TRADE SHOWS
Trade Show Q&A: What’s on the Horizon for 2017?
Mike Alic
Managing Director
Celeste Boehm
Vice President of Retail Engagement
UBM Fashion, producers of MAGIC, Project, ENKVegas, Pooltradeshow, MRket, Stitch, Accessories the Show and FN PLATFORM
M.A.: As the leading trade-show producer for the U.S. fashion industry, in 2017 UBM Fashion will continue to be dedicated to our core mission of helping the industry grow and prosper. Each of our 10 marketplaces and 22 show brands has its own specific identity and unique innovations, but overall at UBM Fashion our 2017 initiatives fall into three main focus areas.
First, we plan to invest in our primary function of helping brands and retailers connect in ways that benefit both and, ultimately, drive revenue for each. For example, we are significantly expanding our Concierge Matchmaking service. This individualized service helps retailers attending our shows find and meet with brands that are right for their stores. Our shows feature an amazing selection of brands—it’s one of our greatest strengths, as over 7,000 unique brands show with us every year—but we recognize we need to help retailers find what they need efficiently.
C.B.: We provide a very personalized service to both retailers and brands by first identifying their needs in the marketplace. If a retailer is looking to add a new product category to its store, our team will identify brands that carry that specific category and facilitate the connection between the retailer and brand[s]. We will go as far as helping the retailer set up appointments with specific brands during the shows. We also help brands connect with retailers. Whether identifying relevant retailers or helping them grow in existing accounts, the team is a support system for these brands looking to increase their network and connections while at the shows. It really is an amazing service that is unique to the trade-show arena. We are really passionate about building relationships.
M.A.: In addition to Concierge Matchmaking, we are working on a number of other initiatives, both physical and digital, to make our large shows seem smaller and more intimate. Another example of how UBM Fashion is fostering connections is the expansion of our Connect series of events, which take place in major cities, both domestically and internationally, outside the trade-show dates. The Connect series are locally relevant, intimate events, often encompassing an educational component, that allow the industry leaders and influencers in local markets to network and learn from each other. Hosting these social gatherings puts our finger on the pulse of local market conditions, making us smarter and more effective in serving the industry. By supporting local communities and hosting these Connect events around the world, we can inspire, educate and unite the fashion industry—one event at a time.
Our second major focus area in 2017 will be education. The industry is changing more rapidly and more dramatically than ever, and both brands and retailers are looking for insights. We’ll be expanding our educational programs and tools in New York and in Las Vegas, including some great programs in partnership with thought leaders and experts in the intersection of fashion and technology. We’ll be using a multitude of formats—traditional seminars, panels on the show floor, technology demonstrations and networking events—to give brands and retailers the knowledge, skills and connections they need to thrive in an omni-channel age. Now the industry will have a one-stop website for every marketplace and every show/brand under the UBM Fashion umbrella. This dynamic platform will not only contain pertinent attendee and exhibitor information such as registration, travel and specific show details but will present a diverse platform of resources for the industry. For example, for those who might be confused about which show to attend/exhibit at this new site devotes an entire section to guiding retailers and brands to the right shows for them.
Third, we plan to reinforce our commitment to giving back to the fashion community and being a true partner in the causes that matter to its leaders. In particular, we’ll be increasing our support for educational and charitable causes that are connected to the fashion industry. Overall, we’ll be looking for opportunities to help the industry in ways that may not show up in this year’s financial results but will be essential to the long-term health and sustainability of the industry and to the broader society in which we all live.
Henri Myers
Cofounder and Creative Director
COEUR
COEUR has always been about creating a unique showcase for our brands and the buyers to connect during LA Market Week. Providing a balance between business and fun, COEUR will continue to build on these relationships, introducing more industry-related partnerships and new categories within COEUR. This past season, we introduced a special one-night-only discussion group with Norel Mancuso and her team at Social House, which focused on ways businesses (designers, brands, retailers) can maximize their social-media strategy specializing in development for fashion, beauty and lifestyle content. We’re looking forward to bringing them back and nurturing our brands for a consistent and strong LA Market Week.
