ISAM Moves to Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
It’s official—the Los Angeles swimwear industry’s biannual swim show, International Swimwear/Activewear Market (ISAM), will move from the California Mart to the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium for its 2003 show, which will be held Oct. 9–11, 2002, according to Barbara Brady, ISAM show director.
ISAM’s Task Force Committee and 55 swimwear manufacturers on Oct. 26 voted 43–11 in favor of moving the show.
“Our manufacturer membership overwhelmingly supported the board’s recommendation to move the ISAM show from the California Mart to Santa Monica,” Brady said.
ISAM began 20 years ago when several swimwear manufacturers approached the California Mart to sponsor a trade show for the swimwear industry. In recent years ISAM’s membership has almost doubled with the addition of 20 international memberships, and 33 new ISAM members were added to this year’s show.
However, both exhibitors and buyers recently reported low attendance during the Oct. 8–10 run of the show in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Despite the low turnout, Brady said she has high hopes for ISAM’s new location. “I just want the show to be a success for the members no matter where it is,” she said.
Brady said it was too early to discuss the details surrounding the move. She said future plans for the event may include a shuttle service to the California Mart during market week, but that is something she will have to discuss with the Cal Mart.
“We’re sorry to lose them and we wish them well,” said Trish Moreno, executive marketing director for the Cal Mart.
“If things do not work out in their new venue, our doors are always open to them.”
Santa Monica Civic Auditorium event coordinator Wendy Pietrzak said her venue is delighted to host the swimwear event. She noted that the Civic Auditorium, which holds up to 4,000 people, has begun to host apparel-related shows in the past three years. It currently hosts one to two shows a year, including the Travelsmith Show, a sportswear and travel clothing show that has taken place at the Civic Auditorium for the past two years and is scheduled to return in April 2002.
“We’re close to the beach and our facility lends itself to that type of show,” Pietrzak said. —Claudia Figueroa
