Julie Holt, Director, Global Business & Exhibition has led the expo since its inception in 2010. She is focused on developing the exhibition’s portfolio to assist more businesses realise cross border opportunities. Holt speaks about its growing importance for Indian textile business to increase their presence in the lucrative Australia market.
What is the vision for Global Sourcing Expo 2025, particularly the Sydney edition that’s relatively new?
Our vision statement is to be Australia’s ultimate global sourcing destination providing buyers with unmatched face to face sourcing opportunity in a B2B trade show for apparel, home textiles, footwear and accessories from global manufacturers and suppliers.
The Sydney edition, while drawing on the strengths of the flagship Melbourne edition, will reinforce buyers and exhibitors face to face sourcing experience and provide a biannual edition of the expo, thereby covering the major two sourcing markets of Australia – Sydney and Melbourne.
Given Melbourne's established presence, how does the Sydney edition align with the expo's long-term roadmap?
The businesses that visit the Sydney edition are distinct from the Melbourne expo. Additionally, the June edition allows seasonal planning and ordering of products for buyers. In the long-term it’s expected that buyers will visit both editions as exhibitors will bring two distinct collections. The exhibitors that participated in Melbourne have already started participating in the Sydney expo, with two different seasonal collections.
How is the Sydney edition different from Melbourne while maintaining consistent brand experience? What unique opportunities do you foresee in Sydney?
The Global Sourcing Expo provides consistent brand experience through uniformity in service that makes the expo one of its kind in Australia. The physical elements and service delivery components at both editions are consistent in terms of quality, ensured by the team behind the show.
Although exhibitors bring trans-seasonal collections to both expos, seasonal differences are reflected in the choice of fabric texture, weight and colour palette. The two editions will remain distinct through the businesses that these cater to. In Sydney, we expect additional buyers from businesses and boutiques based in Queensland, Northern New South Wales and the Byron Bay region.
What are your buyer turnout projections for Sydney? Is the Sydney edition targeting specific sectors or regions?
Sydney is expected to continue its strong growth much like last year that saw 43 per cent increase in visitors. Also, Sydney-based buyers are aware that there is a dedicated expo there and they are scheduling their attendance and sourcing activity around that. While we are targeting all product sectors in Sydney like Melbourne, we continue to focus on promoting sustainable solutions across both shows.
India is a significant sourcing market for Australia. What is the importance of Indian participation in 2025 edition, especially in Sydney? What can Indian exhibitors expect?
Indian participation at the Global Sourcing Expo has seen good growth since 2010. The Australia-India ECTA has been a catalyst in this growth as Indian exporters are now at par with China, Bangladesh and ASEAN countries.
Indian exhibitors can leverage their differentiated skills (in prints, embroidery, hand-made), the vertically integrated set-up from fibre to fashion, and authenticated sustainability claims. Additionally, the home textiles sector has unparalleled advantage in showcasing products made of recycled fibres from Panipat. Also, Indian exhibitors can expect a market that is number two in the world in consumption of clothing and textiles on a per capita basis. With a consumer who is always looking for style, colour and choices, exhibitors need to be mindful that minimum order quantities (MOQs) are critical to securing leads. Australia has low MOQs. Additionally, Indian exhibitors can expect healthy competition from other Indian exhibitors and suppliers from over 14 countries at the Sydney event. With uncertainty in global trade, Australia offers a relatively stable environment in terms of trade besides familial and cultural linkages.
Are specific Indian export councils, trade bodies, regional clusters being directly engaged for participation in either city?
For long, Global Sourcing Expo Melbourne has enjoyed strong support from India as the India Trade Promotion Council was a seminal part of the expo in 2010 and from there, interest from across India has grown enormously. This includes national organisations, state-based organisations such as the government of Tamil Nadu and industry clusters. For example, the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), Handloom Export Promotion Council, Apparel Export Promotion Council, Council for Leather Exports and many other export councils have been consistent participants.
