At the upcoming ‘Future trends in a post-Covid leather industry’ half-day conference at APLF Dubai on March 29, co-organised with ILM, the Leather and Hide Council of America (LHCA) will provide updates on the Real Leather. Stay Different. campaign and its International Student Design Competition, writes ILM.

Almost three years after the LHCA launched Real Leather. Stay Different. in Shanghai, Associate Director of International Programs Michael Schumpp will take the stage in Dubai to update the industry on its ongoing marketing work, promoting and celebrating the beauty, versatility, and sustainability of real leather across ten social channels.

Beyond this, the LHCA will also delve into the successes of its International Student Design Competitions, which have attracted thousands of entries from nearly 40 countries, and reveal how regional leather industries around the world can host their own edition of the competition.

Michael Schumpp

About the speaker
Michael Schumpp serves as the Associate Director of International Programs for the LHCA in Washington, DC, where he supports and oversees the implementation of the association’s market development activities. He also provides trade assistance, membership support, and public affairs guidance to the LHCA.

Schumpp serves concurrently as the International Trade Policy Specialist for the North American Meat Institute. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from George Washington University, in Washington, DC, and earned his Master of Arts in Political Management, also from George Washington.

Get your ticket
‘Future trends in a post-Covid leather industry’ will be a half-day hybrid conference featuring a live in-person event at the Dubai World Trade Centre on March 29 (afternoon), the day before APLF Dubai begins. For those who cannot attend in person, a virtual conference will be available to view online and will be broadcast around the same time as the live event. It will not be a simultaneous live feed.

Head to the registration page to get your ticket today.

Presentation topics may include:
• New traceability and transparency methods in the leather supply chain
• The switch to bio-based chemicals and chemicals from renewable carbon sources
• The latest advances in biodegradable leather and leather product technologies
• Best practice in animal welfare and reducing the link to deforestation
• New advances to reduce the carbon footprint of leather
• Leather’s place in future fashion industry trends
• Transforming the image of leather and consumer attitudes to leather
• Advances in automation and AI in leathermaking.

The full speaker line-up and topics will be announced over the coming weeks and all presentations will be in English only.

When is the conference?
Date: Tuesday, March 29 (the day before the start of APLF Dubai)
Time: 12:30pm registration with a coffee/networking break and ending around 5:30pm
Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre
Delegate fee: US$200 per person + VAT/booking fee* (*if applicable).
Click here to register to attend (live or online).

Who should attend?
The conference 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.