It was in 1984 that the Hong Kong International Leather Fair made its debut. And 40 years later the show – now branded APLF Leather – returned to its home base in March, after an absence of five years.

For 2024, the show again adopted a “3-in-1” format, with sister fairs Materials+ and Fashion Access running currently. A big change from 1984 is that the event now hosts seminars, conferences and trend areas, designed to cover all aspects of the industry, alongside the more traditional trade fair, which this year featured important suppliers from more than 40 countries worldwide.

In honour of the 40th anniversary of APLF, several associations and national pavilions participated in the fair. While the annual meetings of organisations including the International Council of Tanners, and the UK Leather Federation, Leather Working Group and Leather Naturally were also held at the venue.