Milan to host first International Footwear Forum

By

Maite Ruiz-Atela

Published
Apr 6, 2015

During the latest World Footwear Congress in Mexico, Jean-Pierre Renaudin, president of the European Confederation of the Footwear Industry (CEC), proposed the organization of an annual industry forum to advance the most important topics in the sector without the three-year wait. 

This initiative already has a location and date, as reported to FashionMag.com by the secretary general of the CEC, Carmen Arias. "The first edition will coincide with the last day of the tradeshow theMicam in Milan on September 4. The aim is to encourage dialogue and collaboration between key players in the footwear sector while provide an opportunity for exchanges between companies."

"The conference is intended in particular to allow companies to learn and share the latest innovations in our industry. The Forum hopes to open a collaborative dialogue between representatives of the footwear federations," said Jean-Pierre Renaudin, the current president of the CEC, who will step down in June to be succeeded by Cleto Sagripanti, president of the Assocalzaturifici. 

Milan and theMicam were chosen because "the show serves as an excellent opportunity for participating countries to discover the most innovative European products and innovations in the sector," said Jean-Pierre Renaudin. 

Among the topics for discussion during the Forum: the need to assist SMEs in their challenge to expand internationally while focusing on social responsibility throughout the supply chain. The CEC believes that collaboration will undoubtedly facilitate the work of the industry as a whole.  

Maite Ruiz-Atela (with Corentin Chauvel)