Media Release – 13 July, 2017

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

International Sourcing Expo Australia + Footwear & Leather Show

14 – 16 November, 2017, International Convention Centre, Sydney

Australia’s dedicated trade show for sourcing of apparel, accessories, footwear and leather is attracting strong interest from Vietnamese industry.

Australia’s major combined trade platform for clothing, textiles, accessories, footwear and leather is the International Sourcing Expo and co-located Footwear and Leather Show. The co-located events will take place on 14 – 16 November, 2017 at the new world-class International Convention Centre in Sydney. The event provides a direct opportunity for Vietnamese exporters to engage directly with Australian trade buyers and gain a foothold in the Australian market.

Julie Holt, Exhibition Director of International Exhibition and Conference Group, the organiser of the events, is in Vietnam to present a series of seminars in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City about opportunities in the Australian market and provide more details about the event. The seminars have been very well received by Vietnamese industry with strong registration numbers for the seminars. Ms Holt and her Vietnam based team have also meet with a number of local industry groups who have flagged interest in attending the event in Sydney this November.

In 2016 the event attracted 600+ exhibitors from over 23 countries who met with major buyers and industry decision makers from leading brands such as RM Williams, Myer, Cotton On, The Just Group, Rivers, Rubi Shoes, Diana Ferrari, Julius Marlow, and others.

According to Ms Holt “Vietnamese companies have a major opportunity to join the event this year. Over the past two years Australian imports from Vietnam in apparel and footwear have increased significantly. Apparel imports have grown by 64% and footwear has jumped an outstanding 90%. In the show visitor survey Vietnam ranks at the top as a supply source for Australian buyers, although as a country Vietnam is still under-represented at the event.”

The event has enjoyed a major participation from leading supply countries in the region such as India, Bangladesh and Pakistan for many years which has contributed to strong market positions for those countries in Australia.

Vietnamese participation in the event has not been as strong although there is a real demand from Australian buyers for Vietnamese production. Ms Holt anticipates that 2017 will see a strong participation from Vietnam with at least 10 companies participating.

Australia represents a major opportunity with strong import numbers and the supply patterns into Australia across some of the sectors are evolving with China is beginning to cede some of its prior dominance in both apparel and footwear. This opens up significant opportunities for new suppliers eager to secure a foothold in the Australian market.

Show Program

The exhibition is supported by a strong show program. Over three days this years’ International Sourcing Expo will convene a comprehensive Seminar Series, featuring eminent Keynote Speakers from around the world presenting on contemporary issues related to sourcing and fashion. It also will feature presentations from participating national and industry pavilions concerning their market and industry focus and global competitiveness. In 2017 it is expected that there will be a presentation focused on Vietnam, in direct response to buyer interest.

The International Sourcing Expo will be co-located with the Footwear & Leather Show and the China Clothing Textiles Accessories Expo. The combined events provide an established and well-respected platform and opportunity for Vietnamese exhibitors and others to connect with sourcing professionals and trade buyers from Australia, New Zealand and beyond.