APLF will launch a new exhibition focusing on India's burgeoning shoe manufacturing industry next year, in the Spring of 2009. The Footwear Materials, Manufacturing & Technology (fMM&T) exhibition is expected to quickly become the leading international trade event in India for the industry.

For any manufacturer of footwear related products and services interested in selling to, or buying from, India's huge US$ 5 billion (and growing at around 10% a year) footwear market this exhibition is, quite simply, a 'must attend' event.

The new fair will create a platform for both Indian and foreign manufacturers to keep abreast of the latest trends in the manufacture of footwear from design through to the finished product. It will also create a bridge between the footwear manufacturers and the component producers targeting this vast Indian footwear market. The organisers are planning a series of seminars and special activities to augment the main exhibition.

fMM&T will be held in Delhi, India's capital city, around which many of India's major shoe manufacturers are based. By hosting the event in the north of India will also prove a more convenient location to many buyers (who previously had to travel to the south of the country).

fMM&T has been developed by several powerful and experienced organisations, who bring with them unparalleled expertise in organising international industry exhibitions, experience in the Indian footwear sector, and global-wide industry databases for recruiting exciting exhibitors and inviting eager buyers.

CMP India will manage the exhibition. CMP is a global company with a long history of managing major international trade events and are best known within the leather and fashion sector for the annual APLF - Materials, Manufacturing & Technology; the twice a year Fashion Access exhibitions held in Hong Kong, and the annual All China Leather Exhibition held in Shanghai.

The Indian Footwear Components Manufacturers' Association (IFCOMA) is a non-profit organisation and has been an implementing agency under the National Leather Development Program (a UNDP assisted programme) and is duly recognised by various ministries of the Government of India and associated institutions. One of its objectives is to promote the development of the sector within both domestic and export markets.

In India: Nigel Luke Brown, Regional Director, CMP India
Tel: (91) 11 23765554
Email: nigelb@ubmindia.com

In Hong Kong: Perrine Ardouin, Senior Event Manager, APLF Ltd
Tel: (852) 2585 6130
Email: perrine@cmpasia.com
Relevant websites: http://www.aplf.com/, http://www.ifcoma.org/

If you wish to contribute to the APLF News, with your experiences in the industry, your observations, or general thoughts on the direction the industry is going, we would like to hear from you. Email: aplf-news@aplf.com