BFA increasing trade show support

The British Footwear Association (BFA) has announced new plans to support its members

with its most comprehensive and creative marketing programme, geared to offer increased support for footwear brands.

From next season the industry body will increase its support with specially designed micro sites for each major trade show featuring information on all the UK brands showing there. These sites will link with both the main BFA website and exhibition sites to create a ‘seamless marketing platform’, which will be reinforced by an email campaign targeted at both retail buyers and potential sales agents and distributors.

Additionally, the BFA has also developed a new international PR strategy and communications programme to support this, including increased PR support at the events, through collaborations with organisers in Italy and the USA.

The BFA currently represents 120 footwear brands, employing around 9,000 people in the UK. There are 6 billion pounds worth of shoes sold in the UK every year, and the British footwear industry is currently worth over 500 million pounds a year in exports.

The association already provides trade show support to its members with financial support for companies planning export expansion to the industry’s key footwear tradeshows such as FN Platform at Magic in Las Vegas in February, and MICAM in Milan in March.

Chief executive of the BFA, Richard Kottler said: “This is the most comprehensive and innovative programme of support we have ever offered our members.

“All of the exporting companies will benefit from the tremendous range of activities designed to increase buyer footfall and to attract potential sales agents and distributors across many international markets.

“This comes at a time when British branded footwear has never been in such international demand. We are really looking forward to the increased sales that will result from these plans."