With over three months left to go before the All China Leather Fair (ACLE), China International Footwear Fair & Moda Shanghai are set to take place, the number of confirmed exhibitors has already surpassed the final figures for last year’s shows.

According to the organisers of the shows, the number of exhibitors in the technology sector—which covers products such as CAD/CAM—has already tripled, whilst it has risen 59% in the synthetic/natural material sector and 35% in the hides and skins sectors.

The processed chemical and dyes sector is set to be the largest section of the show, occupying 41% of the overall exhibition area, followed by the semi-finished and finished leather sector.

Commenting on the strong exhibitor response, Perrine Ardouin, senior event manager said, "The trend we are seeing is in sync with industry reports. 60% of the world's luxury brands are expected to move their production bases to China by 2009. This has been propelled by China's domestic market demand as well as a sustained year-on-year economic growth."

Organised by APLF Limited and China Leather Industry Association (CLIA), the shows will be held on September 5-7, in Pudong, Shanghai.