Turkish leather garment makers go their own way with new trade show
International Leather Days, (ILD) has been billed as Tϋrkiye’s premier leather event since 1991. But now change is in the air with the country’s leather garment producers at the vanguard. Smaller producers, in particular, felt at a disadvantage pitted against larger, more influential peers. High prices for stand space at Ezgi Ajans’ Leather Days gave them an excuse to break away and stage a rival fair that will now take place
Mr. Kadir Uluduz, President of the Turkish Leather Garment Producers Association, describes the underlying conflict of interest. “Ezgi wants to stage a profitable fair but, as tanners and leather garment makers, we want a return on our investments. We need fair organisers to foot the cost of bringing buyers to fairs,” he explained.
Mr. Sadullah Sipahioglu, President of the Exhibition and Export Section of the Turkish Leather Foundation, said that five halls and 15,000 square metres of (net) space (about 200 exhibitors) has been sold for the “Istanbul Leather Fair.”
Competition has reduced prices; allowing many to have stands at both fairs. Young and dynamic leather professionals want to make Tϋrkye an active market place and trading arena. The two firms co-staging the new fair, RDF Fuarcilik and Turkel Fuarcilik, are creative and articulate and, like garment producers, invite competition and interaction within the sector.
In 1995, the footwear sector walked away from mainstream leather colleagues to stage their own event and RDF Fuarcilik to organise it. The significance of garment and footwear producers once again racing under the same colours has not been lost on anyone. Spirited times are ahead for Turkish leather.
