THREADX 2020, the premiere event designed to help apparel print shop owners navigate everyday business challenges and opportunities, was held Feb. 23-25 in Scottsdale, Ariz. The sold-out event, produced by the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA), brought the “who’s who” of the apparel decorator community together to the powerful three-day, information-packed gathering.
Opening the conference with “Hug Your Haters: How to Embrace Complaints and Keep Your Customers,” Jay Baer, owner of Convince & Convert consulting firm, presented on how to handle online reviews and turn them into usable opportunities, which was met with enthusiastic response.
“This was my first THREADX and I thoroughly enjoyed learning from my industry peers and gaining insight to valuable best practices in apparel manufacturing,” says Steve Dean, CEO of Addix Gear. “I particularly loved the segment on “Hug Your Haters…” from Jay Baer. It’s always time to get back to basics and ‘mad’ customer retention skills are always relevant.”
Scott Wozniak, CEO of Swoz Leadership, presented “Raving Fans” where he shared practical examples and resources for attendees to go beyond a base of merely satisfied customers motivated by price to a loyal and enthusiastic following. Aaron Draplin, another key industry notables, presented “Things No One Talks About in Graphic Design.”
“We had six team members attend this year’s THREADX conference and we all had a great experience,” says first-time attendee Ryan Boler, art department manager for Anton Sport. “We held a roundtable discussion following the conference, and each of us had different key takeaways from the variety of presentations. The entire conference was organized and well run. The speakers and attendees were fun and engaging. THREADX provided a great opportunity to get together and share ideas with our industry peers.”
Big name industry sponsors supported THREADX 2020, including: Epson, OmniPrint, SanMar, Bella + Canvas, JERZEES, BBC Industries, Inc., Chromaline, and SAATI. Many also participated in the event’s speaker line-up.
“It was a pleasure for OmniPrint to be a Diamond Sponsor of THREADX, the number one symposium for the apparel decoration industry,” says Victor Peῆa, CEO and founder of OmniPrint International. “In addition to being leaders in award-winning DTG printing, we pride ourselves in empowering our users and others to succeed. With that being said, THREADX attendees notably benefited from our sponsor presentation on how they can leverage up and coming influencers to grow their digital brand recognition.”
Attendees had the opportunity to convene each night at specially crafted dinner functions following each day’s packed agenda of education and discussion designed for apparel decorators, by apparel decorators.
“Big things can happen in small groups,” says Chris Bernat, chief revenue officer for Vapor Apparel. “SGIA assembled a superior group of presenters. The networking was fantastic. It was like a MENSA meeting for forward-thinking apparel decorators. A great knowledge gain was had by all.”
Specialty Graphic Imaging Association (SGIA) is the premier printing and graphic arts trade organization that provides members with cutting edge resources, tools and education to promote growth and convergence into new market segments. SGIA members have unparalleled access to current industry information, trends and events, including PRINTING United in Atlanta on Oct. 21-23, 2020. For more info, visit sgia.org