David Dea
Founder
Factory Direct
Factory Direct is on pace to diversify its vendors. We are looking to bring a mix of {re}Sources. The fashion industry has been moving in the direction of both fashion and tech, and we have our fingers on the pulse. Speed-to-market is more important than ever before, online stores are opening up daily, and we are here to accommodate the needs of the new market.
2017 will be a year for us to focus on bringing not only production {re}Sources but adding a new category in fabrics, building on technology to help brands get into the digital world. The most common mistake is just building a website and thinking an audience will just purchase. There are many other factors that make a successful e-commerce website, and we plan to bring those resources.
Seminars will also be focused on color trends from Design Options, Social Media strategy, Online Marketing Strategy and Web development from PURcraft, and the value of domestic production and understanding how to build your fashion business.
Factory Direct is focused on being a one-stop shop where a fashion business can come and find everything it needs to build its business from A to Z with some of the leading industry vendors with experience in each of their respective areas of expertise: production, fabric, printing, Web development, online marketing, industry software (ERP, PLM, B2B) and shipping. Time management is key, and curating proper {re}Sources for our attendees so they can come and move their business forward is really key for us in 2017.
Ashleigh Kaspszak
Assistant Property Manager and Director, Marketing & Public Relations
The New Mart
2017 will bring the five Los Angeles Market Weeks as well as our resident shows—Designers and Agents, MODA 360 and Factory Direct—back each season. But 2017 will also include some new events.
2017 will be the year of buyer experience at The New Mart! This last year, especially, we have partnered with numerous LA businesses to provide our visitors a comprehensive experience while here for market. We recognize that traveling doesn’t mean your lifestyle goes on hold. So now when visitors come to LA, they can stay at either a luxurious or bustling DTLA hotel—equipped with the amenities they like, [from] taking a spin or yoga class when their day is done [to] going out to dinner. Our partners are listed at www.newmart.net/eat-sleep-transport and have offered some amazing discounts, [and] this list surely will continue to grow this coming year.
Everyone who attends market [and] registers with us receives a wristband. In 2017, showing your New Mart registration wristband around DTLA will grant you even more exclusive opportunities. So make sure to check in with us regularly, and, for sure, register when you get here!
Suzanne De Groot
Executive Director
Golden Gate Apparel dba Fashion Market Northern California
To address this ever-changing retail market and support our loyal retailers, FMNC recently had its first educational seminar. Paul Erickson with RMSA Retail Solutions presented a PowerPoint presentation to a full house of both retailers and exhibitors on managing inventory, growing revenue and increasing profits. This seminar was well received by our retailers, with many staying after the seminar was over to ask more questions.
The FMNC will continue this series through 2017 to educate and empower our retailers as well as our exhibitors.
As a nonprofit and regional show, we are making a commitment to our community, beginning with a donation program to benefit local charities in San Mateo County.
Partnering with our retailers, we are starting a donation program of clothes (and other items) that will support the homeless and women’s charities in San Mateo County.
The details are being worked out and we hope to start with our January market.
The FMNC continues to attract designers and manufacturers from Canada, Europe and across the U.S. to exhibit at our show. We are the West Coast marketplace choice for buyers who are looking for emerging artists, trends, all price points, American-made as well as European. One-stop shopping!
We are always looking for ways to expand our guests’ experience and have several projects in the works for this coming year as well as continuing our current events.
Brittany Carr
Director of Trade Shows & Events
California Market Center
www.californiamarketcenter.com
2017 will be a year filled with exciting new additions and transformation for the CMC. Thriving as one of LA’s leading marketplaces and event venues, the number of trade shows and large-scale special events hosted by the CMC will continue to grow well into 2017. To accommodate this expanded offering of resources and events, we’ve already unveiled over 92,000 square feet of new, dedicated event space this year and plan on revealing additional new event space in the coming year.
