ITMA rebrands as ITA

HIGH POINT, North Carolina – The organisers of the twice-yearly Showtime fabric trade fair here has rebranded itself as the International Textile Alliance (ITA), complete with a new logo and updated mission statement.

In a statement, long-time ITA executive director Catherine Morsell said the group’s board choose the new name to communicate the organisation’s many benefits beyond the three-day Showtime – the activity with which it is most closely associated.

Since its founding 1990 and until this morning, the voice of the textile industry was known as the International Textile Market Association (ITMA).

Morsell noted ITA is uniquely positioned at the centre of the textile, leather and trimmings industries to provide resources and opportunities for education, awareness, advocacy and technology to its members. While hosting and organising the Showtime market is a key benefit of ITA membership, she pointed out it also provides a variety of leadership, technology and educational opportunities throughout the year, all designed to support both the individual member and the industry.

“In recent months we’ve worked closely with our board and members to hone our mission and define our reason for being,” Morsell said. “The result of this exploration is our new name: International Textile Alliance. We chose it for its ability to represent our commitment to our members and the industry year-round. Following that model, we have renamed our bi-annual event the ITA Showtime Market, and our education program is now called the ITA Educational Foundation.”

ITA has also released a new, streamlined logo that reflects the organisation’s rebranding. In addition to modern colors and a refreshed design, it features the organization’s new tagline: Connections Happen Here. The logos for ITA Showtime and ITA Educational Foundation have also been updated to reflect the association’s new direction.

“The association has always been, and continues to be, dedicated to investing in the future of the textile, trimming, and leather industries,” added Todd Nifong, president and COO of Al Fresco Functional Fabrics. He is also the volunteer ITA president. “We are very excited about our new name and logo, and the opportunities we are creating as the global resource for the textile industry.”

The association maintains a web site at: www.showtime-market.org.

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