TRADE SHOW
Project to Change With Advanstar Acquisition of ENK
For more than eight years, Project has been an important trade show for both men and women.
When it opens for business at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Convention Center for its Feb 19-21 run, the sprawling show will be a men’s and dual brands trade event. Dual brands are lines which offer men’s and women’s fashions. Women’s only brands will exhibit ENKVegas, which will also be held at Mandalay Bay, according to a Project representative, who was not authorized to talk to the press because the announcement on show changes has not been completed.
The split is one of the results of a deal in November by Project’s parent company, Advanstar Global LLC, to acquire ENK International. Advanstar made the deal to expand its trade show portfolio and add ENK’s brands to its already existing shows of MAGIC, Project and FN Platform as well as Licensing International.
Project’s men’s will be organized in new shows, as well. Introduced at the upcoming Project will be The Tents. It is a subshow for higher-end men’s and dual brands curated by Tommy Fazio, the president of Project.
Another destination will be Project MVMNT, which will be curated by Kenny Mac, a Project show director. Project MVMNT will be the address for the show’s youth-culture brands.
MAGIC is scheduled to introduce online trade show Shop the Floor (http://shopthefloor.com) next month, which will allow buyers to view and order exhibitors’ collections before and after the main event in Las Vegas. The digital trade show platform is growing in popularity. Other companies in the same market are Factory People, Pop-Market, Joor and Nu Order
