More than 1300 exhibitors with companies and brands from 42 countries. Numerous institutional representatives and industry professionals will also attend, animating the exhibition with panels dedicated to the world of footwear, bags, and accessories.
Riva del Garda - June 15th, 2023
It is said that a handwritten sign was displayed in Einstein's study at Princeton University that read: “Not everything that can be counted counts and not everything that counts can be counted.”
Yet even Einstein, the father of relativity, would have considered notable the figures presented by Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags for the event's 99th edition, taking place from 17 June to 20 June, 2023,
at Riva del Garda.
First and foremost: the fairgrounds are sold out, filling even the 2 pavilions that following the pandemic had been closed until today.
More than 1,300 exhibitors, companies and brands from 42 countries will display their new Spring Summer 2024 collections and winter restocking trends during the 4-day exhibition. An impressive number that comes with a great variety
of offerings in terms of product category, price and origin.
Taking a closer look at the composition of the exhibitor landscape can provide useful information for those visiting the Riva del Garda halls:
- 10% of exhibitors have never attended the event before. The fact that part of the offering will be a surprise and complete novelty is an important aspect.
- 25% of the companies attending will be proposing children’s collections.
- 10% of the brands attending will offer a wide range of bags and accessories. Suppliers located in China, Turkey, Portugal, Spain, India, England, Czech Republic, Italy and Germany.
- as per tradition, Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags will once again pitch itself as a “widespread fair”, with 11 exhibitors returning to present their collections in several hotels located throughout Rivoli, providing buyers with the opportunity
to evaluate their purchases in prestigious and more intimate locations.
The organisers of the event are particularly chuffed about the attendance of several countries that had never participated before, in addition to a number of pleasant returns: Japan, Nepal, Czech Republic, Mexico, Malaysia.
The en masse return of the Chinese manufacturing industry to the event is both extremely welcome and significant. Of the many Chinese companies attending, the origin of those presenting footwear collections can be broken down as follows: 34% from the Fujian district; 27% from Zhejiang; 26% from Guangdong; 4.83% from Anhui; 3% from Sichuan; 1.93% from Jiangsu; 1.44% from Hong Kong and 0.96% from Shandong. In the bags sector, the highest representation comes from the Guangdong district (81%).
But the real question is: what can we expect on the visitor side? Expectations are high: registrations (not yet finalised) to date speak of visitors from 103 countries, with Italy, Germany, Spain and England topping the list.
One particular figure is remarkably telling: 40% of the buyers registered so far expressed interest not only in footwear but also bags and accessories.
Among the visitors, it is important to mention the institutional representatives who will take part in the exhibition, enriching the schedule of events. These prestigious names include Roberto Luongo, General Director ITA/ICE Agenzia, Carmen Arias Castellano, Secretary General of CEC - European Confederation of the Footwear Industry, Lefiana H. Ferdinandus Ambassador of Indonesia in Italy, the Consul General of India in Milan, T. Ajungla Jamir and Ambassador Luis Pablo Niscovolos, Consul General of the Republic of Argentina in Milan. The heads of trade associations representing the world's largest production districts in the industry, such as China, Europe, India, Latin America, Pakistan, Turkey and Vietnam, have also confirmed their attendance.
Lastly, we remind you of some of the most important events that will take place during the exhibition, such as the Market Focuses, which will be dedicated to meetings between selected buyers and exhibitors, or the Innovation Village Retail, where you can discover the industry-specific innovations proposed by 6 Startups competing in the Startup Competition on Monday 19 June.
Absolutely not to be missed is the appointment with Enrico Cietta, Chairman of the Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags Scientific Committee, who will deliver a speech at the fair’s inauguration, titled: "How the footwear industry is responding to the post-globalisation era”.
Also worth catching is the important Summit scheduled on Sunday 18 June at the fair for the first time in Europe. The event will bring together many of the industry’s leading figures to discuss the topic “Matching supply and demand: post-pandemic challenges and opportunities between consumer trends and the supply chain. Footwear industry leaders discuss the future of sourcing”.
The Summit, moderated by William Wong, a member of the Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags Scientific Committee, aims to bring together Asian manufacturing associations and international retailers and sellers to discuss the challenges and opportunities of the post-pandemic market.
The participants will include Eddy Widjanarko, Chairman of the Confederation of International Footwear Associations (CIFA) and Chairman of the Indonesian Footwear Association (Aprisindo); Zhang Yan, Secretary General of the China Leather Industry Association (CLIA); Phan Thi Thanh Xuan, Vice-Chairwoman and Secretary General of the Vietnam Leather, Footwear and Handbag Association (LEFASO); Sanjay Leekha, Chairman of the CLE - Council for Leather Exports; Lt Col Ahmed Fawad Farooq, Secretary General of the PFMA - Pakistan Footwear Manufacturers Association.
Other industry professionals will also attend: Mark Denkler, Chairman of the National Shoe Retailers Association NSRA; Juan Perez Carpena, Director and Head of Sourcing of Asia Deichmann International Sourcing; Michelle Hong Chen, Purchasing Manager of Xiamen Unicorn Brand Management Co.; Stella Gong, Purchasing Manager of Carrefour Global Sourcing; Maria Labrador, Chairwoman of the Asociación Nacional del Comercio de Calzado (ANCC) and Purchasing Manager of Calzados Lafer S.L.; Gema Morera García, Vice-Chairwoman of Asociación Nacional del Comercio de Calzado (ANCC) and Purchasing Manager of Aresquet S.L.; M. Nieves Ivette Moraza, Purchasing Manager of Eroski; Rosamari Gutierrez, Purchasing Manager of Eroski S.COOP.
Click on the following link to keep up to date on the fair's events: https://exporivaschuh.it/it/eventi-expo-riva-show