...is to make the fair easier to navigate for the thousands of buyers that visit, allowing them easier access to the companies and products they are seeking.”

Tanneries and leather traders (Picture 1, 2 & 3) as well as chemical companies (Picture 4) and those offering leather production related equipment, supplies and services will be situated in Hall 1, now to be known as the Leather Hall.

Exhibitors offering synthetic material, PU/PVC materials (Picture 5), natural woven fabrics as well as footwear components and hardware (Picture 6) and subsidiary materials for use in leathergoods and other fashion products will be located in Hall 3, next to APLF’s collocated fair, Fashion Access, where predominantly Chinese and Asian contract manufacturers exhibit alongside international brands of bags, shoes and other finished fashion goods.

Picture 1: Semi Finished & Finished Leather           Picture 2: Raw Hides & Skins

Picture 3: Tanning & Shoe Machinery        Picture 4: Process Chemical & Dyes

               Picture 5: Synthetic Materials                      Picture 6: Components & Accessories

Another new sector to be formally launched by APLF in March 2013 is Sourcing Luxury, a special exhibit within MM&T that answers the growing demand from international fashion brands for new and reliable sources of luxury leather, materials, components and accessories.
 
Sourcing Luxury will bring together some of the world’s leading producers of exotic skins such as crocodile, ostrich, python, shagreen; high-quality vegetable tanned leathers (Picture 7); beautifully designed and top-class components and accessories made of precious metals and woods, mother-of-pearl, coral, horn, semi-precious stones and crystals; and handcrafted materials such as passementerie, embroidered laces, and special handwoven natural fibers, among others.

Picture 7: Exotic Leather

Over 1,250 exhibitors are expected to be in MM&T in March, with 27 international group pavilions featuring representations from some of Europe’s notable tanneries and components suppliers, South America’s biggest leather producers, and upcoming leather, synthetics and components sources from Africa and Asia-Pacific.
 
Since 1984, MM&T has brought together the whole supply chain of the leather industry, making it an important stop for those in the leather and leathergoods industries. Vital industry issues are discussed and resolved in the halls of MM&T and in the auxiliary activities organised for the leather community during the fair, including the Tannery of the Year Gala Dinner.
 
In March 2013, MM&T will be offering an interesting conference programme focusing on sustainability. This includes the Annual Leather Conference  on “Leather and the Environment”, co-organised with the BLC Leather Technology Centre and Prime Source Forum’s  conference on “Transforming the Fashion Value Chain Through Sustainability”.
 
For inquiries or pre-registration, contact . 

For more information on APLF 2013, visit www.aplf.com and www.mmt.aplf.com. 

(28/01/2013)