It is a common sight at any exhibition to see people from non-exhibiting companies roaming the halls with their samples and price lists. This time, however, Lineapelle decided that this was simply not on.
Since the show is a shop window for leathers, synthetics and components, and intended for designers and manufacturers of finished goods, they put up a sign banning representatives from overseas tanners, hides merchants, machinery and chemicals companies who were not pre-registered.
A number of people who had travelled from overseas were, therefore, turned away while others managed to gain entry in more devious ways.
While the move can be commended for attempting to limit entry to all but genuine buyers, it raised considerable concern over the position of Tanning Tech this autumn which relies heavily on its close proximity to Lineapelle. However, a spokesperson for UNIC said that people registered for Tanning Tech would be allowed free access to Lineapelle as usual.
Hides and skins traders have felt for some time they have been getting a raw deal from the organisers. As one Scandinavian trader pointed out, he is a customer of many of the tanneries who sell wet-blue. Hides and skins suppliers no longer deal strictly in raw materials. These days they buy and sell a wide variety of products from raw to finished.
