Half-day conference, Shanghai, September 3, 2012

In recent years there has been an explosion in outdoor lifestyle activities such as hiking, biking and climbing themed on the American great outdoors. The trend for outdoor leisure activities and casual wear for men and women of all ages is now global and it is a market that continues to grow.

To keep pace with this trend and to fight off competition from non-leather materials the tanning industry is constantly developing ever more technical leathers for footwear to cope with all-weathers and terrains.

The result is cool, breathable, yet waterproof shoes and boots that look and feel natural with excellent wear and scuff resistance.

As a result of the growth in this market segment Leather International magazine is organising a half-day conference at the prestigious 5-star Jumeirah Himalayas hotel in Shanghai on September 3, 2012.

The conference will include a range of high-level speakers representing major international footwear brands, leather manufacturers, retail specialists, test institutes and leather chemical suppliers.

American Lifestyle Leathers combine high performance with natural leather, a balance, which is difficult to achieve, but the resulting leather is some of the best performing and most comfortable in the leather industry.  Consumers want their footwear to look cool and remain dry and comfortable – a challenge for both the tanner and footwear brand.

Speakers at the conference will address the latest waterproofing technology, the recent evolution of American Lifestyle Leathers and how to market these leathers. The latest footwear designs and retail market trends will also be discussed during the afternoon event. There will also be an opportunity for networking with the speakers and fellow delegates.

The conference date and location have been specifically chosen to run alongside the All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE) and the China International Footwear Fair (CIFF) which takes place across the road from the ultra-cool Jumeirah Himalayas hotel at the SNIEC in the Pudong district of Shanghai from September 4-6.

So far we can announce the following speakers:

  • Robert Moore, CEO, Shanghai Richina Leather Company – “It’s a new day, marketing leathers to the leading global footwear brands.”
  • Robert Hein, VP and General Manager, National Beef Leathers, “Getting great results. Turning a raw commodity material into a value added ingredient material for beautiful leather.”
  • Sarah Swenson, Environment Manager, PrimeAsia – “PrimeAsia footprinting of American lifestyle leather.”
  • Peter Danisch, BASF, “Challenges and trends in waterproofing lifestyle leathers.”
  • Steve Rose, General Manager, SATRA Technology Services (Dongguan), “SATRA Cold Rating (SATRA TM436) for cold environment performance footwear.”
  • Michael Redwood, Visiting Professor, University of Northampton. “American lifestyle: leathers for co-consumers and experientials.”

A speaker is in the pipeline with two already agreed in principle and are awaiting final confirmation. Speakers will include a top international footwear brand, which specialise in American Lifestyle Leathers.

The conference is sponsored by BASF and National Beef. APLF ltd and is supported by Tannin Corporation and SATRA. For further delegate details or to register to attend the conference please contact: Maria Wallace,   mwallace@progressivemediagroup.com. Tel: +44 (0)207 936 6972 or click on the registration button on the website homepage.