Thirteen footwear trade associations and shows will work together in a new collaborative alliance—the Footwear Trade Show Council (FTSC)—to increase information sharing, explore best practices and align critical dates for the industry through in-person and virtual sessions. The group will meet 12 times annually and publish a quarterly newsletter for the industry.

“There was a lot of pressure to try and realize a national trade show, but because of COVID, we [the shoe industry] have moved to a hyper regionalized approach that seems to be the right approach right now,” said Matt Priest, President & CEO of the Footwear Distributors & Retailers of America (FDRA), on Kicks Over Coffee, the trade group’s YouTube show.

Inaugural members of the FTSC, which will be chaired by Sandi Mines, FDRA VP, are: the FDRA, Fashion Footwear Association of New York (FFANY), Informa, the Atlanta Shoe Market, Dallas Market Center, MICAM in Italy, the Footwear Shoe New York Expo (FSNYE), Chicago Shoe Market, the Boston Shoe Travelers Association (BSTA), Great Event Show, the IR Show and the trade groups United Shoe Retailers Association (USRA), National Shoe Retailers Association (NSRA) and the National Shoe Travelers (NST) based in Oregon.

“Our industry’s development cycles are changing rapidly, which means commercial show schedules may need to shift to adapt to new needs,” said Priest. “That is just one big issue we think this new group can help address together.”

Mines added, “Never before has our industry had both the great need and opportunity to convene all footwear trade shows under one umbrella, strengthening our ties and enhancing our commercial foundation in such a dramatic way. I am excited to bring together each of these critically important executives to our industry so that we are maximizing the positive impact we can have on footwear buyers and sellers – aligning to industry needs from the start. Our industry deserves no less."

Mines said footwear brands and sales representatives are excited to touch and feel product again; discover new, emerging brands, a practice that is difficult on a virtual landscape; network and see their retail partners again, some of whom have not been seen in person since before the pandemic commenced in March 2020. She added that “This is the Time” for the FTSC with so many people interested in supporting the industry and sharing information with each other.

“This is the start of ongoing communication in an era for our industry that is more fragmented,” Priest commented. “But this (FTSC) might be what the industry is asking for right now. We will navigate the best we can.”

Footwear trade shows of all different types and sizes want to ensure the shoe buyers and sellers are connecting in impactful ways around the U.S. and world, one issue sure to be addressed by the new FTSC initiative.

On its website, the goals listed for FTSC are:

• Share show dates in order to avoid overlapping trade shows
• Increase trade show awareness and traffic
• Ensure shows hear shoe company needs to provide better services
• Align dates of trade shows to best fit shoe company development cycles
• Develop or adopt new features to shows to increase experience and ease of doing business