WTiN will invite a host of industry professionals and key opinion leaders to join delegates virtually and explore trending topics within the direct-to-film printing industry. Keep checking this page as we announce our  Innovate: Direct-to-Film Printing speakers. 
Madelaine Thomas WTiN
Joseph Link WTiN
Dr. Zhang Qing Zhejiang Aoyu New Material Technology Co., Ltd
Professor Long Lin Print-Rite
Dr. Andy Hancock Mexar Ltd
David Sweetnam Keypoint Intelligence
Colin Marsh Resolute DTF
Sebastien Hanssens Caldera
Adrienne Palmer DTF Printing
Kristyn Leary Origin Apparel
Christian Collins Ink Experts
Dmitry Sarbaev Fluxmall
John Murphy Hohenstein
Sumit Sarker Bluesign® ACADEMY

Madelaine Thomas

WTiN

Head of Content

As WTiN’s Head of Content, Madelaine is responsible for all WTiN content. Working at WTiN for over nine years, Madelaine has witnessed the move towards digitalisation in the industry and was a key player in launching WTiN’s Textile 4.0 branded products. As current editor of Nonwovens Report International and former editor of Digital Textile, International Dyer & Finisher and Textile 4.0, Knitting International journals (and their online counterparts on WTiN.com), Madelaine has a wealth of knowledge across the textile & apparel value chain. She is also the Editor of the ITMA Daily News and INDEX News. She holds an MA in International Relations from the University of Leeds, UK and a First Class Honours degree in International Journalism from Liverpool John Moores, also in the UK.

Joseph Link

WTiN

Senior Digital Textiles Lead & Editor

Joseph is WTiN’s senior digital textiles lead and editor of industry journals Digital Textile and International Dyer & Finisher. He graduated with a BA in Journalism in 2015 and, after two years working in the B2C space, joined WTiN where he has studied in detail every aspect of the textile dyeing and finishing sector. Joe now specialises in the niche, yet high-growth, digital textile printing market. He is responsible for WTiN’s Digital Textile Market Tracker and accompanying global reports which track machinery placements, ink consumption, fabric output and sublimation paper sales.

Dr. Zhang Qing

Zhejiang Aoyu New Material Technology Co., Ltd

Strategist

Dr. Zhang Qing obtained his PhD degree in Textile Materials in 1996, his master's degree in Applied Chemistry in 1993 and his bachelor's degree in Textile Dyeing and Finishing Engineering in 1988. He has been working in the field of textile processing and its related technologies for more than 30 years. He has won the Science and Technology Progress Award of the Shanghai Municipal Government and the Science and Technology Progress Award of the China National Textile and Apparel Council a total of 14 times. He is an expert enjoying the special allowance from the State Council and a leading figure in China's textile technology.

Professor Long Lin

Print-Rite

Senior Business Development Consultant

Long received his PhD degree from the Department of Colour Chemistry and Dyeing at the University of Leeds (UoL), UK in 1994.  He founded the Digital Printing Centre of Industrial Collaboration at Leeds in 2005.  He was awarded his personal Chair in Colour and Polymer Science at the UoL in 2006 and took up the Headship of the Department of Colour Science at Leeds in 2009. He became the Editors-in-Chief of both Pigment & Resin Technology – The International Journal of Colourants, Polymers and Colour Applications and China Coatings Journal in 2003.  He served as the Vice President of the Oil and Colour Chemists’ Association; a Trustee and the Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Society of Dyers and Colourists; and as a Director of SDC Enterprise. He became an Honorary Member and Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Clothworkers of the City of London and a Freeman of the City of London in 2013. 

Long’s main areas of research interest concern: dye/pigment chemistry; sustainable hair/textile colouration; cosmetics/coatings/ink formulations and colour-based anti-counterfeit technologies with extensive and successful collaborative research with colour and colour-related industry spanning 35 years. 

Dr. Andy Hancock

Mexar Ltd

Managing Director

Andy is Managing Director of Mexar, a UK based inkjet development company specialising in the development and manufacture of water-based inkjet inks for industrial applications. He holds a BSc and PhD from the University of Leeds, UK Colour and Polymer Chemistry department. Andy’s PhD project was based on inkjet formulation.

Andy cofounded Mexar in 2007 to focus on the development of water-based pigment inks for textile markets.

Since 2020, Mexar has been involved in the development of DTF inks for garment decoration techniques. Building on Mexar’s expertise in white ink development, the company successfully launched its first DTF offering in early 2021. Since then, Mexar has continued to develop and manufacture inks for this sector. In 2021, the company launched the brand ‘Indie Ink’ for UK garment decorators to purchase consumables for the garment decoration market direct from the manufacturer.

David Sweetnam

Keypoint Intelligence

Lab Director

A veteran in the digital imaging marketplace with 30+-years experience, David established Keypoint Intelligence’s European lab in 2007 and oversees the company’s professional print test programs. Its DTG/DTF programme launched in 2021 and since then David and his team have been invited to test devices in Europe, America, China and Japan, building the industry’s first benchmark performance database.

