Since we launched our Textiles section in January, I have had the pleasure of attending a number of textiles-related events, and I have to say that Gerber’s Ideation is one of the best run I have seen yet. The conference, dedicated to fashion and retail professionals who rely on CAD and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software, offered a full day of hands-on training in the latest features of the Gerber software portfolio, followed by two days of break-out sessions, panel discussions, hands-on workshops, and a special opportunity to use some of the software to create a custom clutch (purse), including cutting and sewing the final product. I even saw several men proudly creating their clutch! There were also many demonstrations, strategic executive sessions, and networking opportunities, as well as presentation of in-depth inspirational case studies. With dozens of sessions across three different tracks plus several general sessions, everything ran completely on schedule. In fact, the conference actually ended early! The organizers did a fabulous job with this event.

Gerber has been a player in the apparel industry for 50 years, and this was the 20th year of Ideation. According to CEO Mohit Uberoi, the company has a strong balance sheet, and its investors are investing in the future. “We plan to be here for 50 more years,” he said. “We have a three-pronged strategy for investment: we’re spending money internally for development, collaborating with others in the industry, and we’re acquiring.”

The company had recently announced the acquisition of MCT Digital, adding modular laser cutting technology to its existing portfolio of finishing hardware and related software. During the event, Gerber announced another acquisition, San Francisco-based Avametric, a developer of cloth simulation technology, enabling fashion brands to deliver highly accurate 3D renderings of their products on customizable avatars for e-commerce and augmented reality (AR) applications. Gerber had been working with Avametric for a year, integrating Avametric’s fabric simulation engine into its AccuMark 3D platform. Now, with Avametric part of the Gerber family, even tighter integration is possible, and the Gerber library of avatars will be significantly expanded, among other benefits. Avametric was so excited about joining the Gerber family that they flew in 25 staff members to the event. The goal is to build an end-to-end 3D platform, including a virtual try-on capability that can make it easier for consumers to make fashion choices online—and hopefully reduce the number of online apparel purchases that are returned.