Conversation with Julie Holt, Global Exhibition Director, Global Sourcing Expo Australia

Julie Holt is the Global Exhibitions Director of the International Expo Group. With postgraduate qualifications in Marketing and Advertising and a Master’s in International Business, she has led the Global Sourcing Expo since it was launched more than a decade ago. She has held leadership positions in global business management in events, FMCG, publishing and consulting across a broad range of industries.

Global Sourcing Expo is Australia’s ultimate sourcing destination with editions in Sydney and Melbourne each year. It is organised by the International Expo Group a boutique exhibition organizer with extensive experience in organizing both business-facing and consumer-facing events and a dynamic show team that continues to search for new ways of reaching exhibitor and visitor networks and forging meaningful and commercial connections.

Textilesresources.com is gladly presenting herewith an insightful conversation with Julie.

Textilesresources.com: In this highly competitive industry, how do you make sure to bring unique propositions for exhibitors and visitors in every edition of the Global Sourcing Expo show?

Julie Holt: The expo has grown to become the centerpiece of global sourcing in apparel and textiles sourcing in Australia and continues to evolve for each edition, reflecting focus on contemporary trends and challenges in global sourcing through the curation of a dynamic industry-led seminar program, and continued focus on attracting quality suppliers to the show from countries and regions that are well known to attendees, as well as sourcing hubs of interest to visitors. Our partnership with many industry stakeholders and regular contact with the visitor audience informs the development of the expo. Our focus is on offering something new to visitors for each edition of the expo, whether through a new feature, panel discussions on hot topics, or the introduction of new sourcing regions or industry groups from different sourcing areas.

Textilesresources.com: How important is Bangladesh RMG industry for Australia and GSE show? Do you think the current geo-political issue of Bangladesh will impact your show?

Julie Holt: Bangladesh has played a positive and enduring part of the expo since the expo was launched more than a decade ago in Melbourne as an annual event. We have deep and positive industry contacts with the Bangladesh RMG industry, and they have been a strong part of each edition of the expo, now as a biannual event, in both Sydney and Melbourne. We also note the significant efforts in promoting sustainable production. The current geo-political situation has not impeded the participation of Bangladesh in the 2024 expo. The Australian market is a destination of focus for the sector, and we look forward to another strong showing by Bangladeshi RMG producers at this year’s event in Melbourne.

Textilesresources.com: What is your view about the performance of the GSE show during recent years? What are the differences before 5-7 years and now?

Julie Holt: Following the pandemic which provided a short interruption to the expo we experienced a positive bounce in attendance from both visitors and exhibitors clearly because business was keen to reconnect after a period of disruption. The ‘bounce’ has continued with our most recent edition in Sydney in June 2024 attracting growth of 46% in visitor attendance, and our pre-registration numbers for the upcoming Melbourne edition are also very strong. The appetite for companies to exhibit in both Sydney and Melbourne on the back of increasing demand from the Sydney market clarified the opportunity to launch a second edition in Sydney each year. So now as a biannual edition, we are further able to cater for a more defined seasonality across each show and assist both buyers and sellers to maintain contact with each other through having two face-to-face editions a year. The opportunity to provide enhanced supplier and sourcing region content has expanded with two editions of the expo, and two distinct seminar programs. With two editions each year, and a greatly expanded array of sourcing locations that exhibit in each edition of the show, as compared to 5 to 7 years ago, we are finding significant momentum in the growth of the show and the ability to cater to a broader range of buyer needs. Another huge shift has been in the focus on sustainability and the mindful consumer. The expo has more of a focus on mindful sourcing as a response to the mindful consumer and focus on sustainability, differentiation, quality and functionality.

Textilesresources.com: How do you help your visitors to have a successful experience at the expo

Julie Holt: Our visitor audience includes those who are just starting their sourcing journey, those who want to simplify their sourcing journey and those who want to scale their sourcing activities. Each visitor will have unique needs, and we aim to provide content for each type of visitor in our seminar program. For example, we may have a seminar on the logistics of global sourcing for the beginner, while we may also offer a seminar program on global certification trends or the influence of AI in sourcing for more experienced sourcing professionals. We offer business matching for attendees at the expo to find the type of products that they are seeking and connect with suppliers from a particular region. We can also connect visitors with industry representatives from the various trade bodies that participate in the expo. We have a highly capable team of experts who understand how to streamline the sourcing journey at the expo itself and in the lead-up through pre-show exhibitor information.

Textilesresources.com: Which are the most critical elements of the expo for future development?

Julie Holt: The relationships we have with many of the apex industry organizations in the region and beyond are the cornerstone of our providing a strong and growing foundation of companies from some of the leading sourcing areas of the world. We continue to explore and expand these partnerships so that sourcing professionals and buyers in Australia can access companies that can meet their sourcing needs, without leaving Australia. We are also expanding our reach and relationship with other important industry partners in the apparel and textile space with opportunities to connect at all levels of the market and supply chain. We understand that sourcing is not simply about buying and selling but also research, finance, accreditations, logistics and technology, and design cooperation. We are excited about being a destination that can solve many problems for those involved in global sourcing and the supply chain.

Textilesresources.com: Your USPs and success journey.

Julie Holt: The expo has enjoyed strong growth over many years with a particular growth acceleration in recent years. Some of the factors that have contributed to this success include unmatched market intelligence and a database that we have developed over many years that is continually refined; relationships and partnerships with an invaluable set of organizations and industry partners throughout Australia and globally on the supplier side; research and curation capabilities that ensure our seminar content is best-in-class; depth of experience in global sourcing and event management and a dynamic approach to show delivery.

Ending note:

Global Sourcing Expo Melbourne is set to provide another exciting three-day showcase of exhibitors from around the world including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkiye, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Indonesia, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Africa, Cambodia, Japan and more. Co-located with Footwear and Accessories Show and China Clothing Textiles Accessories Expo there will be 900+ organisations exhibiting.

Held at the Melbourne Convention Centre and featuring the Global Sourcing Seminars program, the event connects exhibitors from around the world with manufacturers, department stores, importers, wholesalers, retail chain stores, agents and others from throughout Australia, New Zealand, and Asia Pacific.

CLICK HERE to learn more about the upcoming show GLOBAL SOURCING EXPO MELBOURNE, November 2024, or contact: Julie Holt, Global Exhibitions Director, julie@iecgroup.com.au | Phone: +61 430 700 444

To watch Julie’s another video interview on our YouTube channel CLICK HERE