This year’s AAFA Hong Kong Executive Summit brings together global leaders who are expert at tackling the complex tasks of sourcing apparel, footwear, and accessories from and selling to Asia. The AAFA Summit agenda addresses the evolving regulatory and logistical demands the Asian market presents for companies who seek to do business in this challenging region.

Panel discussion

Sidler’s panellists are Tom Glaser, Vice President of VF Corporation and President Global Supply Chain, VF Corporation and Sean Cady, Vice President Global Supply Chain and Responsible Sourcing, VF Corporation.

They will discuss how multinational corporations leverage trade programmes to grow their businesses around the world by accessing reduced costs, tax incentives, and new markets. The panel will also address the role corporate social responsibility plays in advancing effective trade for everyone. Employing worker health and safety initiatives, producing safe, high quality products, and protecting the environment all contribute to trade liberalization and ultimately to greater profitability and brand strength.

“Successful international trade depends on many factors,” said Sidler. “Transparency, third party certifications like Oeko-Tex, and responsible supply chain management all help set the global standards brands must maintain to support their CSR initiatives and protect the reputations their companies deserve in the global market place.”

Oeko-Tex

The International Oeko-Tex Association was founded in 1992 by the OETI, formerly Austrian Textile Research Institute, and the German Hohenstein Research Institute. Currently, its membership includes 16 independent textile research and testing institutes with their representative offices in 60 countries. To date, more than 150,000 Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certificates have been issued, and 10,000 manufacturers, brands, and retailers in 98 countries are working with Oeko-Tex to ensure that their products are tested for potentially harmful substances.

Oeko-Tex offers a full range of testing and certification programmes: STeP by Oeko-Tex certification for sustainable textile product manufacturing facilities, the MySTeP by Oeko-Tex database management tool, the Eco Passport by Oeko-Tex certification for textile chemical compounds, the Made in Green by Oeko-Tex label for Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified products produced in accordance with Oeko-Tex guidelines, and the new Detox to Zero by Oeko-Tex to help textile companies eliminate harmful substances by 2020.

www.oeko-tex.com