MAGICMoves the edge, Outer Limits to LVCC
Woodland Hills, Calif.-based MAGIC International will be moving two of its categories, the Outer Limits and the edge, from the Sands Expo & Convention Center to the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) for the next edition of its biannual trade show in February 2002. The move will result in complete consolidation of the MAGIC men’s categories.
“We were the only part of the men’s show still at the Sands,” said Mark Encinias, an account executive for MAGIC. Now, we’re up there with streetwear and boardsports, so it’s going to be a great vibe.”
The move coincides with the planned renovations of the LVCC, scheduled for completion by the end of this month. The $150 million expansion, which began in April 2000, will add approximately 918,000 square feet of exhibition space, bringing the total exhibition space to approximately 2 million square feet.
MAGIC, a division of Cincinnati-based Advanstar, also recently announced that the MAGICkids show will be moving to the LVCC from the Las Vegas Hilton.
Encinias said that some of the previous exhibitors at the edge had been requesting the move to the LVCC to be with the rest of the men’s exhibitors.Both the edge and the Outer Limits are destinations for buyers who are looking for very specific merchandise, according to Encinias.
“The philosophy is that people are going to go and see the edge no matter where it’s at,” he said. “The edge is a very vibey part of the show with great energy, and people like being around it. Other exhibitors come to check it out. The response from the people I’ve told so far has been awesome.”
The edge, which debuted in 1998, features approximately 150 exhibitors selling alternative and club apparel and accessories. Returning exhibitors in February will include Psycho Cowboy, Cosmic, Base 9, Cosmic Clotheshorse and Roebuck.
The Outer Limits debuted in 2000 and features exhibitors catering to the “gothic, punk, glam rock, as well as more hardcore body piercing” categories, according to Encinias. Returning Outer Limits exhibitors will include Flipo, Bounty Hunter and Blackhole Productions.
The creation of the Outer Limits helped to solve a dilemma within the edge. According to Encinias, the idea behind the edge has been to bring exhibitors in for a few shows and then have them move into another part of MAGIC, allowing them to be exposed to the whole marketplace. But for gothic and glam rock exhibitors, no other part of the show outside of the edge offered a logical fit prior to the debut of the Outer Limits, Encinias said.
Encinias added that for February the Outer Limits will be broadened to include such returning exhibitors as Lip Service, Trip and Serious and is expected to showcase a total of 180 exhibitors.
