The annual Executive Conference serves as the cornerstone of the SPESA event calendar every year. The two-day conference features a combination of keynote speakers, panel discussions, and industry case studies to provide an opportunity for attendees to both learn and engage.

FEDTEX 24 objectives:

- Engage with existing contractors and attract new capable businesses into the federal and defense clothing, textiles, and tactical equipment marketplace.
- Engage existing textile supply chain suppliers and attract new capable businesses into the federal marketplace, and to connect these component suppliers with federal prime contractors.
- Inform the industrial and academic R&D ecosystem about desired future military technology requirements, and likewise inform DoD agencies about emerging and future textile innovations.
- Establish a productive and DIRECT dialogue between businesses, government, and academia around critical warfighter issues in the defense textile marketplace - including workforce, supply chain, inflation challenges, and barriers to entry.

The Defense Logistics Agency’s fifth annual Industry Collider Day will bring together experts from government, industry and academia to explore innovative solutions that optimize and safeguard global logistics to advance military readiness and support national security.

In collaboration with DLA Research and Development leaders, stakeholders will discuss how emerging technologies can enhance supply chain capabilities, improve decision making and streamline operations to tackle some of the Defense Department’s most pressing logistics challenges.

This year’s theme of “Shaping Small Business Alliance for Global Supply Chain Resiliency,” focuses on empowering small businesses that play a pivotal role in strengthening the defense supply chain by addressing such challenges as demand planning and efficiency. Through engaging presentations, R&D exhibits, PM booths, and interactive break-out sessions, attendees will share expertise and forge strong connections among key leaders.

DLA’s Industry Collider Day provides an opportunity to:
- Learn about DLA R&D’s priorities and requirements
- Engage directly with DLA R&D’s program managers to understand their challenges and explore potential collaborations
- Discover upcoming DLA R&D projects and focus areas
- Evaluate DLA’s needs to create strategic partnerships

At the end of the event, DLA R&D will again award on-the-spot contracts to small businesses based on previously-issued broad agency announcements. Contracts will help those businesses bridge the gap from R&D to market-ready products in such critical areas as strategic materials and acquisition process modernization.