APLF postponed to June 2020 owing to coronavirus

25 Feb '20

2 min read

Pic: APLF

APLF-Leather, Materials+ and Fashion Access, scheduled from March 31-April 2, 2020, has been postponed to be held from June 1-3, 2020, at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). Because of coronavirus, global corporate entities are applying preventative measures, which include suspending employees’ business trips to China and Asian cities.

The organisers of APLF are working closely with HKCEC to control and limit the spread of this infectious disease. To follow the guideline of the Department of Health, most if not all public activities, including exhibitions to be held in HKCEC in the March and April period have been postponed, APLF said in a press release.

HKCEC, being the best venue where to organise large scale exhibitions in Hong Kong, has a very busy event calendar. In 2019, the venue held over 1,000 events. Due to the outbreak, it is estimated that 20 mega fairs, including fairs organised by APLF, are being postponed to May 2020 onwards. After much coordination with the HKCEC, APLF was allocated the June 2020 slot, sharing the same venue with another exhibition which is scheduled to take place on the same dates on level 3 of the HKCEC. Under such circumstances, APLF will reorganise the fairs to halls 1A-E and concourses on level 1.

The coronavirus has disrupted the exhibition calendar in the fashion industry, but exhibitors and visitors can still connect with each other by using the APLF.com Online Sourcing Platform. In fact, the aim of the APLF.com is to allow exhibitors and visitors to stay connected before, during, and after the fair, creating a seamless online-to-onsite sourcing experience.

APLF.com Online Sourcing Platform, first launched in 2007 and revamped in 2015, offers suppliers 24/7 connection with fashion and materials buyers. Each and every APLF-Leather, Materials+ and Fashion Access exhibitor is entitled to a yearly membership of the Online Sourcing Facility and so promote themselves through this self-management platform.

Buyers can view the suppliers’ profiles including the APLF fairs in which they are participating, the sustainability certificates, etc. and use the enquiry function to request further information. As of now, APLF.com has 1,300 suppliers and 6,000 products uploaded, attracting a monthly traffic of 18,000 visitors.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (GK)