2019 Professional Development & Events ARCHIVE

2019 Past Events

Footwear Design Summit

New York, New York  |  Tuesday, November 12, 2019

This footwear design summit is focused on helping development leads and shoe designers explore and understand new software, tech, trends and tools changing how we design shoes in a speed-to-market world.

Footwear Trade Distribution and Customs (FTDC) Conference

Long Beach, California  |  Sunday–Tuesday, October 27–29, 2019

Join us for 55 years of the largest and longest running footwear conference in the USA. This event includes 3 days of in-depth discussion on supply chains from ports and service providers, trade and import compliance, and customs classification issues and sample classifications. If you import shoes, you cannot afford to miss this event.

The Footwear Materials Summit

Portland, Oregon  |  Tuesday, August 13, 2019

This event is for for materials specialists, designers, developers, and sourcing teams. We cover material trends, sourcing insights, challenges and best practices in managing and commercializing materials. Feature speakers include industry leaders and professors leading cutting edge research into the next wave of materials development. Networking events and material research and production labs tours included!

Brews & Shoes Footwear Industry Networking & Charity Events

Portland, Oregon   |  Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Boston, Massachusetts   |   Wednesday, March 6, 2019

Networking events for footwear professionals across the industry in the Portland and Boston footwear communities. Come, grab a brew and catch up—we will raffle items with all collected proceeds benefiting the Two Ten Footwear Foundation.

The Materials Show

Wilmington, Massachusetts  |  Tuesday & Wednesday, August 6 & 7, 2019
Portland, Oregon  |  Wednesday & Thursday, August 14 & 15, 2019

The Materials Show is coming to the northeast and northwest with a great roster of footwear materials suppliers, FDRA’s Footwear Materials Summit (see below for registration), exciting trend presentations by Peclers Paris, exhibitions featuring talks by WTIN, and the introduction of specially-curated Asian, American, and European exhibitor selections from Premiere Vision Sport.

African American Footwear Forum

Portland, Oregon  |  Saturday, August 10, 2019

Washington, DC   |   February 20–21, 2019

The African American Footwear Forum enhances access, education, and awareness for African Americans who are seeking opportunities to influence, lead, and impact the global footwear industry and consumer culture. Join brands, passionate industry professionals, representatives from historically black colleges and universities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and influencers for periodic events exploring and celebrating how diversity drives innovation and creativity drives global competitiveness.

Sourcing & Sustainability Summit

New York, New York  |  Monday–Tuesday, July 22–23, 2019

This summit will help sourcing and supply chain execs, directors and professionals understand shifts to footwear production from experts and industry leaders. This year will focus on factory automation and innovations changing the footwear development and production process.

FDRA 75th Anniversary Party

New York, New York  |  Tuesday, June 4, 2019

FDRA & FFANY have come together to celebrate FDRA’s 75th Anniversary and FFANY’s 40th. Please join us and over 200 footwear execs and professionals celebrating 75 years of the industry’s business and trade association.

THE Footwear Executive Summit: Transformation

Washington, DC   |   Wednesday–Thursday, April 3–4, 2019

The summit for executives, directors, and managers. This year will feature keynotes and industry panels on how changing consumer demand is causing retail shifts, as well as politics and trade keynotes. Last year’s event had nearly 200 attendees.

Global Footwear Executive Summit

Hong Kong   |   Tuesday, March 12, 2019

This special event for factory executives and footwear company professionals in Asia will cover the shifting sourcing landscape, innovations and automation taking place in factories, and compliance and quality control best practices driving factory improvements.