APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association) has entered into an exclusive partnership with PCIAW (Professional Clothing Industry Association Worldwide), which will bring supply chain leaders in fabrics, uniforms, workwear, PPE and technology to APEX / IFSA / FTE Global Expo, the largest combined exhibition in the Americas for the international airline industry.
On 28-30th October 2024, PCIAW will host the first-ever professional clothing pavilion at the APEX / IFSA / FTE Global Expo, located at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California, USA.
Yvette Ashby, CEO of PCIAW commented on the partnership: “This project has been years in the making. In 2018, I personally flew to Canada to consult with several of the major airlines, following some specific challenges that they were facing in their uniform programmes. Since then, PCIAW has been working to offer education and advise to all our airline buyer members and uniform suppliers on best practice and innovation. Now, thanks to this exclusive partnership between PCIAW and APEX / IFSA Global Expo, we can work together to support the global airline industry to achieve a more sustainable, comfortable, and protective professional clothing programme.”
With more than 3,000 aviation leaders expected to attend the combined Expo, looking to source end-to-end customer experience solutions, the event offers a new opportunity for the professional clothing supply chain to educate key figures in aviation on the latest innovations that can improve the protection, comfort and sustainability of above-wing and below-wing uniforms and PPE.
PCIAW’s partnership with APEX is intended to give greater prominence to the professional clothing industry and create new opportunities for networking and education. The PCIAW delegation will be looking to represent performance fabrics: from uniforms, workwear and PPE designers, to sizing technologies, sustainable textile innovations and more. Airlines are demanding greater functionality, distinctive branding, longer-lasting textile solutions and circular uniform programmes, and the APEX / IFSA / FTE Global Expo is aiming to become the go-to exhibition for sourcing professional clothing innovations tailored to the airline industry.
As Nisha Muire, uniform program manager at Air Canada said of the partnership: “Uniforms are an essential part of the airline industry, for brand recognition, and also for security. Showcasing professional clothing at the APEX / IFSA Global Expo takes the exhibition to the next level, giving us greater line of sight to the innovations taking place in professional textiles and addressing the challenges we face. It also provides an important one-stop-shop for sourcing within the airline industry. I’ve learned a lot from being involved in the Uniform Buyers’ Network with PCIAW.”
Dr Joe Leader, Group CEO of APEX / IFSA / FTE, added: “The advent of our exclusive partnership with PCIAW heralds the end-to-end passenger-focused shift in the aviation industry. This collaboration not only fuses expertise in professional attire; it embodies our relentless pursuit of innovation and excellence across all facets of airline passenger experience. APEX, in concert with PCIAW, sets the stage for a transformative journey at our Global Expo with APEX, IFSA and FTE (Future Travel Experience). The powerful combination elevates the future of aviation uniformity as it not only becomes envisioned but also materialises, showcasing cutting-edge solutions that elevate protection, comfort and sustainability for crew attire around the globe.”
Nearly 100 airline companies attended APEX / IFSA / FTE Global Expo in 2023, and for this year’s exhibition, the event has been extended to feature a full three thought leadership panels. The exhibitions will open on 28th October with keynote addresses by airline CEOs, followed by top-level aviation and adjacent industry speakers throughout the event, networking opportunities, and the grand finale of the awards ceremony on the evening of 30th October.