Resources for attendees at market and the LA Textile Show will also continue to increase, introducing new and expanded trade shows, pavilions, and focus areas. This year, we presented retailers with a new schedule of shows that covered every market category, including Select x Emerge (Better, Contemporary & Emerging Brand Tradeshow), ALT (Athleisure & Lifestyle Tradeshow), Transit Footwear & Accessories Show, LA Men’s Market, Capsule, Axis, Coeur and LA Kids Market Temporaries, to name a few. For 2017, highlights will already include the following, with more to be announced: Source British, a new trade show featuring contemporary British brands that will debut at LA Fashion Market in March; Tech-By-Design, the new pavilion at LA Textile spotlighting software and tech companies catering to fashion, design, and production; Transit Kids, the new kids’ footwear and accessories showcase, which will be held during the January and August markets; in addition to plans to expand Contemporary Curves, the new plus-size showcase that was introduced as a soft debut in October as well as the LA Textile Show’s newly introduced Sourcing showcase that will feature an expanded section for design and creative services in addition to manufacturing and production services.
We’ll also continue and expand our popular new Retailer Seminar Series, introduced to buyers this summer, with new speakers and retail-relevant topics such as “7 Secrets to Compete Against Department & Chain Stores” and “Increase Sales & Generate More Cash Flow” by RMSA Retail Solutions, in addition to other new presenters to be announced shortly. Our LA Textile Seminar Program will also debut new speakers, including a new Trend Forecasting presentation by Fashion Snoops and more to be announced.
Additionally, market buyers can expect to see even more activities designed to enhance their market experience, including fashion presentations, networking receptions, passport cash incentive programs and more.
Jennifer Bacon
Show Director, Fashion & Apparel
Texworld USA
For 2017, we’re focusing on a few exciting changes across our New York textile shows as well as debuting a brand-new digital printing–focused show that will be colocated with our July shows.
Our educational programming is one of our biggest draws at Texworld USA and Apparel Sourcing USA, so in addition to continuing to bring in topnotch industry experts for our traditional seminar series organized by Lenzing Innovation, we are also expanding the educational offerings with a series of more intimate sessions on the show floor. These will serve as more casual discussions between peers on a variety of hot topics in the textile and apparel design industries. This new educational forum will also host a new series of “Performance Pitches,” where select exhibitors within the functional apparel and fabrics category can pitch the capabilities of their mills and products so that our attendees can glean even more information about what is new and exciting in the functional-fabrics space.
Along with our educational programs getting a face-lift, we are revamping the feel of our trend forums for both Texworld USA and Apparel Sourcing USA. We will still have a general inspiration area featuring fabrics from our exhibitors, but in addition Texworld Art Directors Gregory Lamaud and Louis Gerin are working to design a new showcase combining both fabric and apparel around the theme of our winter edition: functional and performance fabrics.
Lastly, we are excited to announce the debut edition of Avanprint USA in July 2017 in partnership with World Textile Information Network (WtiN). With the addition of the specialized show, we aim to bring together digital-printing pioneers and North America’s top apparel design and sourcing professionals with our established Texworld USA and Apparel Sourcing USA audience. This new trade platform will showcase the latest innovations in digital textile-printing technology, including machinery, inks, software, services and more and will provide our attendees a rare opportunity to connect directly with market leaders in the digital-printing industry in order to understand the advantages that advanced printing technology can provide throughout their design process and, ultimately, to their bottom line.
Judy Stein
Executive Director
Swimwear Association of Florida/Miami SwimShow
This year, we introduced The Collection, a curated fashion environment created for discovering the best emerging and established swimwear designer brands in the industry. The modern and polished platform was created to emphasize each individual brand’s identity with the focus on the product. Buyers had an opportunity to engage with brands in a one-on-one intimate environment that allowed them to garner personal insight into the collections. They also enjoyed VIP amenities within the beautifully encased luxury oasis including champagne butler service, a luxurious lounge area and free access to Wi-Fi (also available throughout the trade show).
The Collection was such an enormous success that we are planning on enhancing and growing this exciting new area for 2017. We are also going to continue to incorporate amenities such as a dry and braid bar, nail salon for quick touch-ups, henna bar, up-to-the minute social-media engagement, informative trend seminars and other surprises for our buyers and media guests.
Dirk Von Gal
Senior Vice President, Apparel
Urban Expositions/Womenswear In Nevada
At WWIN, our focus is always on “new” and that’s especially true for 2017. We know that retailers are always looking for those fresh finds that help their stores stand out in their communities. As the show for all size women, retailers know they can find the newest introductions in every category at WWIN—contemporary, misses, petite, plus and tall—from the best names in the business as well as new companies.
