Source Fashion, Fashion-Enter & ATMF Launch ‘Made In Manchester’ on National Manufacturing Day

Brands, retailers and buyers will meet UK manufacturers in Manchester on 4th 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 and Fashion-Enter 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.

(Discussion on UK manufacturing at Source Fashion earlier this year)

At the heart of the event will be a fundamental question: what will it really take to accelerate the re-industrialisation 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.

Jenny Holloway, Chair ATMF, Founder Fashion-Enter, said: “Made in Manchester & Regions is a new way forward for manufacturers today! Based on the last three successful Leicester Made events November 4th promises to be the best inspiring networking event yet! It’s perfect timing to be hosting this event in Manchester with our PM Andy Burnham strongly endorsing the re-industrialization and restoring of public procurement contacts! An enormous thank you to Source Fashion for making MIM a reality and partnering this event!”

Suzanne Ellingham, Event Director of Source Fashion, said: “One of the biggest barriers retailers and brands face when it comes to working with UK based manufacturers isn’t always cost, but visibility, who to work with and who is left? This event is aimed at bringing the industry together and shining a light on local capabilities and arm buyers with the insight and clear rationale as to why in an era of incredible volatility localised production makes sense as part of a balance supplier mix. We are also taking this opportunity to bring together all the key industry stakeholders who are coming together to force change and create a unified voice that will demand government support for this sector.”

While Manchester and its surrounding manufacturing community will be at the heart of the first roadshow, Made in Manchester & Regions will welcome manufacturers and industry representatives from across the UK. The initiative is designed to create stronger connections between regional manufacturing ecosystems and the brands and retailers looking to understand and access the capabilities available closer to home.

Manchester will be the first stop in a wider programme of regional events, with the UK manufacturing conversation continuing at Source Fashion at ExCeL London from 19–21 January 2027, before the roadshow heads to Scotland in Q1 2027. Further regional events will follow as Source Fashion and Fashion-Enter continue to strengthen connections across the UK manufacturing ecosystem.

The full speaker programme for Made in Manchester & Regions will be announced in the coming weeks, bringing together senior voices from across manufacturing, retail, sourcing, industry and government to address the challenges and opportunities shaping the future of UK production.

Made in Manchester & Regions takes place at Manchester Hall on 4 November 2026. The event is free to attend and open to buyers, brands, retailers, manufacturers and the wider industry.