California Apparel News

Faced with declining vendor ranks and overworked buyers, the Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo is making some dramatic changes to give buyers and exhibitors new reasons to focus on the veteran surf/skate show. Come September, ASR will be a very different show.

One key change will be the debut of Class @ ASR, a new show that focuses on fashion, streetwear, high-end swimwear and crossover brands that appeal to specialty stores. The brainchild of Jason Bates, showroom owner and boutique trade show producer, and ASR executives, Class @ ASR will run concurrently with ASR’s Sept. 10–12 show in a neighboring hall at the San Diego Convention Center.

Bates, who produces Class, a year-old biannual boutique trade show in Santa Monica, Calif., is tasked with bringing his more-upscale, fashion-focused vibe—and the buyers who love his fledgling show—to San Diego. A handful of brands have already signed up to be part of the show, including Insight, Alphanumeric, Modern Amusement, WeSC, Fiberops, Original Penguin and True Love & False Idols.

“My job is to curate a better show with better buyers, better food and a better aesthetic,” Bates said. “It all starts with the brands. Specialty buyers want to see more relevant brands at ASR to make it worth their while to go to San Diego.”

If he can get the right mix of brands, he said, he can promise a whole new school of buyer—including resort buyers and buyers from upscale boutiques and specialty stores. The mix, he said, may also encourage the core retailer to stretch a little bit to bring in some of the more upscale brands the new show will feature.

“Class @ ASR is a new tool for our marketplace,” said Andy Tompkins, ASR group show director. He acknowledged that some of ASR’s mainstay brands have led the way in crossing the divide between core and fashion retailers. Quiksilver, Insight, RVCA and others have had success in specialty retailers where they represent the opening price points. “Surf/skate brands that have that fashion component are in demand for those kinds of retailers,” where they represent wide-margin opportunities. ASR executives hope the buyers drawn to Class @ ASR will venture onto the ASR show floor and shop the core brands as well.

Bates, who owns the multi-line Derelicte Showroom in Los Angeles, will continue to operate Class in Santa Monica, Calif. The next Class show is set for Feb. 2–3 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.

Aaron Levant, who produces the Agenda show, a satellite show that straddles the core skate and streetwear markets, said he’d welcome an influx of specialty buyers to San Diego but wonders if Class @ ASR will succeed in attracting brands that aren’t already represented at Agenda or ASR. Having built a reputation among the notoriously guarded streetwear brands, which prize exclusivity, Levant said he isn’t worried about losing his exhibitors to the new kid on the block. “We’re definitely holding our own and setting the pace for the market, and I think the new show is a reflection of that. I wish them the best of luck,” he said.

Vendors and core buyers at ASR will see changes in their midst as well. A “remodeled show floor” with a new layout and economic turn-key booth options are efforts on the part of ASR to put business (and order-writing) back in focus.

The turn-key booths, which will be offered at several price levels, are meant to save brands labor, shipping and travel costs. Tompkins estimates the booths, which do allow for some degree of customization, can save exhibitors 25 percent to 50 percent of the expense of exhibiting at the show. “They are designed so brands can just bring their product in, hang it up and sell,” he said. Exhibitors who opt to keep their own booths will also see cost savings in September, when the cost of space on the show floor will drop an estimated 25 percent. Examples of the booths will be on display during the Jan. 22–24 run of ASR.

Another change will be in how the show is merchandised. According to Tompkins, new “neighborhoods” that expand the presence of niche businesses will help create a sense of community and communication on the show floor. ASR—which already counts the Board Builders Pavilion, the IASC Skate Hardgoods area and the ISPO Internet Lounge as neighborhoods—will add a Swim Lounge, an expanded retail services area and an “Energy Zone” to its neighborhood roster.

“We are being as aggressive as we can to put as much of a business focus as possible” on the show floor, Tompkins said. —Erin Barajas