KASTORIAN FUR ASSOCIATION

The Kastorian Fur Association “The Prophet Elias” (KFA)
The historical furriers’ union

Established more than 100 years ago, the Kastorian Fur Association “The Prophet Elias” is undoubtedly the earliest and most important union for fur-making, a craft dating back centuries.

The KFA was founded in 1915, three years after the liberation of Kastoria from Ottoman Rule, to stand up for furriers’ rights, solve problems and develop the fur industry, which for approximately five centuries has played a crucial role in the growth of Western Macedonia.

In fact, for the last 50 years, this sector had evolved in leaps and bounds, spearheading both the local and Greek economy in general since fur products have been listed in the top ten products Greece exports.

Kastoria International Fur Fair
The flagship of fur exportation
Since 1976, the Kastoria International Fur Fair has been the most significant event organized by the Fur Association, which decided to focus not only on union issues—one of its original concerns—but also on actions promoting fur. This Fair is linked to the history of the town of Kastoria, greatly contributing to the region’s economic growth.
The Kastoria International Fur Fair has taken off gradually, with participations of Exhibitors/Fur-making firms both from Greece and the rest of the world reaching record levels, while the number of visitors was also through the roof with more than 2.000 visitors and buyers from 40 different countries.

Fur Shopping Festival
The Association’s new brainchild
Without resting on its laurels from the success of the Fur Fair, the management of the Association laid the foundations for a new event in 2016: the Fur Shopping Festival. It is an additional exhibition mainly targeting retail sales, which, despite being in its infancy, has shown from the outset that it is a crowning success, drawing a great deal of attention from entrepreneurs and buyers the world over.

Western Macedonia Fur Center
Ultra-modern facilities
Since 2013, both the Fur Fair as well as the Fur Shopping Festival have been using the Western Macedonia Fur Center as their venue. These self-owned, ultra-modern facilities meet all the European standards for organizing large-scale exhibitions.

The total space of the Fur Center is approximately 13,000m2 (140,000ft2), while the exhibition space that hosts the Exhibitors’ stands is over 8500m2 (91,000 ft2).