Brands, retailers and buyers will meet UK manufacturers in Manchester on 4 November as industry leaders come together to build the commercial case for localised production and create a stronger, unified voice for UK manufacturing.
Source Fashion
ATMF, Fashion-Enter and Source Fashion are taking their commitment to British manufacturing directly into the regions with the launch of Made in Manchester & Regions, taking place at Manchester Hall on 4 November 2026.
The first in a new programme of regional roadshows, Made in Manchester & Regions will give buyers, brands and retailers the opportunity to meet UK manufacturers, discover the breadth of local production capabilities and explore how sourcing closer to home could work for their businesses. Alongside this, manufacturers, trade associations and wider industry stakeholders will come together to address the future of UK manufacturing and identify the practical action needed to strengthen the sector.
Building on the success of the Leicester Made events and Source Fashion’s growing work to champion British manufacturing, the Manchester event comes as continued volatility across global supply chains prompts brands and retailers to look again at resilience, flexibility and proximity, while UK manufacturers face rising costs, tighter margins and pressure on capacity and skills.
At the heart of the event will be a fundamental question: what will it really take to accelerate the reindustrialisation of UK fashion and textile manufacturing? Made in Manchester & Regions will move the conversation beyond the ambition to source more locally and examine the practical and commercial conditions needed to make it happen. The programme will explore the barriers preventing more orders from being placed with British factories, the role of public procurement, and how manufacturers can compete through speed, flexibility, quality, sustainability and closer customer relationships rather than cost alone.
A major focus will be helping brands and retailers build a stronger business case for UK manufacturing. As sourcing decisions face increasing scrutiny around cost, margin, risk and long-term growth, discussions will explore how localised production can form part of a balanced supplier mix and how its benefits can be articulated in a language that resonates in the boardroom.
The programme will also examine changing consumer and market trends, including the growing focus on durability, longevity and quality, alongside the realities facing British manufacturers and the pressures being absorbed behind the scenes as they negotiate pricing, MOQs, lead times and long-term supplier relationships.
Crucially, Made in Manchester & Regions will provide a platform for key industry stakeholders to come together around the future of the sector. Alongside strengthening connections between buyers and manufacturers, the event aims to encourage greater collaboration across the organisations representing UK fashion and textile manufacturing, creating a more unified industry voice to champion the sector, influence change and make the case for greater government support.
