MILAN – Planet Textiles, the international sustainability conference will return this summer at the world’s largest textile industry trade fair, ITMA. 

Following on from the previous Planet Textiles held pre-pandemic at ITMA 2019 in Barcelona, this time the event will be organised by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) and will run for two full days – from 12-13 June at the Fiera Milano Rho exhibition centre in Italy.

Planet Textiles will welcome industry leaders to discuss the sector’s most pressing environmental challenges and how best stakeholders can work together to drive practical, collective change in the textile industry. 

The two-day event also provides a perfect opportunity for attendees to network with peers, learn about the latest trends and explore the full textile ecosystem. This will also include the latest Higg Index updates, the role of manufacturers in driving change, getting data right and the need for further action on science-based targets.

The event will be run in partnership with MCL News & Media and companies keen to participate or sponsor in what will be an action-packed Planet Textiles agenda are urged to contact the SAC team.

Due to the coronavirus outbreak, Planet Textiles last event was held in June 2019 and attracted more than 420 delegates, with speakers from the likes of H&M, Nike, HSBC, ZDHC, Higg and a special innovation panel run by Fashion for Good.

Lee Green, Senior Director, Communications at the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, said, “We are delighted to be hosting this year’s Planet Textiles at ITMA 2023 and in collaboration with MCL News . Planet Textiles is renowned within the industry as a key sustainability event, so we have a lot of responsibility to ensure we deliver the very best program and speakers in Milan. Partnership is the new leadership, so we look forward to bringing together our global community to take advantage of this unique opportunity alongside tens of thousands of ITMA visitors as we explore sustainability innovation across the value chain and the vital role played by manufacturers”.

Registrations will open on January 31. To learn more, visit the SAC website.

Due to the strategic decision to host the last conference alongside ITMA 2019 – the industry’s largest textile event – stakeholders from all corners of fashion’s supply chains turned out in what proved to be a collaborative, positive exchange of ideas and innovations. 

Planet Textiles’ 2023 return will be no different. In fact, it promises to dive deeper into the key, practical environmental issues facing our industry with insights from leading brands, textile manufacturers, non-profits and academic institutes.

“This will be made possible via a new, exciting agreement with the team at the SAC – which means for the first-time the event will be held over two days,” noted John Mowbray, the editor of Ecotextile News, which is published by MCL News & Media. “Working closely with the SAC to develop content, Planet Textiles is set to be the most important practical conference on textiles and sustainability to date, and we’re excited to once again host it in conjunction with ITMA – which routinely attracts more than 100,000 visitors.”

ITMA, a quadrennial event, often referred to as the ‘Olympics’ of the textile industry calendar, has already indicated that it will spotlight new solutions on sustainability and circularity, innovative technologies, and the rise of digitisation in the global textiles and fashion sectors.

For more information about the event itself, which first ran in 2009, see also: www.planet-textiles.com