Source Fashion and Fashion-Enter will stage Made in Manchester & Regions at Manchester Hall on 4 November 2026, the first event in a new programme of regional roadshows aimed at connecting buyers, brands and retailers directly with UK manufacturers.

The event is free to attend and open to the wider industry. Its organisers pitch it as more than a trade show: manufacturers, trade associations and industry stakeholders will gather to address the future of UK fashion and textile manufacturing and identify practical action to strengthen the sector.

The roadshow builds on the Leicester Made events, three of which have run to date, and Source Fashion's broader work championing British production. It arrives as continued volatility across global supply chains pushes brands and retailers to reassess resilience, flexibility and proximity in their supplier mixes, while UK manufacturers contend with rising costs, tighter margins and pressure on capacity and skills.

At the centre of the programme sits one question: what will it actually take to accelerate the reindustrialisation of UK fashion and textile manufacturing? Organisers say the event will move the conversation beyond sourcing ambition and into the commercial conditions required to make nearshoring work.

Sessions will examine the barriers preventing brands from placing more orders with British factories, the role of public procurement, and how manufacturers can compete on speed, flexibility, quality, sustainability and customer relationships rather than cost alone. The programme also tackles the harder commercial realities behind the scenes — pricing negotiations, minimum order quantities, lead times and long-term supplier relationships — alongside market shifts towards durability, longevity and quality.

A stated priority is helping brands and retailers build a stronger boardroom case for UK manufacturing. Discussions will cover how localised production fits within a balanced supplier mix and how its benefits translate into the language of cost, margin, risk and long-term growth that sourcing decisions increasingly face scrutiny against.

Suzanne Ellingham, event director of Source Fashion, framed visibility, not price, as the primary obstacle. "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?" she said. "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 balanced 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."

Jenny Holloway, chair of the ATMF and founder of Fashion-Enter, pointed to political backing in the host city. "Made in Manchester & Regions is a new way forward for manufacturers today. Based on the last three successful Leicester Made events, the show promises to be the best inspiring networking event yet," she said. "It's perfect timing to be hosting this event in Manchester with our PM Andy Burnham strongly endorsing the re-industrialisation and restoring of public procurement contacts."

Beyond networking, the event carries an advocacy agenda. Organisers aim to encourage greater collaboration among the organisations representing UK fashion and textile manufacturing, building a more unified industry voice to press for government support — an implicit acknowledgment that fragmented representation has weakened the sector's case to date.

For sourcing professionals, the practical draw is the opportunity to map remaining UK capacity and assess which product categories and order profiles suit domestic production. For manufacturers, it is a chance to confront the pricing and MOQ expectations that determine whether UK factories win orders at all.

Manchester marks the first stop in a wider regional programme. The UK manufacturing conversation continues at Source Fashion at ExCeL London from 19–21 January 2027, before the roadshow moves to Scotland in Q1 2027. Further regional events will follow as Source Fashion and Fashion-Enter work to strengthen connections across the UK manufacturing ecosystem.