The ‘Future trends in a post-Covid leather industry’ conference will take place the day before APLF Dubai, with a programme packed full of industry-leading speakers presenting new science and data to enable the industry to progress after the pandemic. The half-day hybrid event, co-organised by ILM with APLF Ltd, will feature both an in-person event on March 29 as well as a virtual conference for those who cannot attend in person. Featuring presentations from companies and experts at the cutting edge of the leather industry, this event will explore what we can expect on the horizon in terms of megatrends and the post-Covid marketplace. The presentations are as follows and will be in English only:

• Exploring consumer attitudes and understanding about leather with Debbie Burton, Board Member at Leather Naturally
• Deforestation: A Solutions Driven Approach with Deborah Taylor, Managing Director of the Sustainable Leather Foundation and Mauricio Bauer, Senior Director – Beef and Leather Supply Chains at World Wildlife Fund U.S.
• Transparent transformation, presented by Michael Søndergaard, CEO of Scan-Hide and Birgitte Langer, Business Development Director at Spoor
• Real Leather. Stay Different Campaign and International Student Design Competition update from Michael Schumpp, Associate Director of International Programs for the Leather and Hide Council of America
• Radio-carbon as a measure of quantification of the circularity of materials, presented by Gustavo Adrián Defeo – FSLTC, CEO of Ars Tinctoria
• Science-based environmental footprint reduction strategies with Kim Sena, Sustainability Manager at JBS Couros and Federico Brugnoli, CEO of Spin360
• Enabling positive changes in leather, presented by Florian Schrey, Account Director Brands & OEMs at Royal Smit & Zoon.

The event will take place from 12:30pm Dubai local time on March 29, the day before APLF Dubai begins, and is aimed at anyone connected to the global leather supply chain, including tanners, brands/retailers, product manufacturers, OEMs, traders and consultants, trade associations, chemical and machinery/equipment suppliers and academia. Click here to register to attend (live or online).