Over 450 delegates from the global cotton community gathered from 8 – 10 November at Las Vegas 2022 – the International Cotton Association’s (ICA) first traditional trade event and gala dinner in three years.
Delegates came together in the Park MGM, Las Vegas to take part in the three-day event, which saw a variety of top industry speakers take to the stage.
The event began with a series of Regional Forums and a diversity focused panel session, the Power to Empower, chaired by Bill Kingdon (ICA). It continued with keynote sessions from Ron Lawson (LOGIC Advisors / SFO Commodities), Mark Pryor (The Seam) and Kim Kitchings (Cotton Incorporated), as well as a panel session focusing on sustainable supply chains chaired by Bill Ballenden (LDC Suisse SA). There was also plenty of opportunity for delegates to network and do business, one of the main event attractions.
At the closing ‘Together Again’ Gala Dinner, a recorded speech saw Alex Hsu pass over the ICA presidency to Tim North. Alex reflected on the challenging yet rewarding journey of serving as ICA President:
“My term began amid global shipping issues, and I find it regretful that, at the end of my term, the shipping industry still has not fully resolved their issues. Unfortunately, these shipment delays have led to many disputes within the cotton community. We have encouraged, and continue to encourage, more communication between buyer and seller, to work together to find solutions.
“We’ve also achieved many successes this year. The ICA fully embraces sustainability, and to that end we continue to work with sustainability platforms around the world. This year, we have signed MOUs with Better Cotton, US Cotton Trust Protocol, and Cotton Made in Africa, and we actively engage with all organisations to promote sustainability throughout the cotton supply chain.
“The Women in Cotton group continues to make great strides in increasing diversity within the cotton industry, and I am always astounded by the energy and vibrancy that they bring to every event. But the thing that excites me the most is our return, after almost three years, to in-person meetings.
“I was very excited to be able to visit the subcontinent earlier this year, and I am really happy that we are able to be together again, here in Vegas, for the first time since the pandemic.”
Next year’s event will take place in Singapore from 10 – 12 October. Full details will be posted on the ICA website soon.
To find out more about the event visit: https://ica-ltd.org/trade-event-lasvegas-2022/