Last week it was time again for our annual Supplier Meeting! Every year we bring all our suppliers together to share knowledge, discuss plans, and most importantly to truly reconnect. This year’s meeting took place at a very special location: the World Expo in Osaka, Japan.
After months of working together remotely, it was a real celebration to meet in person once more. We kicked off the event with an atmospheric opening dinner next to the impressive Osaka Castle. We enjoyed delicious food, great conversations, and the joy of spending time together with our suppliers and their families.
The next day was all about inspiration. We visited the World Expo, where innovation, sustainability, and culture come together, exactly the themes that are also at the heart of Schijvens.
On Friday, the program was followed by the substantive presentations. The presentations took place in the Dutch pavilion, right in the heart of the Expo. Besides being a unique location, it was extra special because the Dutch pavilion staff wears our clothing, made by our suppliers. We received a warm welcome from Marc Kuipers and Jan Paul, who shared the story behind the pavilion. We were given a tour of the Dutch pavilion, focusing on common ground. Then it was time for the actual meeting: we discussed our future plans, presented new projects, shared updates on ongoing projects, and met new suppliers. All the factors were present that will help us continue to build a fair and circular clothing industry together.
As tradition goes, we concluded with the Supplier of the Year Award. This year, the USD 3,000 prize went to Manderley & Kuli.
We look back on an amazing week, teamwork makes the dream work!