Hong Kong's APLF unveils new B2B social networking marketplace

16 Apr '21

3 min read

Pic: APLF LEATHER & MATERIALS

APLF is all set to unveil sampleroom, a new B2B social networking marketplace for suppliers to launch their collections, connect with buyers and accelerate business. The platform, to be live on April 19, along with a one-week launching event from April 19 to 23, will provide year-round product sourcing and business matching services to suppliers and buyers.

Over 30 webinars will be held during the launching week with industry experts and professionals sharing their knowledge and insights on topics such as trends, sustainability, retail and innovations. Sampleroom will bring together international suppliers of leather, hides and skins, machinery, chemicals, components, manufacturing equipment and supplies, fashion items, footwear, and garments.

The sourcing behaviour of buyers has been reshaped. The exchange between buyer and suppliers has been extended beyond physical events to online. Thus, even the leather and fashion industries, which are regarded as traditional markets, are adopting to change, and even to take advantage of online platforms for staying connected and maximising business opportunities all year round. Driven by the changes in trading and sourcing behaviour, sampleroom has been created to provide the industry with an easy-to-use sourcing and social networking online tool.

Sampleroom is an open network that brings all stakeholders – suppliers, buyers, associations, and media together. It facilitates to build creative relationship between buyers, suppliers and innovators. The closer than ever networking brings creation and innovation. Users can use sampleroom as a creative digital space to generate new ideas and projects, and also get inspiration from showrooms, newsroom and educational materials available in sampleroom.

Responsible trading in the leather and fashion industries is more important than ever. Sampleroom allows buyers to look for the right sustainable partners for their business through filtering over 40 recognised certificates.

Sampleroom is a platform tailor-made for the whole industry to launch new products and showcase their concepts. Each month, sampleroom will highlight the suppliers with innovative and sustainable products or services. Sampleroom brings together the best leather and fashion goods producers. In sampleroom, buyers can discover over 2,000 product showcases which increase daily, search according to the product types, applications, seasonal collections, and sustainability credentials.

Although sampleroom is digital, human contact is how businesses connect. Sampleroom is a pioneering networking site that allows people-to-people connection. The in-platform social tools are designed to create an engaging and interactive environment for suppliers and buyers. Users will be able to customise their company and personal profile pages to enhance their social presence. Through connection requests, meeting scheduling, private messages and video calls, and also the community feed and blog column, users will be fully integrated into the platform to communicate and stay in touch with the industry.

“The name comes from sample room, an important place where design and innovation come to life,” said Grace Lee, APLF’s director, “Every fashion house, material or component producer, chemicals or machinery manufacturer has their own sample room. It is the go-to place where designers, specifiers and producers gather to develop the next collection, and review their prototypes. With this core concept in mind, APLF aims at re-creating this experience online through our new sourcing platform - sampleroom.”

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (SV)