Programme of the 18th International Technical Footwear congress

The 18th International Technical Footwear Congress of the International Union of Shoe Industry Technicians (UITIC) will be held in China on 13-16 November 2013 in Guangzhou. Footwear manufacturers and experts will discuss:

“Social Responsibility: a challenge for the footwear industry”

The following is Draft Programme of the 18th UITIC Congress

Wednesday, 13 November
◇ Registration & Welcome cocktail (evening)

Thursday, 14 November
◇ Visit of factories in Dongguan

Friday, 15 November
◇ Congress
◇ Official Diner

Saturday, 16 November
◇ Congress (morning)

More than 20 international speakers, experts in their fields are scheduled.
Simultaneous translation service will be provided.

Scientific Programme：

Session 1: Product Innovation
• Ecodesign, Life Cycle Analysis , End-Of-Live, Carbon footprint,
• Use of new and ecological materials in the shoe production, Stressing on recycling materials,
• New packaging, new product design, new product concepts closer to the final market with particular attention to the shoe customization,
• More intensive usage of Internet tools to let to customers more choices on the styles,
• Issues of tracing (shoes and of components)…
Sessions 2: Process Innovation
Alternative technologies and organizations of the supply chain in the shoe production allowing:
• Material savings, energy saving, time saving,
• Clean technologies, “green” components,
• Leather or other materials waste,
• The implementation of traceability…
Session 3: Working Conditions and Human Resources
• Increase work safety,
• Develop skill and increase the value of human resources in the production plants,
• Increase the involvement of the workers, reduction of repetitive and alienate jobs,
• Social standards application,
• Incentives personnel bounded to the global quality of each different production phases…
Session 4: Consumers and Customers
• Sustainable consumption, consumer expectation,
• Consumer health and safety, how to deal with REACh type regulations,
• Consumer information and labelling, Communication (from “Green washing” to full transparency),
• Organization to reduce counterfeit risk, …
Session 5: Business Practices and Social Responsibility Implementation
• Changing relationships for win-win practices in the supply chain (subcontractors and suppliers),
• Building institutional infrastructure for Social Responsibility,
• How to implement a Social Responsibility project, methodology, assessment, evaluation and certification, reporting and feedback from companies…