4th Vestechpro Annual General Meeting on the theme of innovation and development

Vestechpro, the apparel research and innovation centre, held its sixth Annual General Meeting on October 15, 2015, in the Jean-Paul-Limoges Building at Cégep Marie-Victorin. The chair of the Board of Directors, Hélène Allaire, presided over the meeting.

In less than five years, Vestechpro has positioned itself as a leader in the apparel industry, a sector currently undergoing significant change. With its research infrastructure and technology laboratory, the Centre has been able to develop its own applied research and innovation techniques. Vestechpro acts as a catalyst for businesses who need to address the challenges of technological development, marketing and innovation.

In 2014-2015, Vestechpro worked on more than 70 applied research and technical assistance projects. It was particularly present in several collaborations with CCTTs; in activities related to promotion, strategic planning and development training for the future. Training programmes have been enhanced in order to reach a maximum number of clients.

In addition to projects developed in its specialized areas of research (smartwear, adaptive clothing and anthropometry), the Centre participated in several events, symposiums, conferences, trade shows and expert committees.

Vestechpro's action plan for 2015-2016 is centred on the main issues facing the industry: factors of transformation (innovation, technology, marketing), societal trends and their impact on company business models, and improvement of the industry's image.

Election to fill vacant positions on the Board of Directors

At the close of the meeting, the following people were elected by acclamation as members of Vestechpro's Board of Directors for a two-year mandate:

• Ms. Hélène Allaire, Cégep Marie-Victorin
• Ms. Sonia Ermacora, Groupe Dynamite
• Mr. Pierre Desrochers, OLOtek
• Mr. Terry Henderson, Rudsak
• Mr. Paul-Cédric Kwedy, Consultant
• Mr. Marco Roy, Fashion School, Cégep Marie-Victorin

The following people join the current members of the Board who pursue their mandate for a second year:

• Mr. Louis Arsenault, Peerless
• Ms. Anne-Marie Laflamme, Atelier b
• Ms. Danielle Vallières, Reitmans

The new Board of Directors will include nine members and one non-voting member, Ms. Marie-Pier Gagné, from the M.E.S.I. (Ministère de l'Économie, de la Science et de l'Innovation).

An inspirational conference

A speech by Mr. Walter Lamothe, President, (Retail) and Chief operating officer of Reitmans (Canada) Ltd., was the highlight of the meeting. He shared his thoughts on the repositioning of fashion businesses in a highly competitive global market. Mr. Lamothe also generously shared his ideas about the key elements of success for remaining relevant and competitive in an industry which has recently suffered many business closures.