The Global Sourcing Expo, taking place 18–20 November at Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, will put artificial intelligence in fashion centre stage – a key forum for fashion and sportswear brands exploring how AI can transform design, sourcing, and customer experience.
The upcoming Global Sourcing Expo in Melbourne will spotlight AI as a force reshaping fashion and sourcing. The event, scheduled for Nov. 18–20, 2025 at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, draws apparel, textile, and footwear professionals from across the region.
One of its headline sessions, “Growth, eCommerce and AI in Fashion,” will convene thinkers like Elizabeth Formosa (Fashion Equipped), Kelly Slessor (The Ecommerce Tribe / Tribe Gen AI), and Christina Exie (Stacked Studio) to explore how brands can embed AI in operations, marketing, and growth strategies. The broader seminar series covers digital transformation, sustainability, marketing, sourcing, and supply chain themes.
Why it matters
The race for AI is open: not only to reinvent the customer experience, but as a backend technology across the entire value chain. From demand forecasting and fabric optimization to personalized digital experiences and smart marketing, athletic and outdoor brands that move fastest in AI may gain outsized margins. The Expo offers a window into how both mainstream fashion and sportswear are accelerating AI adoption.
Zooming out
The sourcing and manufacturing ecosystem stands at an inflection point. As consumer expectations gravitate toward hyper-personalization, speed, and sustainability, AI becomes the connective thread across verticals. The sports goods industry faces pressure to integrate AI to stay relevant rapidly. Events like this one showcase where the frontier lies – and hint at the gap between brands already experimenting and players still running behind.
What’s next / What to watch
• Which speaker sessions and exhibitors focus on sportswear or textile partnerships
• Whether booths or demos showcase AI in action (e.g. generative design, material simulation).
• How attendees adopt and scale AI after the Expo – and which players emerge visibly ahead, both in mainstream fashion and sportswear.
The event
• Global Sourcing Expo official site
• Dates: Tuesday 18 – Thursday 20 November 2025
• Expo categories: apparel, footwear, homewares, textiles
