Melbourne, Australia –Australia’s premier sourcing event, Global Sourcing Expo is hosted by boutique exposition business International Expo Group and has annual editions in Sydney and Melbourne. It links global exhibitors with Australian, New Zealand, and Asia Pacific manufacturers, department shops, importers, distributors, retail chain stores, agents, and other relevant parties.
Since its inception over ten years ago, the exhibition has developed and expanded to become a focal point for international sourcing in Australia for clothing and textiles. According to Julie Holt, Global Exhibitions Director of the International Expo Group, “The Expo is renowned for its focus on contemporary trends and challenges in global sourcing through the curation of a dynamic industry-led seminar program, and its continued focus on attracting quality suppliers to the show from countries and regions that are well-known to attendees, as well as other sourcing hubs of interest.”
The Footwear and Accessories Show and the China Clothing Textiles Accessories Expo will be held side by side at the forthcoming Melbourne Expo, which will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on November 19 and 21, 2024. Additionally, the Global Sourcing Seminars program will be present. Over 900 exhibitors from around the globe, including those from India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkiye, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Indonesia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Cambodia, Japan, and more, are expected to present an intriguing exhibition at the event.
Julie credits the expo’s recent notable growth acceleration to the organizing team’s experience and market knowledge as well as their concentration on the ongoing development and improvement of an audience database. “A large part of making sure our seminar content is best-in-class is due to our research and curation capabilities,” she says.
She continues by saying that communication with attendees and collaborations with industry participants are essential to the growth of the exhibition. With every edition of the expo, we hope to provide attendees with something fresh, whether it’s a brand-new feature, a panel discussion on trending subjects, or the introduction of new sourcing locations or industry associations. We also acknowledge that manufacturers and suppliers in the industry are focusing on the Australian market. We make sure they can take full use of their significant involvement in the Expo events by cultivating strong relationships with industry contacts.
Strategic growth plans
This tactical approach has worked well. Although there was a brief pause in operations due to the COVID pandemic, Julie reports that her team observed a favorable rise in visitor and exhibitor attendance afterward. The number of visitors to our most recent Sydney Show in June increased by 46%, demonstrating the persistence of this positive trend. Strong pre-registration numbers have also been received for the next Melbourne exhibition, according to her. Exhibitors eager to participate in both Sydney and Melbourne were encouraged by the growing demand from the Sydney market, which also made it clear that a second edition should be launched in Sydney annually. We are also able to support both buyers and sellers by providing a more defined seasonally for each show with this biennial edition.
Thanks to the two event editions’ unique lecture programs, the Expo is able to offer more and better supplier and sourcing information. The show’s expansion and our capacity to meet a wider range of customer needs—such as the growing trend toward sustainability and thoughtful consumption—are gaining tremendous traction. As a result, the Expo now places a greater emphasis on sustainability, distinction, quality, and functionality in addition to thoughtful and ethical sourcing.
Meeting the diverse needs of a dynamic audience
The Global Sourcing Expo visitor audience includes those who are just beginning their sourcing journey, those seeking to simplify their sourcing journey and those who want to scale their sourcing activities. Recognizing that each visitor will have unique needs, the Expo aims to provide varied content in the seminar program. “We may offer a seminar for the beginner, on the logistics of global sourcing for the beginner, while for the more experienced sourcing professional, we’ll offer a program on global certification trends or the influence of AI. In addition, we offer business matching for attendees, helping them find the type of products that they are seeking and connect with suppliers from a particular region. We can also connect visitors with industry representatives from the various trade bodies that participate in the expo,” says Julie.
Building partnerships for the future of the Expo
Looking ahead to the future of the Expo, Julie reiterates the value of its relationships with many of the apex industry organizations, both within Australia and beyond. “We will continue to explore and expand these partnerships so that Australian sourcing professionals and buyers can access companies that can meet their sourcing needs, without leaving Australia”.
The Expo also plans to expand its reach and relationships with other important industry partners in the apparel and textile space and explore opportunities to connect at all levels of the market and supply chain. “Sourcing is not simply about buying and selling but also involves research, finance, accreditations, logistics and technology, and design cooperation. We are excited to continue developing the Expo, as a destination that can solve many problems for those involved in global sourcing and the supply chain,” concludes Julie.
