Fifth Footwear and Leather Fair in February

Sri Lanka's fifth Footwear and Leather Fair 2013 will be held from February 8-10 2013, at the Sirimavo Bandaranaike International Exhibition Centre Colombo .

Organized by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board in association with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Industrial Development Board and the Sri Lanka Footwear and Leather Products Manufacturers Association, the fair will provide a platform to showcase the talents and capabilities of the Sri Lankan Footwear and Leather products manufacturers.

Some of the products

Footwear which was originated to protect feet from, rough surfaces and bad weather has gradually become a clothing accessory where design and fashion plays a significant role. Despite mechanization the footwear industry is still labour intensive. It is said that 150 operations are necessary to produce a pair of shoes. Shoes have and will forever be an integral part of our ability to express our fashion sense and individuality.

The footwear and Leather fair originated on the initiative of the EDB in the year 2007 with the objective of giving recognition to the industry locally and internationally, is now becoming a recognized International Fair in the South Asian Region. This fair provides an opportunity to view the entire range of footwear and leather products manufactured in Sri Lanka under one roof.

The EDB has identified the footwear and Leather Industry as an industry which could significantly contribute to the national economy. "Therefore building a good image of the industry as a quality manufacturer of footwear and leather goods globally is very important to attract buyers to the country" said Janaka Ratnayake Chairman and Chief Executive EDB.

He further stated that this fair will also provide a platform for the Sri Lankan manufacturers to showcase their talents to the world. The awareness of this fair is steadily increasing attracting international buyers to the country, which will benefit the local manufacturers said Ratnayake.

This years' fair will have 250 stalls exhibiting footwear, leather products , travel goods, and related raw material, components and accessories.

A Design Competition has been organized to encourage the young and upcoming designers and give recognition to them . An Exclusive fashion show with top Sri Lankan models will be held as a special event of the fair.

A wide publicity campaign has been launched internationally to attract the visitors to this fair .Leading International Footwear and Leather magazines such as Leather Age and Indian Leather will carry advertisements of the fair. Most of the International websites already carries information of the fair.

The EDB with the assistance of Sri Lanka Missions abroad has invited buyer delegations from EU and other regions to visit the fair. Local as well as foreign suppliers of raw material components and accessories will participate at this fair.

In the case of leather industry, apart from manufacturing processed leather and leather products, the industry includes manufacture of small leather goods such as gloves, wallets, bags, purses, belts, key tags. There are about five large scale manufactures/exporter and around 1000 small timers. There are around 11 tanneries producing 25 tons of leather per day.

Recognizing the importance of this industry the government has offered several concessions to this industry. Duty free import of raw material, components and accessories and machinery is one such concession. These moves has created a significant growth in the local Industry . However as the local market is quite small, further development of the industry depends on exports.