Venue founder Miles Canares
TRADE SHOW
Venue Finds New Home at the Cooper Design Space
There was a new venue and high energy for the second edition of the Venue trade show, which ran Jan. 29–30 on the 11th floor of the Cooper Design Space in downtown Los Angeles.
The independent, biannual trade show produced its debut event at the Los Angeles Convention Center in July, but founder Miles Canares said that moving to the Cooper paved the way for higher retail traffic. Along with appointments, there was walk-in traffic from retailers who happened to be shopping the building, he said.
Fifty streetwear and lifestyle brands, primarily for men, exhibited at the trade show. These were primarily independent California retailers such as Crown Roots in Pasadena; Identity Boardshop, with locations in Buena Park and Garden Grove; The Hangout of Glendale; and Attic,with locations in Buena Park, San Diego and Alhambra.
Los Angeles–headquartered lifestyle brand Wolf & Man made more than three sales at the event, said Brian Chan, director of operations. He came into the show with no expectations. “This is the next big thing,” Chan said of Venue. “We got a lot of exposure.”
The second Venue show also featured the debut of a footwear category at the show, where vendors such as Radii Footwear and Bear Paw Republic exhibited. Retail consultant Mercedes Gonzalez of Global Purchasing Companies, based in New York, spoke on a retail panel at the trade show. The next show is scheduled to run in July.