We are always on the lookout for new, emerging companies to add to our exhibitor roster. For 2017, retailers can expect to see a growing number of first-time exhibitors joining our ranks—giving them even more new resources to explore. Building on the show’s reputation as a fabulous accessories hunting ground, buyers will see even more new lines in this sector too—everything from shoes and hats to purses, jewelry, belts and scarves.
Our show director, Chad Timney, and his team work incredibly hard to make sure we have a well-balanced offering in every category, and for 2017 we’re working to expand our contemporary offerings while growing and fine-tuning our traditional, misses, plus, tall and petite resources as well.
Buyer services and show hospitality continue to be the hallmarks of the WWIN Show.
We’ve just launched a brand-new website (www.wwinshow.com) to make it even easier for our customers to quickly find the information they need to plan their trip.
To help maximize time and travel savings, WWIN provides complimentary breakfast, lunch and afternoon refreshments to our retailers so they can enjoy a convenient meal without leaving the show floor. We have extended hours on Monday evening, serving wine and cheese so our buyers and exhibitors can continue to work in a relaxed, fun setting. Buyers can also take advantage of substantial hotel discounts at the Rio starting as low as $89.
On the education front, we’re proud to offer Fashion Advantage Buyer Networking Sessions at each edition of WWIN. Led by retail guru T.J. Reid, these free programs touch on key topics ranging from buying, selling and display to merchandising, marketing, social-media strategies and more.
Cindy Morris
President and Chief Executive Officer
Dallas Market Center
As the economy in Texas remains relatively strong, markets in Dallas are concluding 2016 ahead of last year’s attendance, so we have solid momentum going into 2017. In fact, we are targeting 15 percent growth in contemporary exhibitors for the next year. We will push for more new lines because buyers in the middle of the country continue to seek something new, something unique for their stores. As manufacturers realize this demand exists, we are experiencing a renewed interest in showroom space and temp booths by lines and multi-line reps from LA who are coming to Dallas Market Center for the first time or who are choosing the market center over downtown Dallas options. Lines such as Ruby YaYa, Bailey 44, Daydreamer, Pink Tartan, Tracy Reese, Julie Brown, Splendid, 4OurDreamers, Nation LTD, Waverly Grey, Hard Tail, Maven West, Marrakech, Commando, House of Harlow and dozens of others have made the move from downtown to Dallas Market Center. Why? They need better buyer traffic. What began in 2016 we are confident will continue in 2017 as lines seek an efficient marketplace to work new accounts in addition to our thousands of loyal retailers.
Guglielmo Olearo
International Exhibitions Director
Première Vision
Première Vision continues to develop a unique offer in New York featuring five complementary activity sectors: fabrics, designs, accessories, leather and fashion manufacturing.
We are also deepening our commitment to young American designers and Made in New York through a special partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America.
As in the past, we’ll have a rich program of fashion seminars along with conferences, roundtables and master classes on a range of subjects, including responsible creation and technology and innovation in fashion.
Hisham Muhareb
Cofounder
NW Materials Show
NE Materials Show
SoCal Materials Show
The past few years of rapid growth have established the Materials Shows as the only go-to sourcing events for much of the global athletic and outdoor brands. The NE show is now in a new venue to accommodate that growth. This allows us to put all the exhibitors in one exhibit hall, which is more conducive to a better business environment. We project that the growth of the past few years will continue—meaning more participation from suppliers as well as brands/buyers. We pushed the show forward a month early in an effort to adapt to most brands’ sourcing calendars.
The NE show’s new capacity is about 180 suppliers. We are, however, capping the amount of suppliers at the NW show at 260 so as to preserve the integrity of the suppliers and to focus on increasing brand/buyer traffic to match the exhibitors.
We are seeing interest from a number of U.S. apparel suppliers. Companies such as Green Textiles, eVent Fabrics, Ideal Fastener and others will be joining us at the upcoming shows.
Lastly, we know many people have been inquiring about the SoCal show. We will not be holding a January 2017 show but will revisit the possibility of a SoCal Materials Show in July of 2017.
