The Australian International Sourcing Fair (AISF) will debut in Sydney in November, offering visitors the opportunity to engage with over 380 international suppliers across apparel, accessories, swimwear and footwear.
The event, organised by Australian Exhibitions & Conferences (AEC), will be co-located with China Chamber of Clothing and Textiles, and held at the Sydney Exhibition Centre in Darling Harbour from November 22-24.
Based on the success of the inaugural event in Melbourne in 2010, and “early interest from international exhibitors”, the fair will move to Sydney for the first time this year, with more than 11 countries set to participate.
AEC said the event will assist in “connecting manufacturers to wholesalers the AISF [and] is all about making business easier. Most importantly the AISF promotes a diverse array of exciting product options from fashion to homewares from across the globe”.
Held at the beginning of the Australian sourcing season, trade visitors will include volume buyers looking to shorten supply chains and access international suppliers for existing and new transseasonal product ranges.
A selection of products will also be on display, including new fabrics from Taiwan, handicrafts from India, clothing and apparel from Fiji, knitwear from Bangladesh, textiles from Pakistan, footwear and apparel from Thailand, and fashion and accessories from Indonesia.
AISF will also specifically focus on manufacturing and wholesaling opportunities across apparel, handicrafts, ceramics, textiles, denim, leather, silk, lingerie and intimate apparel, handbags, luggage, small leather goods, footwear, eyewear, fashion accessories, jewellery, manchester, workwear, urban wear (streetwear), swimwear, couture & special occasion, millinery and headwear.
AEC managing director Marie Kinsella said: “Our ongoing work with international governments and associations is enabling us to effectively target the right type of products and exhibitors for the Australian market. I look forward to announcing specific details on some of the major international pavilions as we move closer to this years show. It is also pleasing that we expect a number of new countries to join the event in 2011.”