Expo Riva Schuh opens its 85th edition from January 16th to 19th 2016, launching the fair season for the footwear sector, and offering an advantageous observation point on the trends of the footwear market at global level. The international aspect has always been at the core of this event: 1,408 exhibitors will be taking part, 1,097 of whom come from overseas, with a notable presence of groups of companies from the key footwear producing countries, such as India, China, Brazil, Turkey, Spain and Portugal.
“Expo Riva Schuh has established itself as a strategic event for the footwear sector, as well as for our local area, which, during the event, welcomes companies, large buying groups and retailers, offering them a unique chance to get together and do business – states the Chairman of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi, Roberto Pellegrini. Businesses continue to demonstrate their faith in us and show a high level of loyalty in this event which they cannot afford to miss. It is where they finalise the bulk of their seasonal orders and can try out their collections for next season well in advance.”
The 85th edition opens on Saturday 16th January 2016 at 11:00 am at the Riva del Garda Exhibition Centre, with an inaugural session entitled “FROM PRIVATE LABEL TO FAST FASHION: HOW THE VOLUME FOOTWEAR MARKET IS CHANGING.”
Following the opening remarks by the Chairman of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi, Roberto Pellegrini, the discussion will kick off with a talk by Bernadette Kissane of EUROMONITOR INTERNATIONAL, an independent research agency and market leader at global level. She will give an insight into the major channels of evolution the footwear market has witnessed and also global consumption, looking particularly at the expansion taking place in the Middle East and Africa.
A debate will follow, moderated by the journalist, Giorgio Lonardi, regarding the key evolutions in the international footwear sector, and also taking part will be João Maia, Executive Director of Apiccaps – the Portuguese Footwear Components Leather Goods Manufacturers’ Association, Gianluca Mirante, Director, Italy of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, and Giovanni Laezza, Managing Director of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi.
“Expo Riva Schuh starts out as a trade and business fair, and transforms into a complex platform where this sector can meet and compare notes – states Giovanni Laezza, Managing Director of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi. The inauguration aims to explore and evaluate the role of Expo Riva Schuh as an advantageous outlook over the shoe industry at global level, comparing some of the leading stars of the sector: an opportunity that only Expo Riva Schuh, with its international DNA, is able to offer so comprehensively, due also to its early positioning in the international trade fair calendar.”
Thanks to the collaboration with ICE, the arrival of several delegations of buyers is expected, coming from the USA, the Arab Emirates, Russia, Vietnam and Turkey. The objective of this initiative is to develop quality business contacts between the companies taking part in Expo Riva Schuh and the increasing carefully selected and qualified sector operators, from the most strategic and promising markets. As always, a dedicated meeting space will be provided by the GARDA TASTE BUYERS’ LOUNGE in HALL C4 – a special corner in which to taste specialities from the Trentino culinary tradition in collaboration with the Trentino Cooks’ Association.
“In response to the evolution of the market, Expo Riva Schuh continues to provides a service platform, creating the ideal conditions in which production and distribution can meet, capable of offering specially created ad hoc services for companies - states Carla Costa, Manager of the Riva del Garda Fierecongressi Fairs Unit. We are working at 360 degrees to grow this event as 2.0 hub for the footwear sector, a place where buyers, companies, journalists and international fashion bloggers can get together and find guidelines regarding the evolution and trends of the most interesting markets. Thanks to our Facebook and Instagram profiles, Expo Riva Schuh is becoming increasing “social” and will be even more engaging: at the entrance, visitors to the fair will be able to share their experience with the entire fashion community by using the hash-tag #ERS85 and the ‘Share your fair!’ location.”
The dates for your diary are January 16th to 19th 2016 in Riva del Garda for the 85th Expo Riva Schuh, where you can discover previews of the fashion trends for footwear collections for Autumn/Winter 2016/17.
Press release
Expo Riva Schuh
January 14