The APLF events always take place in March annually but were rescheduled to take place from the 1^st to the 3^rd June 2020 in light of the initial Covid-19 virus outbreak, which largely affected mainly Asia. The decision to hold the next edition as usual in March 2021 considering the pandemic has spread across and is now felt globally.

“This was a difficult decision for the entire team including our staff, partners, and for the industry to make; however we believe it is the correct course of action that will help sustain the leather and fashion industries in the long run. The recent unprecedented developments of Covid-19 affecting our community and friends has moved from what was considered just an Asia epidemic at the beginning of this year to what is now a global pandemic. We want to ensure that when APLF returns it is under the best conditions for all participants. In the meanwhile, we will create digital solutions to keep the connection and conversation between buyers and sellers strong”, stated Perrine Ardouin, Event Director of APLF. “

APLF’s digital solutions

To ensure APLF keeps connected to the community and the businesses several digital products are being put in place, such as the APLF.com marketplace, webinars and InTouch, a new virtual business matching event. As of now, APLF has planned a series of webinars focusing on educational, industrial and trend topics. The new InTouch initiative is a series of virtual sourcing events during which suppliers will present their products live to buyers around the world. Starting from the 16^th April, each InTouch event is specially curated to suit different sourcing requirements of the buyers. Exhibitors will present their collections and answer buyers’ questions, and afterwards they will meet each other in a one-on-one business matching meeting.

ACLE in September

With the positive signs showing China’s recovery from Covid-19 the event All China Leather Exhibition (ACLE) scheduled to take place from the 1^st to the 3^rd  September 2020 in Shanghai, APLF underlines this will be the first event for the leather industry to get back on track after the pandemic.