Exhibition Seychellois businesses invited to Sri Lanka Footwear & Leather Fair Hundreds of traders, manufacturers and designers will gather in Sri Lanka from February 6 to 8 for the largest international exhibition of footwear and leather products in the Indian Ocean. The Sri Lankan High Commission in Seychelles is assembling a local trade delegation to attend the fair; participants will be provided free accommodation. By A. De Giorgio The tropical isle of Sri Lanka is home to nearly 20 million people and it’s a very popular tourist destination renowned for its picturesque landscape, cultural heritage and cuisine but also for its footwear and leather industry that generates an average of USD50 million dollars per year. The sector caters for well-known international brands such as Marks & Spencer, Bata, Laurel and Clarks. The Sri Lanka Footwear & Leather Fair - the largest international exhibition of this nature in the Indian Ocean - is expected to take place at the Bandaranayake Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) in Colombo from February 6 to 8. The exhibition in being organised by the Sri Lankan Export Development Board (SLEDB) in association with government and the Industrial Development Board, as well as the Sri Lanka Footwear and Leather Product Manufacturers Association. According to the SLEDB, the objective of the exhibition is to strengthen the image of the Sri Lankan footwear and leather industry, promote the country’s export capabilities and provide opportunities for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to build up their business network. It also aims to build the technological capabilities of SMEs and encourage them to move into added value manufacturing that can cater for the international market. Last year’s event saw the participation of 107 local companies and 20 foreign companies. This year’s exhibition will consist of approximately 230 trade stalls and is expected to attract hundreds of industrialists, entrepreneurs, designers and suppliers of raw materials, components and machinery. Besides the large scale exhibition, there will also be other related activities, such as an exclusive fashion event showcasing depicting the latest trends and designs of Sri Lanka’s leading footwear and leather products and a Design and Best Stall Competition. The design competition is being organised to provide an opportunity for up and coming young designers to showcase their talents. The competition will consist of four categories, namely Ladies Footwear, Gents Footwear, a Special Category for sandals made out of environmentally friendly material and Leather Products such as ladies’ handbags, travel bags and backpacks. The objective of the best stall competition is to encourage companies to showcase their wares in a professional and attractive manner. The winners will be announced on February 8 during the award ceremony. According to a communiqué issued by the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Sri Lankan High Commission in Seychelles has extended an open invitation to the local business community. Interested parties are requested to fill in an application form; the successful candidates will have the possibility to attend the seventh edition of the Sri Lanka Footwear & Leather Fair as part of a Seychellois trade delegation. The SLEDB will be providing the Seychellois delegation with three nights in a hotel on a bread and breakfast basis in a hotel in Colombo. INSET How to join the delegation: For more information or to collect an application form, interested parties are requested to contact either the Seychelles Chamber of Commerce and Industry on 432 3812 (or [email protected]), or the High Commission of Sri Lanka situated in the Capital City Building, Victoria. Also visit: lankaleather.lk and scciseychelles.sc
Posted on: Tue, 20 Jan 2015 08:40:35 +0000
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