Hillary France
Alex Repola
Founders
Brand Assembly
In 2017 Brand Assembly will continue to focus on what we do best, which is to curate a comprehensive trade show that offers the best assortment of established and emerging brands in the contemporary and advanced contemporary space.
Our goal has always been to do one thing and do it well, which is to carefully curate the right mix of brands and connect them with the most important buyers, and we do not want to distract buyers or take time away from discovering new brands with too many activities. While the focus is, and always will be, on the transaction between brands and buyers, we will obviously continue to improve on the amenities we offer at the show, with focus on keeping everyone happy and excited about the show.
Lastly, we are planning to add an August show for the Pre-Spring market. We want to continually cater to the needs of our brands, and they have been requesting this for quite some time from us! Most likely we will do it in conjunction with our newly launched co-working space, the Brand Assembly Square in the Cooper Design Space.
Jasmine Glasheen
Publishing Editor
Offprice
The OFFPRICE Show staff is excited to announce a rebrand in 2017. This includes a logo redesign, new imagery, an updated tagline and a renovated on-site show experience. The rebrand better communicates the quality of merchandise that can be found for below wholesale prices at OFFPRICE. Free Sourcing Discussions will be held at the February show to give buyers the opportunity to interface with the OFFPRICE Show staff and the information needed to succeed on the show floor. These discussions are a great way to locate specific apparel and to pick the brains of our Buyer Relations team. These talks have information for both first-time show attendees and seasoned buyers.
Pierre-Nicholas Hustel
Chief Executive Officer
CURVENEWYORK
CURVELASVEGAS
2017 is an exceptional year for the Eurovet Americas/Curve shows at it marks the 10th anniversary of the company’s creation. To celebrate, Curve looks back, reminiscing on the successful past 10 years but most importantly turns its eyes forward, pioneering new technologies to help pave the way to a new digitally focused world. Throughout the past decade, the Curve shows have evolved and modernized with new advancements and a concentration on investments to create new business opportunities as well as an optimal phygital (digital + physical) environment. Akin to previous seasons, 2017 will be host to many innovative developments technologically, digitally and tangibly. Eurovet Americas, producer of the CURVENEWYORK and CURVELASVEGAS shows, is committed to providing streamlined processes and complimenting the show atmosphere with added-value events and exhibits to aid attendees in what they do best: conducting business.
The season commences with CURVELASVEGAS Feb. 21–23, taking place at the heart of Project Womens at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. This new location was introduced in August 2016 and was met with extremely positive reviews due to the energetic show atmosphere as well as the proximity of contemporary ready-to-wear brands and well-thought-out product positioning. The setting aided in connecting and facilitating brands and retailers to build stronger relationships, discover new trends, develop the cross-over between product categories and conduct business in a convenient, high-fashion-oriented and time-efficient environment.
At CURVELASVEGAS, buyers will have the chance to meet with a strong collection of intimate apparel brands with the likes of Ajour, Anita, b.tempt’d, Bedhead Pajamas, Cake Lingerie, Chantelle, commando, Cosabella, Eshma Mardini, Leonisa, Lou, Huit, In Gear Swimwear, Jolidon, Maison Lejaby, Miraclesuit Shapewear, Montelle Intimates, Munki Munki, NuBra, Rosa Faia, Sauvage, Silk & Soul and Wacoal, among others.
The positive attitude will return to the East Coast for CURVENEWYORK, which begins on Mon., Feb. 27 (instead of the usual Sunday start), at the Javits Center. This extra day gives exhibitors who attended CURVELASVEGAS an extra day for cross-continental traveling with their new collection, as well as to reset and prepare for New York. This will also align with the other ready-to-wear and accessories shows that are taking place during the same dates at the Javits Center. CURVENEWYORK will continue until Wed., March 1.
Attendees who would like to visit CURVENEWYORK as well as the other simultaneously occurring shows at the Javits Center will now be able to easily move in between the shows thanks to a co-badging partnership with UBM, our partner on the West Coast. This streamlined development will permit all attendees who have a CURVENEWYORK badge to visit other shows without having to re-register, and vice versa, allowing for a higher level of convenience and free-flowing atmosphere for buyers and press.
