APLF confirms the 2022 edition on the previously announced dates (30 March – 1 April 2022). Given the problems of the last two years, when the show was repeatedly postponed and then cancelled due to Covid, this is already news. But the next edition of the show will not be held in Hong Kong as usual. Exceptionally, the event will move to the World Trade Center in Dubai. “Travel restrictions and preventive measures in force until March 31 in Hong Kong do not allow for the influx of the international public,” explained David Bondi, Director of APLF and Senior Vice President of the organising body Informa Markets. “Dubai offers high levels of population vaccination, has already hosted international events, including Expo 2020 scheduled until 31 March, and is easily accessible from Asia, Europe and Africa”.
APLF confirms and innovates
Presenting the event, the organisers explained that the move of APLF is temporary, due to contingencies only. The natural venue of the fair remains Hong Kong. “We know that the composition of buyers will be influenced by the choice,” explained Grace Lee (Informa Markets). “We are counting on having more entries from Eastern Europe, North Africa and India. At the moment, the possibility of Asian arrivals depends on travel restrictions, which may ease by March”. The event organisers explain that they shared the choice of the new location with the main exhibitor representatives. Sophie Hivert of the Fédération Française de la Tannerie-Mégisserie and Jane Li of the US-based LHCA confirm that they consider it more important to hold a trade show in attendance than to wait for Hong Kong to become available.
UNIC comments
“We are aware that the change of location of APLF represents a forced choice – comments Fulvia Bacchi, General Manager of UNIC – Concerie Italiane, which organises the Italian tanning collective at the fair -. We hope that, once the emergency phase related to the pandemic has been overcome, the fair can return to its natural venue, Hong Kong, confirming its dimension of reference event for the Far East tanning industry”.
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