Konya Chamber Of Commerce

We are delighted to host the Mastershoes Konya Footwear & Bag Fashion Fair at the Konya Chamber of Commerce International Fair Center. We see the international fairs organized at the Konya Chamber of Commerce International Fair Center, which serves as a gateway for Konya’s private sector to the outside world, as a stepping stone that contributes to the growth of production and trade volume in our industries. These fairs, which showcase the current status and potential of our city’s industries to the entire world, also contribute significantly to the revitalization of our sectors. In this regard, we place great importance on the international fairs held in Konya.

With an annual production capacity of 580 million pairs, Turkey ranks first in Europe and sixth in the world in the footwear industry, exceeding $1.2 billion in exports in 2023. Konya undoubtedly plays a key role in the success of the Turkish footwear industry. Being one of the top three footwear manufacturing cities in Turkey, Konya contributes significantly to the increase in both production and exports. Our city’s footwear sector has the capacity to rival production centers in the Far East and Europe. I extend my gratitude to all entrepreneurs who contribute to the success of the sector, with its growing production, exports, and employment every year. We will continue our activities and projects to further advance the footwear sector, which is of great importance to the economy of both our city and our country.

Among the key issues we focus on for the development of the footwear sector are “qualified workforce” and “design.” At this point, we have implemented the “Konya Footwear Design Joint Use Center” project. Through the KAYSTECH project, we have equipped the Konya footwear sector with the latest technologies, software, hardware, and devices used in the global footwear industry. The Joint Use Center supports businesses in the field of design and also addresses the sector’s need for a skilled workforce through the training provided here. With these features, our center has become a model across Turkey.

In order to introduce our members to more importing companies and further increase our export figures, we organized 5 separate B2B meetings with four different countries: Germany, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. We will continue to hold B2B events to promote our sector. Additionally, to enhance global recognition of our sector, we have prepared the “Konya Footwear Sector Promotion Report” in 8 languages and sent it to relevant parties both domestically and internationally.

As the Konya Chamber of Commerce, together with the institutions representing the sector, we will continue to work towards ensuring that the Konya footwear sector becomes a value-added industry for both our city and our country’s economy. As seen at the MASTERSHOES Konya Footwear & Bag Fashion Fair, the unity among sector representatives is of great importance for the future of the industry. This unity will accelerate the rapid rise of the footwear sector in our city. I would like to thank everyone involved in organizing the fair and wish the sector continued success.

SELÇUK ÖZTÜRK

PRESIDENT OF THE KONYA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE