Colombiatex!!!

I've been talking to a few different folks recently about doing some work for their companies and it just so happens that a couple of them were in Medellin for the 2011 Colombiatex trade show. What a great excuse to go visit this beautiful, clean, and modern city.

Colombiatex is a once-yearly trade show that is held by the garment industry in Medellin, Colombia. It's an opportunity for clothing brands, clothing manufacturers, raw-material suppliers, distributors, buyers, merchandisers, and other industry support people to meet and greet as well as to help each other grow and be successful. I've been fortunate to attend shows like it in the U.S., Mexico, Guatemala, and China. Here's the mandatory "photo out front of the trade show":

It's fun for me as a hands-on product-development guy to get to see the pure "creative-fashiony side" of the industry. These are the folks who push the envelope in design and make the crazy requests of the raw-material suppliers as well as the people "back" in the factories. As a bonus, they tend to have lots of models hanging out with them. :-D

The manufacturing side of the show doesn't get as many of the pretty people but it's still fun for a geek like me. I love seeing all the machines and it's great to get to grill the equipment suppliers on new capabilities and how they can help me.

The designers, suppliers, and machinery folks are all interesting and the models are fun to look at too. Like I said, I'm really a process guy at heart. What I really love is being able to see the big picture and how I can solve real problems with all the tools they provide (with the models-not so much).

Contrary to current sentiment, all the folks that I met with are going through growth right now and need help. I was able to lock in one project at the show--YEAH!!!--back to work! Keep your fingers crossed for me that I'll pick up a couple of more. (By the way, if you don't already know, ask me about my "10% Rule" -- and, no, it's not about money.)

Oh yeah, it wasn't all "nose to the grindstone" at the show. One of the show's sponsors brought in a Cuban-salsa group that played for a couple of hours on the last night while free rum was served. Fun, fun, fun! Now I'm thinking I'll need to get to Cuba one day...