Industry leaders, such as 3M, Dae Woo and Emtex, will be out in force at the inaugural Materials at WSA Expo & Conference in Las Vegas, February 19-21.  They will sit alongside new innovators from across the globe, which have never before been seen in Europe or America.

The show will be the place to find truly new innovators.  For instance SH Composites from Taiwan will launch a 100 percent recyclable Thermalplastic toecap.  The same shape as a steel toecap, it is non-magnetic, anti-corrosive, non-conductive and weighs 50 percent less than an original steel toecap. It also meets all the legally required safety standards. Another exciting new environmental player is Creative Leathers who specialize in bovine leathers in a wide range of up-to-the-minute finishes.  They will showcase Ecowhite, a chrome-free and biodegradable velour suede leather.

Global suppliers are also using the event to make major announcements.  For instance 3M will be showcasing its newest lines from both its Scotchgard and Thinsulate brands. Emtex will highlight how Emtex engineered fabrics are now available for manufacturing and delivery in Asia.  While Texon International, the leader in structural component materials for footwear is launching a new high performance, recyclable stiffener technology that is up to 25 percent lighter and 40 percent thinner than conventional stiffeners. Dae Woo will also be at the Materials Expo, championing its high-tech and high-quality new materials developments including its latest film coating, spread coating, surface heat treatment and laser processing techniques.  

Those looking for advanced materials will also have plenty to see from leading Italian tanneries such as Conceria Virginia S.p.A. that are focusing on eco-friendly leathers, washable leathers and waterproof materials and Conceria Mastrotto / Gruppo Mastrotto S.p.A.  At the same time, Fratelli Morelli Creazioni Tessili S.p.A. and Toray America Ultra Suede will be displaying their latest textiles.

The show floor will go far beyond exhibitor space by offering visitors a dedicated trend area along with a comprehensive educational workshop program, crafted specially for footwear and accessories, design, development and sourcing professionals. This program will include workshops such as
Innovations in Footwear Materials,

Demystifying what Green Really Means, New Materials & Designs Inspiration from Outside the Footwear Industry, plus Understanding Chinese Culture & How it Helps you Successfully do Business in China.

In addition to this, the unique positioning of the show, which runs just ahead of The WSA Show and The Collections at WSA and overlaps by one day, creates the largest and most comprehensive footwear marketplace in the world.  

The Materials Expo offers visitors a new experience in the world of footwear materials sourcing.  We have taken great care to select the best exhibitors possible to make this show a must for all designer, development, and sourcing professionals, comments Show Director, Courtney Harold.  We have literally traveled the globe to bring together the elite in footwear materials suppliers and will host industry leaders beside the undiscovered, with the latest technologies alongside the traditional.  Above all, the show will offer innovation and inspiration, as well education.

About Materials at WSA

Materials at WSA, launching in Las Vegas in February 2008, alongside The WSA Show, will further expand the breadth of this industry marketplace to include the supply chain by focusing on materials, design, components, technology and sourcing alongside the finished product, becoming easily accessible to brand and retail leaders.  The WSA Show is the world's largest and most comprehensive footwear, handbags, and accessories marketplace, offering a 360-degree viewpoint of the footwear industry.  The twice-yearly event in Las Vegas attracts more than 37,000 participants from 95 countries in 2.1 million square feet of space.  The Collections at WSA, an exclusive premium footwear and accessory show within The WSA Show, features hundreds of luxury footwear, handbag and jewelry designers from around the globe in an exclusive upscale setting.  

For more information on Materials at WSA, please visit www.materialsatwsa.com or www.wsashow.com