New for the upcoming season is the Lead Retrieval Service, an innovative and easy-to-use technological added value in New York. The service, available on the CURVENEWYORK mobile app, will allow all exhibitors to scan the badges of attendees who enter their booth directly on their smartphone. The digital business profile of the individual will be instantaneously uploaded and qualified in real time, able to be referenced immediately as well as after the show to ease the follow-up process.
To celebrate the 10 Years of the Curve Shows, a unique exhibition will be hosted at CURVENEWYORK showcasing the iconic styles throughout the years of featured, honored brands. There will also be a charity gala dinner in the evening following the first day of the show, Feb. 27, with 250 individuals attending. The dinner will be located at the Tribeca Rooftop, a gorgeous event penthouse in the heart of downtown Manhattan providing breathtaking views of historical TriBeCa. Here there will be 20 guests of honor gathered into 10 unexpected couples to highlight how ubiquitous matchmaking is in the Curve mission (matching lingerie and swim, brands and retailers, the East and West Coast, etc). One-hundred percent of the proceeds from the gala will be given to breast-cancer research, of which the partner is yet to be announced.
Caron Stover
Vice President of Apparel Trade Show Sales
Atlanta Apparel
Atlanta Apparel will be bigger and better in 2017. We are on track for another record-breaking year with more exhibitors taking more space to showcase more lines to more buyers from across the country. Driving the growth is the Now! Young Contemporary collection, which expands to include AmericasMart Building 3, Floor 5, in addition to its space on Floor 4 and in the Premiere Contemporary collection on Floor 2 beginning at the February 2017 Atlanta Apparel Market. The growth continues through all of Atlanta Apparel’s categories—Premiere Contemporary, Ready! Ready-To-Wear, JFA: Jewelry and Fashion Accessories, Impulse: Cash & Carry, Premiere Luxe and Shoe Studio—which see both expanded footprints from existing exhibitors and new designers, including more plus-size exhibitors, joining the collection.
Atlanta Apparel is also making enhancements to its industry-leading buyer experience in 2017. A new date pattern—showrooms Wednesday to Sunday and Temporaries Wednesday to Saturday—better aligns with retailers’ buying habits. Buyers are able to find more of the lines they want with a new trend publication, “Atlanta Apparel,” debuting in December and an improved AmericasMart app with a more intuitive search algorithm.
As always, Atlanta Apparel buyers can expect to find a market experience unlike any other, driven by inspiration and the trendsetting product they need to grow their businesses.
Deirdre Maloney
Cofounder
Capsule
We have some venue changes, big and small. We moved our NY women’s show to midtown because there was no space big enough to accommodate our growth, but Capsule’s roots are decidedly downtown. With the availability of Skylight Clarkson Sq and Skylight Clarkson North, home of NYFW:Ms and NYFW, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to bring the show to west SoHo. The space is beautiful, updated, and full of character and New York history. We are really excited about that.
We are making a minor location adjustment in NY for men’s. We will be colocating at Pier 94 with Liberty Fairs, making it incredibly streamlined for all of our attendees and also allowing Agenda to make its return to New York at Pier 92. In Las Vegas, we will move from The Venetian ballroom to Hall B (on the other side of Liberty). The look and feel of that location is more industrial, which works for our progressive and modern brand mix, so we are excited about this move. Our Los Angeles launch in October was so successful that we will make a great effort to expand our presence and certainly our footprint there. Similarly, our collaboration with Paris Sur Mode and Première Classe for our Paris women’s edition was very well received, so we will be growing there as well.
Roy Turner
Senior Vice President and Show Director
Surf Expo
Our marketplace is designed for any store whose target consumer’s lifestyle or mindset relates to water—be it the ocean, lakes, rivers, pools or waterparks. Within this arena we offer a wide breadth of product categories that are not typically found at any one trade show. From stand-up paddleboards, boardshorts and wet suits to towels, swimsuits, gifts, souvenirs and sunscreen, you’ll find the best at Surf Expo. We continue to build on our crossover rich marketplace, and in 2017 at our September show our canoe and kayak marketplace will be expanded. We’re excited about the additional products that will be available to our current buyers as well as the new exhibitors and buyers who will come to buy canoe and kayak and be pleasantly surprised by all the other categories of products that they will find.