In Melbourne 2024, there was one trade organisation, eight export promotion councils and one SME cluster from Kolkata. We expect to see similar result for Melbourne in 2025 particularly given the global dynamics and the opportunity that Australia can offer Indian organisations in terms of a stable and affluent market.
This year, a broad range of companies from India are participating through two leading organisations, FIEO and Wool and Woollens Export Promotion Council and the number of participants will exceed last year’s. Discussions are currently underway with two other Indian organisations to participate in this year’s Sydney edition.
Are any emerging sectors gaining momentum for 2025, especially in the Sydney edition?
Several sectors that feature at the Sydney expo are gaining momentum. These include: sustainable fashion, smart textiles, luxury swimwear, activewear innovation and digital textile printing. As organisers, we will promote these sectors to ensure the expo delivers on creating immediate business opportunities between buyers and sellers.
How do product category trends differ between Sydney and Melbourne?
Both have vibrant apparel and textile industries, but they excel in different areas. Sydney is known for its focus on high-end fashion and luxury brands. It has a strong presence in luxury apparel and accessories. The city is also a hub for sustainable and eco-friendly textiles, reflecting its commitment to innovation and environmental consciousness.
Melbourne has a thriving creative and artistic community and excels in streetwear, independent labels and niche markets. It also has a major focus on technical textiles and functional apparel, and sports and outdoor wear.
What kind of buyers and businesses are expected in Sydney?
Sydney has a higher concentration of apparel wholesalers reflecting its role as a gateway for international trade. Its proximity to major ports and global business connections make it a hub for large-scale distribution. Boutique retailers are also prominent, catering to the city’s affluent clientele and high-end fashion market. E-commerce retailers are growing rapidly across both Sydney and Melbourne.
Melbourne known for its creative and independent spirit has a good presence of boutique retailers and is a stronger manufacturing hub.
Are any new initiatives, forums, or matchmaking platforms being introduced in the 2025 editions to boost B2B networking? Will there be any India-focused sessions or forums?
Both editions of the expo already include industry forums and matchmaking through the Global Sourcing Seminar program that enables contact between industry speakers and visitors/exhibitors as part of Q&A and fireside discussions. The events also include both formal and informal networking events. In our seminar program for India, we always give space to convene an India-focused session. However, none are confirmed for Sydney, we are working towards including a session in Melbourne.
How will the Expo provide value to first-time exhibitors or SMEs, particularly those from developing regions like India?
The organisers arrange a pre-show webinar to help first time exhibitors prepare for the expo. Also, the app that is provided to all exhibitors helps them track registered buyers arrange business meetings and record visits to the stand.
The Global Sourcing Seminar program helps exhibitors gain insights into the Australian market, listening to experts, brands and retailers. For exhibitors, seminar attendance isn’t charged, which is otherwise at least AU$40 per seminar. The organisers make industry introductions on a case-by-case basis at the expo through our relationship with a network of experts in attendance at the expo.
What are your strategies to maximize buyer footfall in Sydney and ensure good return on investment for participating brands?
We continue to broaden our marketing campaign, particularly our digital campaign, and leverage our industry partnerships. The results achieved in our most recent Sydney and Melbourne editions attest our efforts in attracting a broader audience, with growth of 43 per cent and 29 per cent in visitor attendance respectively.
We are investing significantly in targeted digital advertising, search marketing, and social media promotions, ensuring we reach qualified sourcing professionals across Australia and New Zealand. Our year-round strategy includes: eDM campaigns, retargeting, lookalike audience development, and partnership amplification with key buying groups, associations, and trade media.
We understand that a high-quality visitor audience is fundamental to exhibitor success, and our campaign is designed to maximise footfall and deliver qualified buyers actively seeking sourcing opportunities. Campaign activities are continuously reviewed with adjustments made to ensure we are both maximising and optimising the visitor audience — ensuring the strongest possible return on investment for participating brands.
What is your message to potential Indian exhibitors considering Sydney for the first time?"
Global Sourcing Expo has been a proven success for Indian exhibitors that have repeatedly exhibited at both Sydney and Melbourne editions. If you have a unique point of differentiation, the Australia market and this expo is for you. Welcome!
