Footwear Components Industry to Meet in Istanbul

The 70th International Footwear Ancillary Industry Fair AYSAF opens from 1-4 May 2024 at Istanbul Fair Centre. AYSAF, the International Footwear Ancillary Industry Fair and a key meeting point for the footwear sector, is being organized in collaboration with AYSAD, the sector's umbrella organization Shoe Suppliers Association, and Artkim Exhibitions. The fair brings together footwear ancillary materials, leather, synthetic leather, textile, sole, heel, accessory, machinery, chemical and mould manufacturers from around the world. As the largest fair in Eurasia and the second largest in Europe in its sector, AYSAF welcomes over 350 companies with more than 1,000 brands. The fair is expected to be visited by approximately 20,000 sector members from over 60 countries. As part of the fair, AYSAF Talks, taking place on 1 May Labour and Solidarity Day, will feature M. Orhan Çakıroğlu from Gaziantep, a family craftsman of 130 years and keeper of the Anatolian yemenli shoe tradition that has been brought to world-watched films, in a "Respect for Masters" session. Born in Gaziantep in 1964, Çakıroğlu is the fourth generation to continue the family trade of yemenli shoemaking and has been practicing for approximately 35 years. On the fair's second day, panelists Çiğdem Kacar Selimoğlu, Bilge Can and Fatma Menteş, who have recently made an impact in the sector through their creativity and ventures, will share their vision in a panel titled "Entrepreneurship, a Woman's Nature", while on the fair's fourth day, World Wide Seller founder Ayşegül Kartal will deliver a conference on overseas sales and branding. In collaboration with ASSOMAC, the International Association of Footwear and Leather Manufacturers, participants in a VR area will have the opportunity to examine in detail machines and technologies used in leather and footwear production in a virtual environment.

AYSAD Board Chairman Sait Salıcı made the following comments on the matter:

"In Europe, due to cost-benefit ratios, both exhibitor demand and visitor numbers at fairs are declining. Fairs are like a champions league. If there is a fair, brands must participate. Fairs keep the sector together. Since the industrial revolution, manufacturers are going through the most difficult times ever. Costs are high, it is difficult to produce and sell. We must unite and act together. We have a long way to go, both as footwear and footwear ancillary industry. We believe that fairs and one-on-one meetings will accelerate our momentum. Our aim is to transform the sector during this stagnant period, keep it on its feet and prepare it strongly for the future." The fair is organized by Artkim Exhibitions, which has played an active role in the development of exports in Turkey through specialized fairs it has been organizing for 18 years. Artkim Exhibitions Founder CEO Cengiz Yaman said: "Through our on-site, one-to-one work done abroad, we have organized the participation of both foreign brands and visitors at the fair. Based on the positive feedback we have received, we expect approximately 20,000 people from the Middle East, North Africa, Turkic Republics, Russia, Eastern Europe and the Balkans to visit our fair."