News: Industry

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March 5, 2018

The first-ever ThreadX conference, powered by Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) and held Feb. 25-28 in Palm Springs, Calif., left an indelible impression on the garment-decorating community.

With Impressions as a media partner, this cutting-edge event was designed to help garment decorators and small-business owners strengthen their understanding of consumer trends; e-commerce and search optimization; social media; disruption; visibility and exposure; marketing; and branding.

SGIA enlisted 14 premier professionals to speak on an array of topics meant to revolutionize the changing apparel-decorating industry and the ways in which garments are produced, decorated and sold.

“There are huge shifts on who is getting business from the American consumer,” says Chris Bernat, chief revenue officer, Vapor Apparel, who co-chairs the SGIA committee that organized the conference. “We are buying without leaving our phones. We are bypassing traditional retail. ThreadX addressed the right way to position your business in front of customers.”

With some of decorated apparel’s heaviest hitters in the audience, along with suppliers, attendees were treated to forward-thinking ideas they could implement in their own businesses.

“Talk about drinking from the fire hose!” says industry consultant Marshall Atkinson of Atkinson Consulting. “The inaugural ThreadX event was one of those milestone events that people will be talking about for years. [It featured] world-class speakers coupled with extremely open networking. Amazing ideas whipped past your head constantly. Then, time to discuss with people from all facets of the business world. What was great to see was all of the industry’s thought leaders furiously taking notes. It’s going to be very interesting to see the legacy of the impact from this one event. That sonic boom you just heard was our collective minds being blown away.”

Highlights from the event included RiCardo Crespo, chief creative officer of Th13teen, a globally tenured design and branding expert who applies his expertise using unique methodologies and a keen sense of connecting next-generation consumers. He spoke about thinking about the “why” of what you do.

“You’ve got to learn how to stay competitive without sabotaging each other,” Crespo says. “This is the business of the creative. Think big. Talk small. The ability to be succinct in your communication will result in relaying why you matter. Exceptional brands show why they are.”

Authenticity really matters. “Our decisions define us,” he adds. “What you project is directly proportionate to how people perceive you and your goods.”

Ryonet’s Ryan Moor spoke of his company’s journey to become a $50 million supplier in just 14 years, saying the foundation for a successful business is built on service. He spoke about changing commodity to value.

“Garment supply and decoration started as a value-driven industry — new ideas, new products, fun and art,” Moor says. “Then it got commoditized and — like any other commoditized industry — became very price-driven, equating value to lower costs. I believe we can help shift the industry back. Whether you’re a garment manufacturer, a part of the screen-print supply chain, a decorator or a brand, we can all learn from one another to lead, to provide value to our customers — and, as a result, create better products, better jobs and more profit to go around.”

Jacob Edwards, co-founder of Jakprints, addressed the topic of “Print Is Not Dead.” “It’s just playing dead in your marketing strategy,” Edwards says. “It should complement your digital footprint and be timely, relevant and engaging. Make your products fun. Do something different, be authentic and talk about your products like you believe in them.”

Industry veteran and guru Mark Coudray of Coudray Graphic Technologies discussed knowing your customers and your market. “This means knowing what your growth potential is,” he says. “Do you know your profitability? Too many people don’t. People make buying decisions based on emotions. Understand the drivers of emotional purchases.”

He says even though 97% of consumers start their purchases on the internet, 77% prefer to buy locally if the experience and price are comparable. Also, according to Coudray, 85% of the sales cycle happens before the customer comes to you, so you get one shot at closing the deal.

Another highlight of the conference came when Rob Kramer, chief technology officer, and Andy Louis-Charles, senior vice president, strategic development, for CustomInk, discussed “co-opertition.” Entering to the tune of the “Imperial March” from Star Wars, the audience wasn’t sure what to think about their presentation given that some consider CustomInk a major competitor. But the two stressed that it is important to let go of the notion that in order to win, someone must lose.

“Co-opertition is the collaboration between business competitors with the intent of driving mutually beneficial results,” Louis-Charles says. “We’re a fragmented industry and innovation comes out of fragmented industries. To compete, you’ve got to create unique experiences for your customers. You do that by investing in your business to its scale and partnering strategically. There’s an old proverb that says, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,’ Growing the industry together is what co-opertition is all about. Customers get a better experience and that grows the future of the industry.”

The conference culminated with a presentation by entrepreneur extraordinaire Johnny Earle, founder and CEO of the T-shirt brand Johnny Cupcakes.

“My first store location looked like an old-fashioned bakery where I displayed T-shirts in vintage industrial drying racks and on baking racks,” he says. “I even made it smell like frosting. Our bakery aesthetic is so convincing that the customers feel like they are walking into a bakery expecting to get a cupcake instead of a T-shirt.”

The journey is as inspiring as it has been unpredictable. The foundation of Johnny Cupcakes was built upon an unwavering connection between the personal and the brand. — M.D.