INDEPENDENT
SHOEMAKERS
 

Since its inception nearly thirty years ago, the Independent Shoemakers Conference has been run by a loose co-operative  of shoemakers, with various companies and individuals taking a lead each year. As the numbers have multiplied tenfold since the first conference since the first event in 1999, so has the complexity and effort required to run the event.

In 2025, the decision was taken put together a committee to run the 2026 event, and the event was deemed a great success, but the resposibility still laid with the group of individuals who took on the task.

Following the 2026 conference, the decision was taken, following consultation with many of the previous organisers and volunteers, to seek registration with the Charity Commission as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO). This process is now ongoing and we hope that by the autumn of 2027, we will be functioning fully as a CIO, along with a relevant bank account and constitution.

To manage the affairs of the Independent Shoemakers Conference, four new trustees have been elected to run from 2026-2028. They are:

Chairperson - Sebastian Tarek
Treasurer - Philip Taylor
Trustee - Rebecca Thorn
Trustee - Federica Consoli

We believe these changes will ensure that the conference remains relevant and truly independent for the foreseeable future. If you feel you would like to get involved with the running of the CIO, please get in touch with one of the above.