Our upcoming January 2017 show will feature the best in surf hard goods and apparel along with swim, boutique, resort and coastal gift. Some of the top shapers in the nation will compete in our annual surfboard shape-off, and we’ll have several key industry events for networking, including the Eastern Surfing Association’s 50th-anniversary celebration. More than 6,300 buyers have already registered, and it’s going to be a great show!
Aaron Levant
Founder
We have nine curated sections within Agenda this season. A few of the newer ones to emerge over the past few seasons include The Essentials, The Point, Pin & Patch and Resource. The Essentials presents a curated selection of the finest in grooming goods, leather goods, soaps, candles, textiles and other personal essentials. The Point is our successful segment focused on the authenticity and craftsmanship behind an impressive roster of brands within the surfing lifestyle sector. Pin & Patch serves as homage to the emerging category of personalized accessories and is exclusive to our Long Beach showing. Lastly, Resource is our network within Agenda that is dedicated to connecting forward-thinking partners within the manufacturing, technology, logistics and solutions realm. Resource has been hugely beneficial to many of our younger brands in helping them get the answers and maintenance they need to take their vision to the next level.
Agenda has always been centered around personal connection between brands and retailers and our curated sections continue to hone in on the current conversation between desirability and need.
Andrew Olah
Founder
Kingpins
2017 is a big year for us. We’re launching Kingpins Miami in January (Jan. 11–12), which will add a focus on Latin America to our list of target markets, which have historically been the U.S., Asia and Europe. And we’re continuing to evolve our shows and projects elsewhere: we’re doing a second China City Tour in September; we’re continuing to push our Kingpins Trend denim forecast after an extremely well-received launch this Fall; we are producing increasingly diverse and exciting content for an expanding list of clients with our Kingpins Media division; and we are working with our partners to bring the Denim Days concept stateside in 2017 with a denim festival in New York, just to name a few.
Sam Ben-Avraham
Founder
Liberty Fairs
In an effort to better serve the marketplace, we are continuing our partnership with Capsule by co-existing within Pier 94 and sharing a registration, as always, with Agenda as well. Two shows under one roof will allow for buyers to cut travel time and spend more one-on-one time with the brands.
We’re very excited for the 2017 shows and we’ve been working diligently to add new points of discovery on our show floor. We are working closely with brands to build awareness to specific segments in the market and highlight key items. As a testament to this, we are reworking our Las Vegas show floor in order to create more clearly defined neighborhoods. When walking through the brands, attendees will notice a distinct difference in design, feel and activations throughout.
New features:
Liberty NY: We are taking a new perspective on the homewares and apothecary categories and bringing them together, along with a few other categories, in one section. Partnering with Manready Mercantile, our New York show will host The General Store for the very first time. Attendees will find a one-stop shop for made-in-America goods and small-batch brands ranging from grooming and apothecary brands, candles and home accessories to small leather goods, clothing and vintage pieces, all while having the opportunity to shop the items with a cash-and-carry component.
Liberty LV: In collaboration with Moraine Agency, Alt Terrain is a new area within our Las Vegas show to highlight cutting-edge outdoor and active-lifestyle brands. Collections will include outerwear, footwear and accessories all catering to the needs of the modern day active professional. In support of the new section, Gear Patrol magazine will be onsite as well.
Returning to the Las Vegas Show floor, Quest is designed to showcase a collection of European and American brands known for setting the industry standard and providing a wardrobe for the modern man. Past brands include collections from Black Dog 8 Showroom, M5 Showroom, Triluxe Showroom and more.
Curated by Ouigi Theodore of The Brooklyn Circus, Freedom Hall will be returning with a new group of menswear brands all sharing a common thread of community, creativity and craftsmanship. Past brands include the likes of Himel Brothers, Krammer & Stoudt, Shockhoe Atelier and more. The section will be hosted in both New York and Las Vegas.
SHARE THIS
RELATED STORIES
- Trade Show Dilemma: What Makes a Trade Show a ‘First Stop’ for Attendees?
- The Crystal Ball Outlook for Trade Shows
- Q&A: Trade Show Outlook on 2018
- With trade shows returning to in-person, what additional amenities are you offering to exhibitors and attendees, and what developments over the last two years are you maintaining?
