IFLS + EICI was revalidated as an international meeting point
From August 13 to 15, the 40th edition of IFLS, the fair dedicated to leather, footwear, leather goods and clothing, was held in Bogotá, along with the 22nd edition of EICI, the exhibition of materials, supplies, components and technology.
Thus, IFLS+EICI became the most transcendent event in the region, where in the Gran Salón of Corferias, exhibited together footwear manufacturers and finished products, with industry suppliers.
For this reason, the Colombian fair offered a comprehensive proposal for the entire sector, with a majority participation of local exhibitors, from the main manufacturing areas of the country, including Bogota, Cundinamarca, Santander, North of Santander, Cauca's Valley, Antioquia and Coffee Zone. Together with them, manufacturers from Brazil, Portugal, Argentina and Mexico were present; and suppliers also from Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Italy, accompanied by Asians.
Date and place: August 13, 14 and 15, 2019. Corferias. Bogota, Colombia.
Exhibition area: 16 thousand m2.
Exhibited Products: Footwear in all its lines, leather goods, clothing, skins and leather, synthetic and textile materials, components and accessories; and machines and equipment.
Number and origin of exhibitors: 494. National 85%, international 15%.
Estimated amount and origin of visitors: 10 thousand. National 95%, international 5% from 14 countries.
Next edition: February 4, 5 and 6, 2020.
Beyond figures and data, the fair in Colombia is a reference for the evolution of the sector in much of Latin America; it is attended by industrialists, businessmen buyers and representatives from different countries of the Andean region, to which they add Central and North America (Mexico, United States and Canada), Brazil, Argentina, Europe and Asia.
Thus, the fair becomes an interesting business area, maintains its international profile and proposes a diversified and updated offer.
According to the organizers, effective sales were achieved during the fair that exceeded 30 million pesos (approx. US $ 9 million), which projected in additional short-term sales can reach US $ 13 million. The figures met the expectations raised.
For the ACICAM president, the association of leather and footwear of Colombia, Luis Flórez, “the results of the business at the fair have been positive and open a correct path to move forward during this second part of the semester and somehow recover the indicators of increase. We look forward to this short-term future. ”
The Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, José Manuel Restrepo, present at the fair, described the event as an "orange economy party" in which productivity, innovation, entrepreneurship and creativity come together. He urged "to make an individual and joint effort to try to design products with an offer capable of taking advantage of international markets."
According to data disclosed by ACICAM, based on figures from the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE), from January to May 2019, the cumulative footwear manufacture in the country was -6.1%, compared to the same period of 2018.
Despite this, the production of leather goods reported an increase of 30.6% and sales increased 16.2% due to better export dynamics and the upturn in domestic trade.
For the second half of the year, ACICAM expects footwear production to exceed 3.5% growth.
In addition to the commercial exhibition of products, there were special spaces for creativity such as the "Hall of Innovators", where new designers exhibited their latest proposals in manufactures. Presentations and conferences were held by professionals on current and interest thematics for the sector.
Among the runways that had a massive attendance, the opening one stood out, where the brands PATRICIA MEJÍA, DEISY SANTAFE and SANANGEL showed their new collections.
On the part of manufacturers, in addition to the participation in fairs in different parts of the country (e.g. Colombiamoda in Medellin), they make presentations in other cities with effective results. Also, over time, they have formed an adequate commercial structure, through direct sales, representatives and distributors, which allow them to have a permanent presence in the market. Brazil exports an average of almost 8 million pairs annually to Colombia.
For the suppliers of materials, components and technology, the Colombian market had, in the first half of 2019, a 17% growth in its purchases, compared to the same period of 2018.
In this edition of IFLS, a group of 8 Argentine manufacturers of footwear, handbags, bags and belts returned. The brands were: CHENNA, LOVELY FLAT SHOES, RINGO, L’EPOQUE, SIRINGO, THE BAGBELT, TITANITOS and VALERIO. All were supported by the Argentine Agency for Investment and International Trade, belonging to the national government.
A synthesis of the opinions of the participants gave an account of the good acceptance of the products in price, quality and design, but sales have not yet materialized due to the limited import experience of potential buyers. For this reason, a change in strategy is analyzed to facilitate sales and access to larger import companies. The Argentine manufacturers were from Buenos Aires, Córdoba and Santa Fe.
As a member of the Argentine delegation, Pablo Bruni, responsible for the RINGO and L’EPOQUE brands, said that “the products exhibited were highly valued for design, leather quality and finish. We had many contacts and we must continue betting on this market. The fair is very crowded and has a good target of exhibitors”.
For Damián Valerio de Calzados VALERIO, “we are competitive with our products, only that potential small and medium customers want to buy and pay here. They have no experience in importing. We must also procure larger clients, who do not visit the fair. The distributor alternative is difficult because we have no margin for them. I think we should evaluate what means to use to enter the market. ”
