We are determined to introduce our fairs to the world.

One of the most important fairs of the shoe industry, the 48th Shoexpo-İzmir Shoe and Bag Fair was opened with a ceremony attended by the Mayor of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç Soyer. For the first time this year, the fair was given the opportunity to open a booth to enable small producers to meet with exports. Speaking at the ceremony, Mayor Soyer said, "We are determined to increase our fairs, which increase Turkey's foreign trade volume and strengthen many sectors, and introduce them to the world."

Shoexpo - İzmir Shoe and Bag Fair is open. The Mayor of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, Tunç Soyer cut the ribbon of the fair, which was held for the 48th time. In addition to Mayor Tunç Soyer, the opening of Shoexpo, one of the most important fairs of the shoe industry, was attended by CHP İzmir Deputy Tacettin Bayır, Aegean Exporters' Unions Coordinator President Jak Eskinazi, İzmir Chamber of Commerce Chairman Mahmut Özgener, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Deputy Mayor Mustafa Özuslu, Torbalı Mayor Mithat Tekin, Gaziemir Mayor Halil Arda, Cyprus Mehmetçik Mayor Cemil Sarıçizmeli, İzmir Shoemakers' Chamber President Yalçın Ata, Aegean Footwear Industrialists' Association President Erdal Durmaz, industry representatives and manufacturers.

The lifeblood of the economy

Stating that they contribute to the city's economy and country's exports with the fairs they organize, Mayor Soyer said, "We continue to support our industrialists and producers and to grow the city's economy by attracting more visitors to İzmir. Last year, we brought together buyers, industrialists and producers from different sectors and all over the world. In 2021, we hosted 34 sectors in total at Fuarİzmir. In 2022, we increased our target and with the initiatives of İZFAŞ, we increased the number of our fairs to 31 with 14 new fairs. By adding new sectors such as logistics, construction, manufacturing, technology, and botany to our portfolio, we continue to grow the bread of our industrialists, producers, all of us, all over İzmir and Turkey."

Soyer: “We are opening a brand new door”

Mayor Soyer stated that Turkey is the world's seventh largest producer in the shoe industry and said: "However, we are outside the top 20 in export figures. SHOEXPO opens a brand new horizon for our industry, where it can follow the design trends in the world and turn to products with high added value. We are opening a brand new door for our shoe and leather industry manufacturers in Turkey, most of whom are SMEs, who have no experience in fairs and have not met with exports. With our project, which is a first in Turkey, we enable 40 businesses to participate in SHOEXPO free of charge and bring them together with international buyers. We also implement a short training program for information sharing and support regarding the export process. In İzmir, Turkey's second largest city in the sector, we both bring our small producers together with exports and increase our export figures in this way.”

“İzmir is the city of fairs”

Saying that the foundations of Turkey's first and most rooted fairs were laid in İzmir, Soyer said, "Each of the 31 fairs we will organize this year will bring a serious vitality to the economy of our city and bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to İzmir in total. When there is a comprehensive fair in İzmir, the hotels in the city center, in our coastal districts and even in Manisa are full. Many sectors of the city, taxi drivers, restaurants and our shopkeepers win their bread thanks to the fairs. The ties between İzmir and the world are getting stronger, and Turkey's foreign trade volume is growing. We will continue to increase our fairs and we are determined to introduce them to the whole world. Because İzmir is a city of fairs," he said.

After the opening, Mayor Soyer toured the fair with his delegation.

Support to the sector from İzmir Metropolitan Municipality

İzmir Metropolitan Municipality offers 40 manufacturers the opportunity to open stands in the area created under the name of "Shoes, Bags and Saddlery Area". The project, named “Meeting SMEs with exports”, is being carried out for the first time at the 48th Shoexpo. Thus, small producers are allowed to exhibit their products in the field for 4 days and provide a start to their export doors.

Visitors come from 26 countries

There are visitors for export from Azerbaijan, Belarus, United Kingdom, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Algeria, Czechia, Armenia, Palestine, France, Ghana, Georgia, Iraq, Spain, Israel, Italy, Montenegro, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, Kosovo, Lebanon, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Jordan and Greece.

Nearly a hundred companies from Adana, Gaziantep, Hatay, Istanbul, İzmir, Konya and Manisa are participating in the fair where product groups such as Women's Shoes, Men's Shoes, Children's Shoes, Bags, Saddlery, and Leather Apparel will be exhibited.                                         

The events will appeal to the industry

Industry professionals will come together in talks and exhibitions to be held in Shoexpo İzmir. The “Step-On Talks” stage will host famous local and foreign designers for four days. Among the guests of the "Step-On Talks" stage will be "Kobi Levi", the designer of world-famous names such as Lady Gaga and Fergie. Levi will provide information about design to industry representatives and his different designs will be exhibited in the "Shoe Art Show" area.