Jul 23, 2007RFID Journal, the world's leading media and events company covering radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, and the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), the leading trade association for the apparel and footwear industries, announced today that Esquel CIO Bridget Chan will debut a case study at the second annual RFID Journal—AAFA Apparel and Footwear Summit, which will be held Aug. 20-22, 2007, at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York City.
"RFID is becoming a critical technology for companies that want to compete in the highly competitive global apparel and footwear market," Chan says. "The RFID Journal—AAFA Apparel and Footwear Summit is the only event in the world where companies can learn how to deploy the technology successfully in this market, so Esquel is pleased to be part of the event."
Esquel, one of the world's leading producers of cotton shirts, is using RFID extensively in its operations to manage its cotton inventory and track work-in-process. It is also participating in a major Electronic Product Code trial involving the monitoring of shipments between Hong Kong and China. Chan will present a case study detailing the internal benefits Esquel is achieving, as well as the results of its groundbreaking supply-chain pilot with http://www.epcglobal.org.hk/ EPCglobal Hong Kong> and its supply-chain partners (see EPCglobal Hong Kong Wraps Two-Year, Multi-Company RFID Project).
"We're very excited to have Esquel presenting a case study at the RFID Journal—AAFA Apparel and Footwear Summit," says Mark Roberti, founder and editor of RFID Journal. "The company is well ahead of most in terms of using RFID for inventory management, manufacturing and supply-chain management, so attendees will really benefit from hearing about Esquel's experiences."
The focus of this year's conference will be on how to increase sales and cut costs with radio frequency identification. The event will open with an RFID Journal University preconference seminar, offering an introduction to RFID tailored to the apparel and footwear industries.
Chan joins a roster of leading early adopters speaking at the Summit. The keynote address will be delivered by Bill Holder, CIO of Dillard's, who will explain the work his company has been doing to determine where RFID can deliver value in the company's supply chain.
Other featured speakers will include:
- Neco Can, cofounder of Industry Standard, an RFID-enabled boutique
- Nick Tentis, managing director at Nick Tentis, a British design company using RFID to enhance the shopping experience
- Frank Cornelius, RFID project leader at New Balance
- Götz Pfeifferling, CIO of Lemmi Fashion, a European apparel company that has expanded the use of RFID throughout its operations
- Philip Calderbank, global marketing director for RFID and security at Avery Dennison's Information & Brand Management division
- Marshall Kay, RFID practice leader at Kurt Salmon Associates
- Patrick Javick, apparel representative at EPCglobal North America
- Mark Roberti, editor and founder of RFID Journal
"This is the only event where apparel and footwear companies in the United States, Europe and Asia can learn from early adopters how to realize the benefits of RFID to improve the way they manufacture, ship and sell apparel and footwear products," says Mary Howell, VP of industry relations for the AAFA. "It's the one place where executives in the apparel and footwear industries can get objective information about a much-hyped new technology and see exactly how it can, and can't, help them improve the way they do business."
The conference is produced by RFID Journal in partnership with the American Apparel & Footwear Association.
