and embroidered patches; Tajima, which manufactures single- and multi-head embroidery machines; and ZSK, which creates high quality machines for sportswear embroidery.

German heat printing equipment company Stahls will exhibit its digitally printed UltraColor MAX and hybrid UltraColor transfers, as well as its Hotronix® heat presses. In addition, user-friendly web-to-print software used to enhance and streamline personalisation will be presented by Antigro Designer, Kit Builder, Optimus, Punch Cloud and XMPie.

Solutions beyond sportswear

Sportswear Pro aims to highlight to visitors the synergies between sportswear and the wider printing industry. In light of this, there will also be a number of exhibitors showcasing solutions that can be used in sportswear manufacturing – as well as a wider use of printing applications – within FESPA Global Print Expo. For example: FESPA Global Print Expo sponsors Brother and Mimaki will showcase their digital printers for customisation and finishing, including the latex wide format printer, WF1-L640 (Brother) and the roll-to-roll LED-UV printer, UJV100-160Plus (Mimaki). Other exhibitors at FESPA Global Print Expo will include: Auxicolor, spotlighting its digital printing inks; Epson, JHF Print, Kornit Digital, Leaf, MS Printing Solutions, Todo Jet and Universe Production displaying digital presses capable of printing on textiles and more; Hasler, Meevo and Nite, who will exhibit cutting innovations; and B-Flex, Coveme and Shock Line, who will display heating and sealing solutions.

Additional features

Delegates can also purchase tickets for the Sportswear Pro conference (21 March, 2024), where they will have the opportunity to learn about manufacturing, production and circularity across the sportswear supply chain. Moderated by FESPA’s Personalisation Ambassador, Richard Askam, the conference will explore topics such as: the latest innovations for materials and fabrics in sportswear design; creating value with personalisation; sustainability and trends; how circularity lies in product design; the use of AI in sportswear design; and aligning productivity and demand.

The sessions will be presented by spokespersons from: 5THREAD, Circular Concept Lab, Copper Global, Cobalt, Desinder, Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI), Pattern Project, Printful, RWTH Aachen University and The Good Factory. The full Sportswear Pro 2024 conference schedule can be found here. Conference tickets are priced at €295.

In addition, Personalise Make Wear will run alongside Sportswear Pro. Hosted by FESPA’s Textile Ambassador and CEO of Textintel, Debbie McKeegan, the smart factory will highlight, live and in-person, the end-to-end production and personalisation of sportswear, as well as sports-related merchandise. It will also comprise catwalks displaying finished items; fireside chats focused on the latest innovations and processes in the field; and expert-guided tours of the latest technologies for personalised products. Participating brands include Antigro Designer, Caldera, Coldenhove, Dekken, InkCups,  Greentex, Kleiverik, Kornit, MS Group, SEI Laster, Stahls and Tajima.

Michael Ryan, Head of FESPA Global Print Expo and Sportswear Pro at FESPA, comments: “Sportswear Pro is fast approaching and we’re excited to showcase numerous innovations involved with the various stages of the sportwear manufacturing process. Attendees will be able to gain a deeper understanding of how sportswear is designed, developed and produced, as well as how it can be created in more sustainable ways and last for longer. With our numerous co-located events taking place under one roof (RAI, The Netherlands), visitors will get to see innovations which can be used in a multitude of printing and manufacturing processes, including the creation of sportswear clothing and garments. We look forward to welcoming visitors to Amsterdam and we’re confident they will uncover new opportunities across all four shows.”

All members of a FESPA national Association or FESPA Direct can gain free access to Sportswear Pro and the co-located events, and the ticket price for non-members is €80.00. For more information about Sportswear Pro 2024 and to register, visit here. :