明尼苏达州罗斯维尔 - 2022年3月3日 - “丰富”。“增强权力。”“充满活力。”这些只是对2月16日至19日在佐治亚州举行的纺织品峰会中国际工业面料协会（IFAI）女性（IFAI）女性（IFAI）的一些参与者描述。
After being held virtually last year during the pandemic, nearly 100 business leaders and professionals of multiple generations converged on the Château Élan Winery and Resort in Braselton, Ga., to reconnect, learn and gain inspiration at the fourth-annual event. These women were able to share their experiences through several networking events and activities, gain insights into paths to success and hear compelling speakers with timely, relevant messages.
峰会举办了引人入胜的会议，开放性的互动以及在商务会议和活动中建立联系的机会，包括招待会，品酒，瑜伽，早晨散步，正念休息和琐事比赛。确实，独特的活动为成长和领导力提供了论坛。
Under the theme, “Continuing to Believe What is Possible,” the event was co-emceed by Apurba Banerjee, principal textiles engineer-Hand Tools at Milwaukee Tools, and Rachal McCarthy, president of NTI Global. A number of returning attendees were on hand, along with many first-timers, including Tanya Wade, intake administrator at the Manufacturing Solutions Center (MSC), Conover, N.C.
“这是我第一次参加纺织品峰会上的女性，这并不令人失望！”韦德说。“没有什么可以与一群妇女的能量和同志相提并论的，这些女性正在互相支持和建立。这就是这次会议的全部内容。我遇到了许多新的朋友和行业联系人，并期待在纺织品峰会上的下一个女性见面。”
In a poignant Opening Day keynote, “Pivots & Pirouettes for the Post-Pandemic World,” Mary-Cathryn Kolb, founder & CEO of Atlanta-based brrr°, explained the challenges and opportunities she has experienced since launching the company in 2014, the pandemic notwithstanding. She said the highs are high and the lows are low — but the experience of entrepreneurship, especially now that the company is reaching the “tipping point of it being a fun ride,” is deeply fulfilling. Kolb discussed the devastating impacts of the pandemic and subsequent supply chain disruptions to her business, which pushed her team to look inward, strengthen as a team and emerge poised for growth.
In the Closing Day keynote — back by popular demand from the last in-person summit in 2020 — Karen Hinds brought numerous inspiring messages in her presentation, “It’s Not Too Late: How to Boldly Step into Your Greatness.” Hinds, author of several books and founder and CEO of Workplace Success Group, motivated attendees — in animated and entertaining fashion—through anecdotes and stories aimed at getting them out of their comfort zones, to find a network of people to “support and irritate” them, to establish financial security and to be sure to take time to for themselves to “relax, exercise and enjoy the ride.” By “irritate,” she said we all need people around us who “nitpick and test us” in order to think differently and reach our full potential.
其他主持人
Among other speakers sharing their insights and wisdom from the dais were:
- Jennifer Fennell, CPM, director of Supply Chain at Polo Custom Products, Topeka, Kan., who discussed “How Supply Chain Can Capitalize on the Challenges of 2021” in the first of two Market Segments. She discussed the keys to managing her global team and keeping them engaged and forward-thinking—remotely—during the pandemic and “every supply chain nightmare imaginable. When faced with the unthinkable, we all rolled up our sleeves and went to work, together. COVID, this common enemy among us, brought us together in a unique and unbreakable way.”
- NTI Global的总裁Rachal McCarthy是德克萨斯州达拉斯的一家家族和经营的工业塑料和纺织品制造商，他在“不平衡：我的生活，我的工作和我的四年级的中断的故事”中提供了个人证词。她揭穿了共同的工作与生活平衡神话，说：“尽管社会希望我们想到什么，但平衡来自您和您的需求。”她告诉与会者，他们应该自己“真实”，并通过确定有助于其平衡的原因来改变行为，从而为更加平衡的生活进行改变；设定支持寻求平衡的目标；并停止“应该”并开始做。
- Jasmine Cox, director of Textile Technology Programs and Business Innovation, Textile Technology Center at Gaston College, Belmont, N.C., who presented an interactive session on attracting and retaining new talent and some of the struggles women face in the industry. Mentorship and development are crucial factors in retention, she said, explaining methods for and the importance of each.
- Unifi Manufacturing，Inc。品牌销售总监Melissa Henkle涵盖了可持续性在第二个市场领域的重要性，被称为“要死的衣柜”。她讨论了总部位于北卡罗来纳州格林斯伯勒的公司如何采购回收材料，减少能源，水和温室气体排放，并帮助计划循环的未来。她报告说，由于塑料和纺织品占垃圾填埋场内容的高百分比，Unifi正在不懈地努力帮助减少这些数字。她说，该公司最近达到了300亿个里程碑，将可回收的塑料瓶转换为聚酯芯片，这些芯片在其Repreve®纱线性能纤维中使用，并解释说，Unifi的Repreve®我们的海洋计划与品牌收集了海洋结合的塑料以进行回收。
在通过几代纺织和IFAI领导力的一个引人入胜的小组讨论中，IFAI的过去和现在主席讨论了他们如何导航其职责，同时还经营自己的公司和个人生活。小组成员包括现任IFAI主席MMI Textiles Inc.的首席执行官兼创始人Amy Bircher；凯蒂·布拉德福德（Katie Bradford），MFC，IFM，定制海洋画布的所有者，伊法伊（Ifai）的第一任女主席；以及Glawe Awnings and Tent Company的所有者兼首席运营官Kathy Schaefer，Ifai Ifai近期主席。
峰会还包括引人入胜的圆桌讨论，参与者彼此了解更多以及他们面临的挑战。主题包括指导，专业进步，供应链中断以及“了解” IFAI和其他与会者公司。
“去年参加虚拟会议后，我感到精力充沛，很高兴今年参加我的第一届IFAI女性在纺织品峰会上参加。”“在当今女性面临的各种相关主题的鼓舞人心的演讲者和大量的网络时间之间，再加上在一个美丽的场地中的有趣活动，这一切都使我能够在纺织行业建立更深入的联系。我感到有能力并有动力应对工作中的下一个挑战。”
Save the date
明年的峰会将于2023年3月1日至3日在南卡罗来纳州查尔斯顿的弗朗西斯·马里恩酒店举行。
发表：2022年3月3日
资料来源：工业面料协会国际（IFAI）
