In addition to visiting the exhibitions of all three APLF fairs – APLF Leather, Materials + and Fashion Access, from the 30th of March to the 1st of April, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in the second edition of the Global Footwear Executive Summit in the afternoon of the 31st. Co-organized by World Footwear and APLF, this second edition will join top players from footwear brands, retailers, suppliers and associations to explore the post-pandemic future of the industry, examining pressing subjects, such as digitalization of the industry, pricing and sustainability.

Today, new technologies are quickly transforming manufacturing and retail processes, and sustainability is at the top of the agenda. At the same time, managing the supply chain is becoming more and more challenging thanks to rising logistics costs and inflation and still ongoing COVID-19 constraints.

Given this complex picture, APLF acknowledges the need for tracing viable strategies to face the future ahead, and invites all members of the industry, from manufacturers, suppliers, owners to associations, to take part.

APLF Special Edition in Dubai
After an absence of two years since its last edition in Hong Kong, all three APLF fairs – Leather, Materials + and Fashion Access –return to be found in Halls 1 to 5 of the Dubai World Trade Centre, from the 30th of March to the 1st of April. The organization is estimating that 400 exhibiting companies will occupy the 15 national pavilions (Brazil, Egypt, France, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Pakistan, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, the UK, and the USA) and is expecting to welcome around 8 000 attendees. Organizers are also promoting a set of parallel conferences to discuss several topics concerning the industry.