FESPA announced the launch of its Digital Textile Conference, which takes place Mar. 31-April 1 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Geneva. The conference, entitled Digital Printing for Commercial Success, will focus on both commercial and technical topics, examining market opportunities in the sector. The two-day conference, created in partnership with industry publication Digital Textile e-Broadcast, brings together several speakers who are practicing textile printers. The speakers will discuss their business, assess the current stage of the industry's development, including commercial opportunities in the expanding markets, and will address future prospects.

"FESPA has recently witnessed tremendous interest in wide-format digital printing technology for textile applications among members," says Frazer Chesterman, FESPA's managing director. "So, we feel it's the right time to support our members in this market with a dedicated conference. We're pleased to offer renowned experts from each of the key textile industry areas who can share their knowledge and expertise with delegates who may be looking at investing in digital textile printing."

Gerrit Koele, of the Dutch technical-fabric producer Royal Ten Cate, will deliver the keynote address, discussing the importance of digital printing to the European textile industry. Koele also will discuss the purpose of the Digitex project, examining the development of hardware and software for the surface treatment of textile finishing at the nanoscale.

The conference will cover a variety of topics, such as consumer customization in garment printing, inks for garment printing, technical developments in digital textile machinery, and production and sampling for fashion and interiors. Visitors also might be interested in attending the FESPA Digital Printing Europe 2008 exhibition, which takes place April 1-3 at the Palexpo exhibition centre, which is located adjacent to the Crowne Plaza Hotel. For more information about the Digital Printing for Commercial Success event, visit www.fespadigital.com.