APLF show preview

This major leather exhibition will feature more industry-focused branding.

The 33rd edition of the APLF fair is being billed as providing insight into the direction in which the industry is likely to be heading as it faces multiple challenges in the year to come. The three-day event, held once again at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, will open its doors on 29th March 2017.

According to the show organisers, the main driving trend for footwear and garments worldwide is sports casual. To accommodate this, APLF has revamped its traditional components sector to cater to this trend by renaming it 'Materials+'. The revamp of this part of the exhibition was deemed necessary in order to serve the booming sports/casual ('athleisure') trend that is dominating fashion cultures in the Americas, Europe and Asia. The APLF fair itself also has been rebranded as 'APLF Leather & Materials+'.

Examples of new products and leather will be showcased in the 'Material Trends Space' located at the entrance of the event. This zone is enthusiastically visited by designers and manufacturers seeking inspiration, ideas and colours for upcoming fashion seasons.

The APLF Leather show is sold out to participating companies and, at the time of writing, 21 group pavilions have confirmed their presence. More than 1,100 exhibitors from 42 countries and regions are scheduled to be at the exhibition – including Uganda, as one of the countries exhibiting for the first time at APLF. At least 16,000 professional buyers and technicians from the international tanning and manufacturing sectors are expected to visit APLF Leather & Materials+.

SATRA is taking a stand at the fair (Hall 3, Zone A, Stand 3G-FO2), and members of staff will be available to discuss our products and services with visiting delegates while answering questions about relevant testing procedures.

SATRA will also be presenting a seminar on 29th March at 2pm, entitled 'Supporting product development from concept to customers', and presented by Dr Christine Powley-Williams.

When a new material, product or production process is introduced to the market, its success can be enhanced by validating the claims made for the product. In addition, it is important to ensure that the product is fit for purpose across a broad range of requirements. This seminar describes this journey with examples of how SATRA has worked with manufacturers to improve and validate their products. The seminar will also outline other SATRA services which assist companies in the process of taking a concept through to consumer.

Delegates can register for the seminar here and read information about the APLF exhibition here.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 48 of the March 2017 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

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