All China Leather Exhibition, held in Shanghai early September each year.
American Leather Chemists Association. An important body that publishes some key reference material and holds a major annual conference.
Asia Pacific Leather Fair – held in Hong Kong in March each year.
British Footwear Association. The trade association for the footwear industry in UK. It includes importers and distributors, as well as UK boot and shoe manufacturers.
Formerly “British Leather Confederation’, previously known as British Leather Federation now known as UK Leather Federation. Now no longer an acronym but the letters are used as a brand and as part of the name ‘Eurofins BLC Leather Technology Centre Ltd’ (a leather industry testing, training and technical consulting firm based in Northampton.
British Leather Industry Development Trust. A charitable trust which awards grants for training within the leather industry.
Best Available Techniques Reference Document – an important European document used as a bible for regulating tanneries’ environmental performance throughout Europe.
British School of Leather Technology (redundant). The Leather School at the University of Northampton, now known as the Institute of Creative Leather Technologies (ICLT).
Brazilian Tanners Association. The trade association for the Brazilian leather industry.
China Leather Industry Association. The trade association for the leather and fur industry in China, which is the world’s largest. The organisation is housed within the Ministry of Light Industry.
Confederation des Associations Nationales de Tanneurs et Megissiers de la Communaute Europeene (Confederation of National Associations of Tanners and Dressers of the European Community). This is the European tanners’ official lobbying body to the European Union. The membership is comprised of national tanning associations of the European Union member states, including the UK.
Dorothy Jordan Lloyd Memorial Trust. A charitable trust which awards grants for travel to leather industry conferences and seminars etc.
Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. This organisation produced the biennial publication: “The World Statistical Compendium for Raw Hides, Skins, Leather and Leather Footwear”, which was the best comprehensive source of statistical data on the world leather industry but has ceased since 2016.
European Group of Leather Research Centres. Now defunct, this was serviced by the COTANCE secretary and coordinated collaboration on research and development projects.
International Council of Hide, Skin and Leather Traders’ Associations. This organisation works with ICT (see below) to manage the international Contracts for the sale of hides, skins and leather.
The Institute for Creative Leather Technologies, formerly BSLT.
International Council of Tanners, for which Leather UK provides the secretariat.
International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies.
Leather Conservation Centre, an organisation that provides conservation and restoration services for leather. Based in Northampton.
The trading name of the UK Leather Federation, the trade association for the UK leather industry.
Leather and Hide Trades Benevolent Institution, a charity supporting former employees of the UK leather industry.
Leather and Hide Council of America. The trade association for US tanners and leather suppliers.
Leather Industry Advisory Committee.
The name of the biannual (Spring and Autumn) trade fair held in Milan and which features leather and accessories for the fashion industries (footwear, clothing, leather goods etc.). There are also smaller editions in London and New York.
Leather Producers’ Association. The body that coordinates the annual wage negotiations between unions and employers in the leather sector. The secretariat is provided by Leather UK.
Museum of Leathercraft, also known as National Leather Collection. Based in Northampton.
Real Sheepskin Association, an informal association of manufacturers and retailers of wool-on sheepskin products. Now part of Leather UK.
Formerly “Shoe and Allied Trades Research Association”. Now no longer an acronym but the letters are used as a brand and as part of the name of SATRA Technology Ltd., A materials (including leather) testing company based in Kettering.
Scottish Hide and Leather Trades Provident and Benevolent Society, equivalent to LHTBI.
Scottish Leather Group Ltd. The UK’s largest leather manufacturer.
Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists. Hosts an annual conference in Northampton.
The name of an annual exhibition of machinery used in leather manufacturing. The exhibition is held in Milan at the same time as one of the Lineapelle exhibitions (usually the Autumn show).
United Kingdom Leather Federation. The registered name of the trade association of UK leather manufacturers.
Italian Tanners Association. This is the largest group of the tanners within the European Union. The Italian leather industry is greater in size that the sum of all the leather industries within the other EU countries.
United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, operates a special international leather working group that is influential in setting international standards for tannery performance and advises on development projects in the industry.
