Rodrigo by Catalina, which sells handcrafted bags made of luxury leather, was one of 450 exhibitors at Offprice. Owned by Rodrigo Zuleta, the bags have been making an appearance at the fashion show for the last two decades. | Photo by Noe Garcia for California Apparel News
TRADE SHOWS
Offprice’s New Venue Hosts 450 Exhibitors
The Las Vegas Convention Center was the new site for Offprice, the leading business-to-business order-writing trade show that took place Aug. 7–10.
“We really didn’t know what to expect,” said Offprice Executive Director Tricia Barglof. “We knew there was pent-up demand for face-to-face meetings due to supply-chain issues. Retailers are looking for in-stock inventory that can ship quickly—that’s what our vendors are known for—but once the mask mandate went into effect right before the show, we weren’t sure how it would affect traffic.”
It’s been 18 months since Offprice was at the Las Vegas apparel shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it had a strong showing of 450 exhibitors, who lined the showroom floor with apparel, footwear and accessories for men, women and children.
“To miss the last two shows was really tough,” said Francisco DeiTos, a buyer for Alko Distributors. “Offprice is unique because our most important vendors are here under one roof. There are always new vendors to see. Normally we try to meet with five new vendors each show, but this time we’re having meetings with seven or eight new vendors.”
Arvind Nandu, owner and buyer of Benzer International, said the pandemic had disrupted the supply chain, which led to companies not having merchandise on hand, but he still couldn’t pass up the opportunity to come to Offprice.
“This show, because of the pandemic, it was a little different, but I decided I have to come because this is where you find the deals,” Nandu said.
James Nguyen, who helps run the family business of Cheng’s Enterprise, was selling water and canvas shoes.
“I’ve been to Offprice for a long time, and they’re really good,” Nguyen said. “They really care about the exhibitor. Once you have a need, they are there to help you out.”
Rodrigo Zuleta has been coming to Offprice as an exhibitor for two decades to sell his handcrafted bags made in Los Angeles. He was excited to have the fashion event up and running once again.
“All these bags are made with luxury leathers—Italian hides and Brazilian hides. They’re handcrafted, and we’ve been doing this since 45 years ago,” said Zuleta, owner of Rodrigo by Catalina. “The fashion is the funky stuff. The more funky, the [better they] sell, the more unique, the [better they] sell, and practical bags and beautiful bags made in the USA too.”
Offprice had a designated space known as The District for patrons to take photos and play games, a cash-and-carry section, and an area for elevated quality and emerging trends for the modern retailer known as Evolve.
