Upon an initiative of the CEDDEC (European Confederation of the Shoe Retail Trade Associations) Chairman, Massimo Donda, the EBGC European Buying Group Committee was officially set up in Istanbul on July 8, 2004. This Committee was officially endorsed by CEDDEC,  which officially stated its patronage of it on September 16, 2004.
CEDDEC took it upon itself to organize the first EBGC official meeting on Tuesday 18 January, 2005 in Garda. This meeting will take place at the Fair. It will be preceded by a dinner offered by the Trade Fairs Board on January 17, 2005, open to all participants and European journalists.

PARTECIPANTS in Istanbul:

Mr. Massimo Donda from Trieste Italy: Calzature Donda 1887, President of CEDDEC and Federcalzature.
Mr. Alessandro Marcelli from Rome: General Secretary of Federcalzature
from Germany:
Mr. Karlheinz Dehmer: Buying Group ANWR Ariston- Nord West Ring: 5.000 shops in Europe
from Austria:
Mr. Hermann Franz Stropnigg from Graz: Buying Group Ringschuh: 400 shops in Austria
from Finland:
Mrs. Benita Bengtstrom Moed: Buying Group Kenkakilta: over 20 shops in Finland.
from Norway:
Mr. Ole Sondergaard from Kopenhagen: Buying Group Shoe-D-Vision: 100 shops in Norway.
from Danemark:
Mrs. Annett Frandsen and J. Rasmussen from Skødstrup: Buying Group Shoe-D-Vision: 120 shops in Denmark.
from Italy:
Mr. Angelo Uriel Hassan from Rome: Hassan Group: over 20 shops in Rome.
Mr. Enrico Baracchino and Mrs. Mariagrazia Baldi from Livorno: Buying Group Kammi over 140 shops in Italy.
Mr. Nino Schillaci and Mrs. Giuseppa S. from Palermo: Vivi Italia: 20 shops in Sicily.
from England:
Mr Tom Hamilton from Northern Ireland: Bishops Footwear Ltd.
Miss Sheila Connolly Ms Laura Murray Mr Kevin Brady from Northern Ireland: Connolly Shoes.
Mr Justin Morgan from Leicestershire Rohde Shoes UK Ltd.
Mr Mike Rowe from Northamptonshire T Groocock & Co Ltd.