Inspiramais brings 33rd edition to Porto Alegre

Inspiramais hosts 150 exhibitors in Porto Alegre on January 27 and 28, focusing on fashion, design, sustainability and Artificial Intelligence for the footwear chain.

The leading fair for launching materials for the footwear industry, INSPIRAMAIS reaches its 33rd edition on January 27 and 28 at FIERGS Event Center, in Porto Alegre, reinforcing its role as a reference in fashion, design and innovation.

With 150 exhibiting companies and a program that combines business with high-level content on fashion, design, sustainability and Artificial Intelligence, the event expects to welcome more than 7,000 professional visitors in two days.

Silvana Dilly, superintendent of Assintecal, the Brazilian Association of Companies of Components for Leather, Footwear and Manufactured Goods, highlights the fair’s impact on the entire fashion production chain.

“INSPIRAMAIS is where fashion begins. At the event, we will have materials and services to drive the production of footwear, apparel, furniture, jewelry and the automotive industry, always with the curation of a fair that has been presenting guidelines and paths for the national and international industry for more than a decade,” she says.

According to her, the latest edition of INSPIRAMAIS generated more than R$ 44 million in international business alone, underlining the fair’s relevance on the global stage.

Buyer Project connects brands and importers

One of the highlights of INSPIRAMAIS is the Buyer Project, supported by ApexBrasil, which this year brings 38 international buyers from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and Turkey to Brazil.

Together, these material importers involved in the Buyer Project manufacture more than 1.5 million pairs per month and act as component distributors in their local markets, expanding the reach of Brazilian exhibitors.

Iconografia Local – Amazon Biome on show

Another key attraction of INSPIRAMAIS is the exhibition of materials developed under the project “Iconografia Local Bioma Amazônico”, carried out by Assintecal in partnership with Sebrae.

The initiative took place in the territories of Santarém, the district of Alter do Chão, Belterra and Mojuí dos Campos, combining in-depth territorial research focused on local identity with the development of more than 80 new materials for the industry.

The project links fashion, sustainability and cultural value, aligning INSPIRAMAIS with debates on Brazilian biomes and the creative economy.

Cufa showcases entrepreneurship from the favelas

For the second year in a row, INSPIRAMAIS includes an exhibition of entrepreneurs from Cufa, the Central Única das Favelas, a nationally and internationally recognized organization.

Cufa operates in the political, social, sports and cultural fields and works to bring dignity to communities across Brazil. At the fair, its entrepreneurs will have products and services available to visitors.

Innovation Arena explores fashion, AI and design

The content program of INSPIRAMAIS takes place at the Innovation Arena, which opens at 11 a.m. on January 27 with the official opening ceremony, gathering authorities and leaders from the leather-footwear chain.

During the ceremony, companies in the materials segment will receive certificates from the Origem Sustentável program, the only sustainability certification in the world focused exclusively on the footwear manufacturing industry, which already covers more than 50% of the sector’s production.

At 1:30 p.m., Walter Rodrigues, creative coordinator of Assintecal’s Research and Design Center, presents the research that led to more than one thousand innovative and sustainable materials launched at this edition.

The research, titled The Turning Point and inspired by Fritjof Capra’s 1981 book “The Turning Point”, calls for a shift under an ecological and feminine perspective in fashion and product development.

At 2:15 p.m., the talk Design First: The Secondary Role of Technology will be given by Daniel Quintana Sperb, an executive and serial entrepreneur in the education and technology sectors.

He will address design, Artificial Intelligence and human behavior, showing how design remains the invisible engine behind major technological revolutions.

Closing the first day of content at INSPIRAMAIS, at 3:45 p.m. consultant Emmanuelle Tonani, from Assintecal’s Research and Design Center, gives the lecture Artificial Intelligence for Fashion Creatives.

Her talk will explore how Artificial Intelligence can enhance the creative and strategic potential of fashion professionals, connecting technology, design and innovation.

Amazon, research and campaigns on the second day

On January 28, the Innovation Arena program at INSPIRAMAIS starts at 10:30 a.m. with a presentation of the Iconografia Local – Amazon Biome project, led by Walter Rodrigues.

The lecture will focus on sustainable engagement and business opportunities in the Amazon Biome, highlighting its role in the future of materials and fashion.

At 11:15 a.m., Rodrigues returns to the stage to present The Turning Point research once again, allowing more visitors to access its creative guidelines.

At 1:30 p.m., Tiago Peters, founder and Creative and Strategic Director at Agência Voren, talks about the behind-the-scenes process of the Human campaign, presented at the 32nd edition of INSPIRAMAIS and winner of the 2025 Share Social Media Award.

At 2:15 p.m., Rodrigues takes the stage again to present the preview of the research that will inspire the collections to be launched at the July edition of the fair, in São Paulo.

The talk, themed Essence, will feature the participation of Marnei Carminatti, coordinator of the Preview do Couro Project and consultant at Assintecal’s Research and Design Center.

The final lecture of INSPIRAMAIS is scheduled for 3:15 p.m., with Flávia Vanelli, curator of the Conexão INSPIRAMAIS Project, and architect Cândido Machado, a specialist in the A3 Project.

They will discuss Fashion, Design and Architecture as Agents of Transformation, highlighting how creative fields can promote social and cultural change.

For this edition, the Innovation Arena at INSPIRAMAIS is sponsored for the first time by Kisafix, with support from Sebrae.

About Inspiramais

INSPIRAMAIS is organized by Assintecal in partnership with CICB, the Centre for the Brazilian Tanning Industry, Abit, the Brazilian Textile and Apparel Industry Association, and Abimóvel, the Brazilian Furniture Industry Association.

The fair is carried out under the Brazilian Materials program, with support from Sebrae Nacional and institutional backing from Abvtex, the Brazilian Textile Retail Association, and Senai/RS.

Institutional partnership also includes Firjan, the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro, reinforcing collaboration across different segments of the production chain.

Registration for INSPIRAMAIS is free for professionals in the footwear production chain and can be completed at https://www.inspiramais.com.br/.

Service – 33rd Inspiramais

Event: 33rd INSPIRAMAIS

Dates: January 27 and 28, 2026

Venue: FIERGS Event Center

City: Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

Registration: free for professionals in the production chain

Online registration: https://www.inspiramais.com.br/