The AFC is pleased to announce that Executive Chair Marianne Perkovic will deliver the opening address at the 2026 Global Sourcing Expo in Sydney on Tuesday 16 June.

Her address, Making the Future: Australia's Fashion Industry in a Changing Global Supply Chain, comes at a pivotal moment for the sector. Australian fashion is at an inflection point. Global sourcing networks are evolving rapidly, local manufacturing ambitions are growing, and the decisions made over the next 12 months about where we source, how we build, and who we partner with,  will shape the industry for the decade ahead.

Marianne will offer a view from the front, covering three areas the AFC believes are critical for members and the wider industry to engage with right now: the current state of Australian fashion, and where the opportunities and pressures sit heading into the second half of 2026; the Federal Government's National Manufacturing Strategy, and what it means in practical terms for designers, brands, manufacturers and retailers across the value chain; and the case for why Australia's relationships with its global supply partners have never been more strategically important — not in tension with local manufacturing ambitions, but as part of the same story.

In a first for the event, the Global Sourcing Expo and the AFC are partnering to pilot a showcase of three Australian manufacturers on the fair floor. It's a small but deliberate step to bring local capability into the same conversation as international supply, and give buyers a direct line to onshore partners alongside the global suppliers they've come to source from.

Across the three days, Patty Huntington will again host a program of insightful industry discussions, including a session on Made in Australia: The Reshoring Movement Gaining Momentum.

The Global Sourcing Expo runs 16–18 June 2026 at ICC Sydney and brings together international manufacturers, suppliers and Australian trade buyers across apparel, footwear, accessories, textiles and homewares. Entry is free for trade visitors.

The AFC encourages members to attend the opening address and to use the three days that follow to connect, compare and build the partnerships that will define what comes next for Australian fashion.

Register to attend at globalsourcingexpo.com.au