An inaugural show is always going to be a difficult proving ground on which to build a mainstay stop in the leather calendar. But Messe Frankfurt have done their homework to put on a polished show in order to build momentum for the long haul.
It's an intimate setting here at Hall 8 of the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, especially compared with APLF last month. But with 85 exhibitors from ten countries, we're not here to measure one against the other. As a regional event, this has great potential seeing as the Gulf region's trade for semi-finished and finished leather, accessories and footwear was estimated to be just over $4 billion in 2014.
We'll see how momentum increases over the coming days, and how expectations are met.
