Thursday, November 18, 2021

8:30 a.m. (ET)

Welcome

Jennifer Marks, Editor-in-Chief of Home Textiles Today, kicks off the Material Changes conference.

8:35-9:05 a.m. (ET)

Don't Dare Ignore the Conscious Consumer

Presented by Sucharita Kodali
VP & Principal Analyst at Forrester Research Inc.

There is a perfect storm of forces pressuring textile supply chains for greater accountability. Consumers are more keenly aware than ever of threats to the environment. Governments and investors are also demanding transparency while new technology solutions and NGOs are empowering answerability. Sucharita Kodali, VP and Principal Analyst at Forrester, will frame out the state of play and explain why companies must demonstrate how they are playing an active role to satisfy all stakeholders.

9:05-9:50 a.m. (ET)

Bringing Cotton Home: How Authenticity Meets Consumers' Needs in the Post-COVID Market

Presented by Melissa R. Bastos, Director, Corporate Strategy & Insights at Cotton Incorporated
and Jennifer Lukowiak, Director, Supply Chain Marketing at Cotton Incorporated

As we evolve into a post-Covid market, what will consumers prioritize and how can the industry meet their needs? Will a healthy, environmentally responsible atmosphere inside their homes be something they seek? Will circularity play a role in their future purchase decisions? Where does cotton fit in the U.S. consumers’ home lives and how do they easily identify their cotton products? Cotton Incorporated’s Melissa R. Bastos, Director of Corporate Strategy & Insights, and Jennifer Lukowiak, Director of Supply Chain Marketing, will explore the attributes that consumers want today.

9:50-10:15 a.m. (ET)

Networking Break

10:15-11:00 a.m. (ET)

Clean Living: The Latest Developments in Textile Antimicrobials & Antivirals

Presented by Dr. Kavita Mathur, Associate Professor, Department of Textiles and Apparel, Technology and Management, Wilson College of Textiles, North Carolina State University
and Dr. Jessica Gluck, Assistant Professor of New Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science at NC State

The pandemic has spurred the use of antimicrobial in sheets, basic bedding, towels, shower curtains and kitchen linens – with a range of new antivirals coming to market as well. New applications and technologies are fostering new methods of testing to ensure product claims are accurate. Dr. Kavita Mathur, Associate professor of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management University, and Dr. Jessica Gluck, Assistant Professor of New Textile Engineering, Chemistry and Science, will share how these changes are playing out in the laboratories at NC State University.

11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (ET)

The Supima Outlook 2022

Featuring:
Marc Lewkowitz, President, Supima
Dr. Jody Campiche, Vice President Economics & Policy Analysis, National Cotton Council
Joe Dixon, COO,  J.Hilburn
Moderated by Warren Shoulberg, Editor at Large, Home Textiles Today

While cotton is a natural plant, this year more than in recent memory it is politics rather than agriculture that is impacting global supplies and prices of one of the key ingredients in many textiles products. How all of this will play out for the rest of this year and into 2022 is the subject of this special presentation.

12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. (ET)

Lunch Break

1:00-1:30 p.m. (ET)

Game On! Sports Textiles are Smart Textiles

Presented by Dr. Preeti Arya, Industry Consultant and Assistant Professor of Textile Development and Marketing at FIT

Sports textiles are leading the way in smart, performance-enhancing technologies. Dr. Preeti Arya, industry consultant and Assistant Professor of Textile Development and Marketing at FIT, will share the latest advances in textile composites, finishes, research, product development and textile performance science.

1:30-2:00 p.m. (ET)

Making Sense of Certifications & Standards – What They Cover and What They Don't

Presented by Trini Gantner, Standards Manager, Textile Exchange

The booming consumer interest in more sustainable home textiles is fueling demand for more consumer-facing third-party certifications on products. In many cases, products can carry multiple certifications attesting to their authenticity, responsible manufacturing practices and corporate social responsibility initiatives. Trini Gantner, Standards Manager at Textile Exchange, will offer a deeper understanding of the subtleties of the portfolio of standards that are in demand today.

2:00-2:15 p.m. (ET)

Networking Break

2:15-3:15 p.m.

Is Sustainability Sustainable for Home Textiles Suppliers?

Featuring:
Charles Gaenslen, CEO, Loftex
Andy Petricoff, Vice President, Indo-count
Nancy Zimmerman, Senior Director of Product Development, American Textile Company
Moderated by Warren Shoulberg, Editor at Large, Home Textiles Today

A blue-ribbon panel of executives from leading home textiles vendors will have a spirited discussion on how the issues of sustainability and traceability are hot buttons right now but will also talk about the costs and efforts involved in satisfying this need even as supply chains are stretched to their limits.

3:15-4:00 p.m. (ET)

Materials that Meet the Moment

Presented by Dr. Andrew Dent
EVP of Materials Research at Material ConneXion and Chief Material Scientist at Material Bank

In the wake of the pandemic, performance textiles are expected to do more than ever – and to do so in a sustainable way. Dr. Andrew Dent will draw from the company’s world-class materials library to share the latest developments in materials that answer the call.