Agenda and Liberty Fairs Moving to Downtown Las Vegas
In what might be considered a bold and historic move, Agenda and Liberty Fairs are moving out of the Sands Expo and Convention Center on the Las Vegas Strip, where for years the two trade shows have been held, and relocating next February to downtown Las Vegas.
While no specific location was mentioned, the show organizers said the new site would be located next to the Arts District. “Downtown Las Vegas is the ideal home for the shows to continue to break the mold of a conventional trade-show model to offer standout events, unique activations and an overall elevated experience,” the show organizers announced in a press release issued while the trade shows were being held in Las Vegas Aug. 11–16.
The move will mean that in the future, the biannual collection of apparel, footwear and accessories trade shows held in Las Vegas—which range from Project and other shows at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center to WWDMAGIC and various shows at the Las Vegas Convention Center—will now stretch for miles, from Mandalay Bay in the south to downtown Las Vegas, which has been undergoing an urban renovation.
To overcome the distant location, there will be complimentary express-car service from the Mandalay Bay Convention Center and the Las Vegas Convention Center to Agenda and Liberty Fairs. The advantage of the new location, the organizers maintain, is that hotels will be cheaper and there will be gourmet food trucks to cater to various culinary tastes.
“We’re excited to host Agenda and Liberty in such a vibrant, creative location, giving our brands a new creative platform to share their brand story,” said Tony Shellman, Agenda Vegas event director.
Liberty Fairs co-owner Sharifa Murdock said the shows are taking control and igniting a new tradition, which the shows did with sister event Cabana, a swimwear show in Miami. “The possibilities for us to continue to disrupt the traditional trade-show model are virtually limitless,” Murdock said.
With the new location, Agenda will create a new footwear area, featuring a variety of men’s and women’s fashion and lifestyle footwear to complement the current brands exhibiting at the shows. “More and more brands are asking for a more intimate exhibit space with footwear, apparel and accessories brands all displayed together under the same roof for the convenience of buyers,” Shellman noted.
Milton Castro, of Soulstar Premium, who exhibits at Agenda, said the move might prove to be challenging. “Are buyers going to want to make the move? Logistically, it could be a pain,” he said.
Another Agenda vendor, Freddie Rojas of Rojas Clothing, recently sold his brand’s clothing at an art walk–style event in downtown Las Vegas called First Fridays. The neighborhood offers a lot of space for outdoor performances and installations, which has been a focus at Agenda Day, a consumer-focused day at Agenda’s show in Long Beach, Calif.
“These shows need evolution. This may be a good move,” Rojas said.
