Level Up: Expert-Led Education at the 2025 Apparel Decoration Summit
In just a few short months, the third-annual Apparel Decoration Summit will take place in Nashville from June 2-4, 2025. Built on the success of the two previous years, this event brings together high-level apparel decorators and industry leaders for three days of education, networking, and relationship building. This year’s educational sessions puts special emphasis on the business details every shop owner needs to know.
Dissecting Industry Data and Trends
June 2, 2025 – 4:10-5:10 p.m.
Keynote Session: State of the Decorated Apparel (SODA) Industry Survey Data Presentation and Analysis
The SODA survey has grown to encompass a large selection of decorators providing essential insight and data into the state of the decorated apparel industry. From feedback and numbers from industry peers, to global economic influences and resources, this data is invaluable to your business. The NAPCO/PRINTING United Research team provides a thorough presentation of the numbers as well as analysis on what they mean and how you can apply the data to your shop. A panel of industry peers will also participate to provide real-time analysis and application of the data and what their business is experiencing.
Starting the event off right away on night one is a presentation by the NAPCO research team on the data gathered from the most recent State of the Decorated Apparel (SODA) industry survey. Conducted, gathered, and analyzed by PRINTING United Alliance’s Chief Economist Andy Paparozzi and Economist Onamica Dhar, this session goes much deeper than just sharing numbers. Real applications and suggestions will be presented to attendees on how to capitalize on industry trends.
The session will also include a panel of shop owners, who will shed on light on how they see these trends playing out in their businesses plus their insight and experience as to how they’re using data.
Moderator and Presenter: Lisa Jones, Principal Analyst, NAPCO Research; Panelists: Megan Griffith, P&M Apparel; Angie Stiles, High Desert Prints; Nicole Reynolds, Apparel Lab
June 3 – 8-8:45 a.m.
Keynote Sponsor Session: Dissecting Industry Trends, Challenges, and Expectations
Keynote sponsors will take to the stage to discuss attendee-submitted questions. Topics such as AI use in shops, supply chain, new technologies, and more will be discussed.
Attendees at the Apparel Decoration Summit were asked to submit their burning questions. Our team then compiled those questions, which will be addressed during the keynote sponsor session. Designed to be an open-ended discussion, Apparelist Content Director Cassie Green will moderate what is sure to be a lively conversation.
Moderator: Cassie Green, Content Director, Apparelist; Panelists: Jason Peters, S&S Activewear; Kornit Digital (Speaker TBA)
June 3 – 10:55-11:45 a.m.
General Session: Why Seconds Matter: Maximizing Efficiency in Print & Apparel Manufacturing
In an industry where margins are tight and competition is fierce, every second counts. This session will explore how manufacturing, sales, and accounting efficiencies can drive profitability and growth for screen printers, apparel decorators, and promotional products businesses. Small time savings add up — learn how to optimize operations and turn seconds into dollars.
Jeffrey Paul of YOUNGONE Corporation is back by popular demand. This year, he will demonstrate on stage just how much time shops waste with inefficient production floor layouts, improper training, using outdated processes and software, and more. He will also teach attendees how to instead optimize all areas of their business to not only save time, but increase productivity and profit.
June 3 – 2:10-2:45 p.m.
General Session: Apparel Decorators and OSHA – Don’t Become an Enforcement Statistic
We are at the beginning of the Trump 2.0 Administration and there has been a flurry of activity to implement a deregulatory agenda. However, this does not mean OSHA is going away. This presentation will review OSHA enforcement activity, rulemaking, and other developments to watch as the year unfolds. We will discuss the common OSHA violations in apparel decoration operations and what steps you will need to take to become compliant or remain compliant.
Throughout the last couple years, Gary Jones, PRINTING United Alliance’s vice president of environmental, health, and safety affairs, has raised awareness in the apparel decorating community about the seriousness of shop safety and OSHA enforcement. As shops continue to get fined and violations continue to be doled out by the agency, decorators must understand the seriousness of the topic as well as how to create and maintain a safe working environment.
Jones will update attendees on the latest OSHA activity, where he commonly sees shops get fined, and give actionable takeaways that owners can immediately implement.
June 4 – 8:15-9 a.m.
General Session: Effective Strategies to Boost Your Sales
Kevin Baumgart has worked directly with over 150 apparel decorators of all sizes. He’s had a front row seat on sales strategies that work in shops and will share some of the most impactful examples. In this rapid-fire session, he will review what shops have done and the impact that it had. Attendees will be able to take some tangible strategies from these case studies back to their businesses to help grow revenue.
It might be a rapid-fire session, but these sales strategies should sink deep with Summit attendees. Using several case studies, Kevin Baumgart of Sales Ink shows just how effective the strategies are when applied in real-life scenarios. For shops that want to know the smart way to grow sales, this session will help.
