AYSAF opens at Istanbul Fair Center

The 70th International Shoe Component Industry Fair AYSAF opened its doors on 1 May at Istanbul Fair Center. Bringing together all players in the sector, the fair has become the most important hub for shoe component materials, leather, synthetic leather, textiles, soles, heels, accessories, machinery, chemicals and mold manufacturers. At AYSAF, which is the 1st in Eurasia and the largest in Europe, around 20,000 sector professionals from more than 60 countries and over 350 companies will gather from 1-4 May. AYSAF will bring together the region's leading shoe and leather product manufacturers and component suppliers from the Middle East, North Africa, Turkic Republics, Russia, Eastern Europe and the Balkans, targeting a transaction volume of USD 1.13 billion in the sector. Expert speakers at AYSAF Talks sessions At the fair, which stands out with AYSAF Talks sessions, expert figures shed light on the sector at the "Respect to Masters Session". At the first day's session, M. Orhan Çakıroğlu from Gaziantep, who described the craft of shoe finishing, a 130-year-old family trade, emphasized the importance of natural leather and said "Shoe finishing has become a sector in Gaziantep". On the fair's second day, the "Entrepreneurship; In Woman's Nature" panel highlighted 3 pioneering women entrepreneurs in the male-dominated sector, while on the fourth day, World Wide Seller founder Ayşegül Kartal will share information on overseas sales and branding. In the VR area created in collaboration with the International Shoe, Tanning and Leather Products Manufacturers Association ASSOMAC, participants will have the opportunity to examine machinery and technologies used in leather and shoe manufacturing in a virtual environment. AYSAF continues to be more than just a fair, a power center that allows the shoe sector's heart to beat in Istanbul and inspires the entire world.