START FashionTech Expo & Pitch Event
- Date
- 2024-03-07
- Location
- ACIN (Accenture Customer Innovation Center), Piazza Gae Aulenti 8, Milano, Milano, Lombardia, Italy
- Host
- Arieli Innovate
About this event
Fashion is being reshaped by technology, new consumer expectations, and faster paths from idea to market. START FashionTech Expo & Pitch Event brings that shift into one room in Milan, creating a focused space where founders, creatives, operators, and curious industry professionals can see what is emerging, meet the people building it, and hear ideas presented live. Set inside ACIN, Accenture Customer Innovation Center, this is an in-person event designed for conversation as much as discovery. If you want a clearer view of where fashion, innovation, and community intersect right now, this is the kind of room you want to be in. About the Event START FashionTech Expo & Pitch Event is built around two complementary formats: an expo experience and a pitch event. That means attendees can both explore projects, products, and concepts up close, and also hear selected ideas presented in a more direct, fast-paced format. The event sits at the intersection of fashion, technology, arts and culture, and professional networking. Rather than treating these as separate worlds, it brings them together in a shared setting where business thinking, creative practice, and innovation can actually meet. Expect a dynamic environment with a practical focus. This is not just about trend-watching from a distance; it is about seeing how people are applying technology, design, and new models to real opportunities in the fashion space. Because the event is hosted in person, it also creates the conditions for stronger conversations. You can move beyond online profiles and polished summaries to ask questions, compare ideas, and get a more direct sense of the people and projects in the room. What to Expect You can expect the day to revolve around discovery, live presentations, and networking. The expo side offers a chance to explore participating concepts and initiatives at your own pace, while the pitch component gives the event a clear rhythm and a reason to gather around the most compelling ideas being shared. A likely attendee experience includes: Browsing expo tables, displays, or stations tied to fashion innovation Hearing pitches from founders, teams, or emerging voices Meeting professionals working across fashion, tech, creative industries, and community-building Having informal conversations that can lead to future collaborations, introductions, or next steps The pace should feel active and social. You may spend part of your time listening closely to structured presentations, then shift into one-on-one conversations with exhibitors, fellow attendees, or people whose work connects with your own. Because this event includes both community and networking in its DNA, there is value in coming prepared to engage. Bring your questions, your perspective, and a clear sense of what you are looking for, whether that is inspiration, talent, partners, feedback, or simply a better understanding of the current FashionTech landscape. Why Attend If you work in or around fashion, this event offers a practical way to stay close to where the industry is moving. You will not just hear broad claims about innovation; you will see how people are framing problems, presenting solutions, and positioning new ideas in front of a live audience. For founders and early-stage teams, the event can be useful for benchmarking. You can observe how others communicate their value, how attendees respond to certain themes, and where there may be space for your own concept to stand out. For creatives and cultural professionals, it is a chance to connect with the business and technology side of the conversation without losing sight of fashion as a creative discipline. That mix matters, especially in a city like Milan, where design credibility and industry relevance often need to go hand in hand. You should attend if you want: A more direct view of current FashionTech ideas and conversations Access to a room full of people who care about fashion innovation Opportunities for meaningful in-person networking Exposure to pitches that may challenge, sharpen, or expand your own thinking A stronger sense of who is building, exploring, and collaborating in this space Practical Details The event takes place in person at ACIN (Accenture Customer Innovation Center), Piazza Gae Aulenti 8, Milano, Milano, Italy. The venue setting suggests a professional, innovation-oriented environment that fits the event’s mix of expo presentation, live pitching, and business-focused networking. It is scheduled for Thursday, March 7 at 10:00 AM GMT+1. Arriving on time is worth it, especially for an event with live presentations and an expo format, where early conversations often set the tone for the rest of the day. A few useful ways to prepare: Plan to spend enough time to explore and not just drop in briefly Bring business cards or a simple way to share your contact details Be ready to introduce yourself clearly in one or two sentences Wear something appropriate for a professional creative setting Come with specific questions if you are hoping to meet founders, collaborators, or industry peers If your interests sit anywhere between fashion, technology, culture, startups, and community, this event offers a strong reason to be in the room. It is a timely, in-person opportunity to see ideas in motion and meet the people pushing FashionTech forward.
Who should attend
This event is for people who want more than passive trend talk and are ready to meet the builders, creatives, and decision-makers shaping what comes next in FashionTech. - **You are a founder or startup team member** building in fashion, retail, commerce, materials, digital experiences, or adjacent tech and want visibility, market insight, or meaningful connections. - **You work in fashion or luxury** and want a sharper view of how innovation is being applied across product, customer experience, operations, branding, or new business models. - **You are a designer, creative, or cultural professional** looking to connect your practice to technology, entrepreneurship, and future-facing collaboration. - **You are an investor, advisor, consultant, or ecosystem builder** interested in discovering emerging ideas, meeting ambitious teams, and understanding the energy in this space firsthand. - **You are a student or early-career professional** who wants exposure to real industry conversations, live pitches, and the kinds of people working across fashion and innovation today. - **You value in-person networking** and prefer events where you can actually talk to people, ask questions, and leave with useful contacts rather than just take notes.