California Apparel News

The 25th annual Imprinted Sportswear Show (ISS) ran Jan. 17–19 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, Calif., showing marked exhibitor growth among companies and suppliers in the decorated-apparel and imprintedsportswear categories, including athletic apparel and T-shirts, as well as tailored clothing.

According to Art Ellis, group vice president for apparel with VNU Expositions, the producers of ISS, the buyer attendance was consistent with last year’s show.

“We don’t have final numbers, but right now we’re running close to where we were last year,” said Ellis, who explained that after the first two days of this year’s show, attendance was on track to match 2002’s total of 12,500 verified buyers.

Promotional-product companies contributed to the exhibitor growth of this year’s show, according to Ellis.

“There are more vendors in all areas, with 54 new companies overall,” he added. “Last year, we had 404 companies, and this year, we have 455. The area that seems to be growing is the ad-specialty area, so we’re seeing more and more promotional-product companies.”

Ellis also said that the show enjoyed growth in booth space and sponsorship participation, as was the case for Anaheim, Calif.-based Alstyle Apparel, which expanded its booth space across an aisle of the show floor and sponsored the show’s registration area.

Jim Gordon, Alstyle’s vice president of sales, reported, that while the traffic seemed slow, the show was still productive, with appointments showing and providing “positive comments” about products and pricing.

“It appeared to me that traffic is down a bit, even though the show organizers say it’s the same, but it’s certainly enough traffic to make it a viable show for us and the expansion worthwhile,” he said. “The first two days were particularly good. Everyone likes the colors we have in our T-shirts, and our junior line, Gaziani, is also doing well.”

Looking for apparel and equipment

Michael Johnston, a buyer for Riverside, Calif.-based Promotion Sportswear who has been shopping ISS for three years, was on the hunt for equipment and apparel for his textile screen-printing business.

“We’re looking to see what the new apparel lines are or what the older apparel companies have that’s new,” said Johnston. “We’ve looked at Anvil and American Apparel. We’ve gone to other shows, but there just wasn’t that much [there].”

Ross Cheever, graphic designer for TGS Span America, which does embroidery and has been shopping the show for 20 years, reported finding “great deals” on both machinery and apparel.

“We’re looking for anything we can get cheaper than we normally do,” said Cheever. “I’ve found a lot of great deals here with vendors from M&R to Customerica— all the big guys who are here. Also there are some new guys with great deals.”

Cheever said that he did business with companies such as Los Angeles-based American Apparel and City of Commerce, Calif.-based Bella.

Good show results were reported by Marco De- George, co-owner of Bella, a private-label manufacturer that launched its own line three years ago.

“Our line is three years old, and we’ve been at the show since then,” said DeGeorge. “I think the show is good because it gives good awareness about us. We go to shows that are embroidery-oriented or relating to the screen-printing or promotion industries.”

Information resource

DeGeorge said that distributors were at the show carrying Bella’s product and referring clients to Bella’s booth for extensive product details.

“Everyone may come to us for details, but they still buy from the distributors,” he said. “The buyers who come here [to the show] are end users that buy from distributors but want more information. They also tell us what they want, and that gives us direction.”

Bella was also recommending new pieces to buyers, including sleeveless tees for spring and its new twotone fleece pieces that it recently launched.

Marie Brown, owner of Bowdacious Creations in Chandler, Ariz., which does screen printing and embroidery, has been attending ISS in Long Beach for five years. Brown said she limits her buying trips to California shows and only shops early in the year because she is too busy the rest of the time.

“This show’s been good, even though a lot of companies that were here last year aren’t here this year,” Brown said. “It seems like there are less screen-printingequipment companies here than last year.”

Brown reported shopping with All American, American Apparel and Nissin for show specials.

Domestic advantage

Buyers were stopping by the American Apparel booth for domestically produced merchandise, according to sales rep Daryl Schneider.

“People are looking for items that are made in America, and we are all about that, so we’re getting great business,” said Schneider. “T-shirt buyers, consumers, embroiderers, silk screeners—everyone’s coming here, realizing that you need to have things that are made in America and of high quality.”

ISS is part of American Apparel’s trade show schedule, which also includes Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo and MAGIC International.

“We’ve been doing this show for a few years,” Schneider said, adding that American Apparel was pleased with the response at this run of the show.

Produced by VNU Expositions and headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., the Imprinted Sportswear Shows were founded in 1978. Shows run in Long Beach, Calif., Tampa, Fla., Atlantic City, N.J., Chicago, Ill., and Dallas, Texas. According to Ellis, the shows attract an audience of retailers, sporting-goods dealers and buyers, promotional-product buyers, textile screen printers, manufacturers, wholesalers, commercial embroiderers and agencies.

“We’re celebrating our quarter-century anniversary by staying true to the core values that have made ISS the leading events and trusted industry resource for the decorated-apparel and imprinted-sportswear industry,” said Ellis.

The next installment of ISS is in Tampa, Fla., Feb. 21–23, 2003.