Colin Marsh

Resolute DTF

Managing Director

Meet Colin, Managing Director of Resolute!

With a remarkable 40-year journey in the printing industry, there is little that Colin hasn't seen. His extensive experience has earned him an unparalleled understanding of the intricacies of print, and he gladly shares this knowledge in motivational and industry seminars.

Colin is not content with merely witnessing the evolution of printing; he's at the forefront of shaping it. For the past seven years he has dedicated his energies to the development of Direct-to-Film (DTF) water-based and UV processes, and has travelled the world in the name of research and development.

Working closely with global leaders DuPont, Kodak & Fiery, Colin is committed to offering the very latest developments in DTF technology. As a result, Resolute have their own brand of DTF systems which continue to redefine what's possible in textile printing!

Sebastien Hanssens

Caldera

Vice President Marketing & Operations

If there is one unifying thread running through Sebastien Hanssens’ personal and business lives, it has been drawn from the hem of a hockey jersey. Weaving together his love of sports, his long-ranging experience in retail, fashion and product customisation, and his expertise in marketing and communications, he’s fashioned a career as lead for Marketing & Operations at French RIP software developer Caldera.

His experiences on digital projects for fashion and sports brands, as well as print enterprises looking to offer online personalisation, have given him a clear view and solid understanding of what’s needed to build and manage a successful digital customisation operation. This culminated at FESPA Berlin in 2018 with the SportsFactory project: an onsite production booth that enabled personalised design, print, cut and sew, and delivery of custom sports jerseys in less than 24 hours.

Adrienne Palmer

DTF Printing

Editor-in-chief

Adrienne Palmer is the editor-in-chief of DTF Printing, a digital media company dedicated to helping apparel decorators in the direct-to-film space grow their businesses and brands.

She has 12-plus years of experience in the print industry. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of Big Picture and Screen Printing magazines where she spearheaded the annual Women in Print Awards and Best of Wide Format Awards; launched The Mentorship Project; hosted the Screen Saver podcast; and represented the magazines at numerous industry events year-round as a speaker, moderator, and panelist.

She is a 2019 Folio: Top Women in Media award winner, the secretary of U.N.I.T.E. Together (a diversity and inclusion program for the print industry and beyond), and is on the boards of Printing United Alliance's Women in Print Alliance and the North American Specialty Printing Manufacturers Association.

Kristyn Leary

Origin Apparel

Owner

Kristyn Leary is the owner of Origin Apparel, a sustainable custom screen print shop in Steamboat Springs that also specializes in in-house Direct-to-Film (DTF) printing. With a background in Human Resources, Kristyn combines a people-first mindset with her passion for innovation in the custom merch industry; bringing a unique perspective to the business. Her passion for high-quality, custom merch is matched by a commitment to building strong relationships and creating a positive, collaborative work environment.  

Christian Collins

Ink Experts

Director

Christian has worked in the printing industry for 22 years, co-founding Ink Experts in 2019, and specialising in sublimation printing. His current focus is on innovation within the printing industry.

Dmitry Sarbaev

Fluxmall

General Director

Dmitry Sarbaev is a seasoned expert in digital textile printing, with a career in the apparel manufacturing and fashion industry, since 2003. With over 20 years of experience in machinery distribution, apparel manufacturing in Vietnam, and e-commerce technologies for fashion markets, he assists individuals in successfully managing businesses of various scales within garment decoration. 

Residing in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Sarbaev has been actively engaged in digital printing since 2014. He currently manages companies specialising in the distribution of digital printing machinery and offers professional digital printing services in Vietnam and beyond. 

Sarbaev is passionate about fostering innovation in the APAC region and exploring untapped areas of the digital printing market. He strongly advocates for educational initiatives aimed at a new generation of entrepreneurs interested in cutting-edge printing technologies. As an organiser and speaker, he leads multiple educational programs throughout Vietnam, including fashion shows, industry seminars, and university workshops. 

John Murphy

Hohenstein

Technical Director Europe

John Murphy joined Hohenstein in 2021 as Technical Director Europe, taking responsibility for the sales, marketing and business development for EU clients with regards to the ECO PASSPORT. Previously John has had extensive experience with Huntsman Textile Effects in a variety of technical, marketing and sales roles at a senior level.

Sumit Sarker

Bluesign® ACADEMY

Sustainable Textiles Expert

Sumit is a chemical engineer and environmental sustainability professional with over a decade of experience working with leading apparel brands and textile manufacturing facilities worldwide. His expertise in chemical management and resource efficiency comes from specialised education and extensive auditing experience across various global regions. Currently, he serves as an Expert at bluesign® ACADEMY, focusing on sustainability initiatives within the textile industry.