The 2005 edition of the Asia Pacific Leather Fair (APLF) in Hong Kong celebrated its 21st year at the event last week (April 6-9). With two complementary exhibitions, APLF - Materials, Manufacturing and Technology and Fashion Access, the show covered the leather industry from raw material supply through to fashion leather goods.

Michael Duck, director of APLF Ltd, commented: "APLF has always been more than a buyer-seller exhibition. It is the industry's annual meeting place and we believe that giving our exhibitors and visitors a broader and authoritative perspective on the industry will greatly add value to their participation."

This year's APLF attracted 1,866 companies from 63 countries and regions in Asia, Europe, the Americas and Africa. It included 31 group pavilions and 55 first-time exhibitors. Product categories included hides and skins, tanning machinery, semi finished and fully finished leathers, man-made alternatives including synthetic and natural materials, process chemicals and factory technology such as CAD/CAM systems, components and accessories.

There were also seminars which consisted of five presentations on topics including fashion trends in colours, materials, footwear and accessories, global footwear distribution and sourcing, and footwear quality.

In the trends lounge, over 200 samples of leather and materials illustrated the trends for spring/summer 2006 including colours and technological developments in leather and non-leather materials and components.

In order to recognise exhibitors with outstanding products in design, innovation and quality, the fair hosted the Best APLF awards that were judged by a panel of industry experts.

The winners were: DYMS- by Dyms Srl (Argentina) for Best Quality Collection; Standard Industrial Intl. Co. Ltd. for Best Innovation; C&C Luggage Mfg. Co. Ltd. (Taiwan) for Best Travelware; Preventi (Spain) for Best Men’s Footwear; Sinela Gallery (Spain) for Best Ladies’ Footwear; The British School of Leather for Technology (Northampton) for Education; Pittards Plc (UK) for Best New Leather:
Omnipel Technologies Srl (Italy) for Best New Non-Leather Material; Ducksan Co. Ltd. (Korea) for Best New Component; Pellerossa–TLP Italy for Best New Technology; and Roncato Valigeria Spa (Italy) for Best Stand Design.

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