Audience: Open industry. All apparel and footwear industry professionals, regardless of AAFA membership, are encouraged to participate.
Description:
Growth is a wonderful problem to have but managing it effectively requires structure! How can technology like PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) help brands manage all the moving parts of product development in the context of growth?
Join this webinar and hear from Katherine Bennie, Senior Home Merchandiser from Mud Pie — a leading gift company and manufacturer of baby and kids apparel, fashion and accessories, and home pieces. Katherine will talk about Mud Pie’s incredible expansion, going from a small business selling just 10 items to three divisions (Baby, Living, and Fashion) — selling products to more than 16,000 specialty retailers!
Topics covered during this webinar include:
- Managing growth and its challenges.
- Adding more categories without adding complexity.
- Knowing when you need PLM.
Speaker:
Katherine Bennie
Senior Home Merchandiser
Mud Pie
Katherine Bennie is the Senior Home Merchandiser for Mud Pie . As a home merchandiser, she oversees the production of over 1,000 styles each season. This includes price negotiation, sample management and purchase orders. She works closely with Mud Pie’s sourcing partners and has traveled to Asia to source new products, visit sourcing fairs, and work on open items with factories. In 2017 Katherine oversaw the implementation of the Product Lifecycle Management system internally, and for Mud Pie’s overseas partners. The system was able to go live after six months of building. Katherine graduated with her BA from Baldwin Wallace University and has been at Mud Pie for four years.
Moderator:
Susan Lapetina
Senior Vice President, Education and Corporate Marketing
AAFA
Susan Lapetina leads AAFA’s education, programming, and special events initiatives. An experienced executive in meetings, events, marketing, and strategic planning, she directs the association’s signature events, the Executive Summit, Hong Kong Summit, American Image Awards, as well as AAFA’s Board meetings. Susan launched AAFA’s international training conference series throughout Asia and built its webinar platform. Spearheading AAFA’s Elite sponsor program, Susan works closely with supplier members to bring them visibility and recognition among association members. Before joining AAFA in 1999, she was Principal of Marketing Evolutions, a strategic planning services firm focused on associations and nonprofits. She also served as the Director of Marketing at the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the American Society of Landscape Architects. A graduate of Canisius College, Susan is originally from upstate New York.
Sponsored by: