The 2014 Digital Textile conference is being sponsored by MS Italy and Kiian, and in partnership with FESPA’s Italian Association, Siotec, to provide textile printers with the opportunity to gain exclusive insight into the future direction of the industry, as well as benefiting from practical tips.

This is FESPA’s fourth Digital Textile Conference; the first took place in 2008 in Geneva, the second in 2009 in Amsterdam and the third was held in Hamburg in 2011.

The one-day conference will offer delegates an international line-up of digital textile experts who will share their knowledge and experience, including case studies from printers and end users.

The Digital Textile conference will examine the whole textile industry including promotional products, textile and garment decoration, textiles for interiors, and soft signage. The conference sessions will provide exclusive market research on topics including: Transfer versus direct printing; Technology and software; Explore fashion and Interior markets. Seminars will be simultaneously presented in English and Italian.

FESPA decided on choosing Milan as the venue for the event, as it is a European center of garment and textile production.

The event is open to anyone in the imaging community with an interest in digital textile print. Key speaker include Melanie Bowles, Senior Lecturer in digital textiles at Chelsea College of Art and Design and principal author of ‘Digital Textile Design’, as well as LA-based clothing and jewelery designer Michael Schmidt. Michael has worked with leading names in entertainment including Madonna, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Ozzy Osbourne, and in 2013 he received international attention for his creation of the world’s first 3D printed gown.

Digital textile is continuing to push boundaries and is a growing trend in the wide format print community. The Digital Textile Conference was initially launched when these applications were in their infancy, demand has now grown to the point where the majority indicate digital textile as a key area of interest.

FESPA’s fourth Digital Textile Conference will be on 2 October 2014, at Grand Hotel Villa Torretta in Milan, Italy.