Events

Istanbul starts preparing for the return of the World Footwear Congress

Nov 4, 2022 World Footwear Congress 2023

The World Footwear Congress (WFC), which will be held in Istanbul from the 9th to the 11th of May 2023, will discuss the changing perspective of the consumer, new business models and employment

Anticipation begins mounting for the next WFC, as the event, created in 2003 by the European Confederation of the Footwear Industry (CEC) to bring closer all footwear players around the world, was suspended due to the COVID-pandemic. Next year, it will be organized jointly with the Footwear Industrialists Association of Turkey (TASD), taking place in Istanbul from the 9^th to the 11^th of May.

"We are going back to the field with Istanbul", commented the General Secretary of CEC, Carmen Arias, while visiting the latest edition of Aymod Footwear Fashion Fair. "We will have three important topics such as the changing perspective of the consumer, new business models and employment. We especially attach great importance to employment because the footwear industry is an industry that requires a lot of manual labour, and we need young people", she advanced.

Türkiye has been on the run to host the Congress since 2015, and, this time, its footwear industry size was the decisive argument. "Türkiye's footwear industry is making strides forward in terms of its size", added Carmen Arias.

"Being the sixth-largest footwear manufacturer in the world and the largest in Europe, Türkiye is preparing to hold the largest global event in the industry. In a race where many world cities compete, Istanbul took the lead for hosting the World Footwear Congress", stated Berke Içten, the Chairman of TASD. The WFC will provide an opportunity for local companies to expand their network, given that "there is a serious desire for European buyers to come to Türkiye" and to "further increase Turkish share in the world market".

Image Credits: TASD

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