APLF to hold 2022 event in Dubai, not Hong Kong
The organiser of the APLF exhibition has said that its 2022 event will take place in Dubai, rather than in Hong Kong.
APLF director and senior vice-president of organiser Informa Markets, David Bondi, said at a press conference on October 13 that finding a change of venue for the 2022 edition of the event had become necessary because restrictions on international visitors to Hong Kong, because of covid-19, are likely to continue until the end of March 2022.
He said this would affect APLF, which will run from March 30 to April 1 and that the organisers had taken the decision to move the event to Dubai “for a one-off, special edition”. The venue will be the Dubai World Trade Centre (pictured).
Event director, Grace Lee, said it was clear from conversations she had carried out with a number of leather industry organisations around the world that there is a real desire among people in the industry to return to physical events.
She said the organisers expect more than 400 exhibitors to take part in the Dubai event, with rates remaining at the levels they sought to charge for APLF 2020, which they had to cancel.
With regard to visitors, she said there is an expectation that more buyers from eastern Europe, North Africa and the Indian sub-continent will attend, although visitors from other parts of Asia are likely to find it more difficult to attend.
Ms Lee added that organisers and exhibitors hope that APLF will return to Hong Kong in 2023.
