Two Weeks to Go: Industry Leaders Set to Explore the Future of UK Manufacturing at Manchester Made & Regions

With just two weeks to go, Manchester Made & Regions will bring together industry leaders, brands and manufacturers on Wednesday 4th November 2026 at Manchester Hall to explore the opportunities and challenges shaping the future of British manufacturing.

Organised by Fashion-Enter Ltd and Source Fashion, with support from the ATMF, the event will feature expert speakers from across fashion, textiles and industry, with discussions focused on making UK manufacturing more commercially competitive.

Opening the programme, Jenny Holloway, CEO of Fashion-Enter Ltd, will moderate What Will It Take? Re-industrialisation of the UK, alongside Snahal Patel, CEO of 23 Foxes; Cheryl Chung of The Garment and Textile Workers Trust; and Professor Jess Power, Chair of The Textile Institute. The panel will explore what is needed to turn onshoring ambitions into meaningful orders for British factories.

Patrick Grant, CEO of Community Clothing and BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee presenter, will discuss how brands can build successful businesses using British manufacturing, while Jack Stratten, Head of Trends at Insider Trends, will examine the growing importance of durability, longevity and quality in The Only Trend That Matters.

The programme will also tackle common misconceptions around UK production, with Isatou Ndure, Senior Reporter at Just-Style, moderating Busting the Myths Around UK Manufacturing, featuring Simon Platts.

In the afternoon, Marguerite Le Rolland, Global Insight Manager for Fashion at Euromonitor International, will explore global fashion trends. Scott Wheeler, Founder of Hyper-Hyper, and Nicholas Betts, CEO of Zerotec, will discuss how regional manufacturing capabilities can become more visible and commercially competitive.

The day’s discussions will conclude with a practical look at building a business case for UK manufacturing, considering cost, risk, margins and long-term growth.

Alongside the speaker programme, attendees can meet manufacturers and industry organisations from Manchester and across the UK, discover their capabilities and build valuable business connections. Further speakers and exhibitors will be announced in the coming weeks.

Building on the success of Leicester Made & Regions, Manchester is the first stop in a wider programme developed by Fashion-Enter Ltd and Source Fashion. The conversation will continue at Source Fashion in London from 19th – 21st January 2027, before moving to Scotland later in the year.

Manchester Made & Regions

Wednesday 4th November 2026

9:30am–4:00pm

Manchester Hall, Manchester

Register to attend here

The programme and speaker line-up are subject to change.