Today, there are over 3500 members in WSA and the list keeps growing. Membership is no longer restricted to just West Coast shoe travelers, with more than 75 percent coming from other locations. Over one third of the exhibitors at the WSA show are foreign-based companies with nearly 3,000 retailers attending from other countries.
WSA is without question one of the strongest industry trade organizations offering support for its members. For a nominal fee ($70 to join and $20 annual renewal), members enjoy such benefits as: participation in two international markets, insurance, financial assistance, group legal services and listings of job opportunities. Because WSA is a not-for-profit organization, the costs for exhibit space and related services are the lowest in the industry. WSA also makes significant donations to a number of designated charities.
The organization's new website will offer information and services to its members and show attendees including: registration forms, exhibit information, hotel reservations, rental car registration, airline bookings, trend reports and updated news reports.
With over 24,000 attendees, World Shoe is the largest footwear trade market in the U.S. Buyers attending WSA at the Sands Expo Convention Center find men's, women's, children's and athletic footwear as well as accessories, handbags and foot care products. The Collections, an upscale WSA-sponsored exhibition at the Desert Inn, features over 100 well-known footwear designer brands including Giorgio Armani, Bruno Magli, Cynthia Rowley and Richard Tyler. Upcoming World Shoe market dates are August 8-11, 2000 and February 23-26, 2001.
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