California Apparel News

When Agenda moved off of the Las Vegas Strip for its Feb. 5–7 show, it stepped into uncharted territory.

No one knew if any retailers would drive from the Strip to the World Market Center near downtown Las Vegas, which is more than a 20-minute drive from the Sands Expo and Convention Center, where the streetwear-dominated Agenda was typically held.

Never Broke Again, a brand of T-shirts and hoodies, made its trade-show debut at last week’s Agenda. “We were worried. We didn’t know if the show would work at a different location. But all of our stores came,” said salesman Beni Romero.

National sales manager for the A. Tiziano menswear brand Vanessa Vickers said that preshow fears about a different location were unfounded. “Everybody said that it was going to be a one-day show,” Vickers said. “But it was awesome. We were very busy.”

Some Agenda veterans did not make the move to the World Market Center because some believed buyer traffic would be slow at the new location. The departure of some prominent brands proved to be a benefit to smaller brands exhibiting at Agenda, said Andres Parga, co-owner of the Los Angeles–based Never Made brand, which features T-shirts and other items by graphic artist Francisco Reyes Jr. “That gave the little brands an opportunity to shine,” he said.

Being in a relatively isolated place served vendors well, said David Blumenfeld, chief operating officer of Wildkind. When Agenda was held at the Sands Expo, it often lost traffic to other shows. “If someone comes here, they come here for the whole day,” Blumenfeld said.

Retailers dropping by the show included Macy’s, Nordstrom, Foot Locker, Footaction, Nice Kicks, Shoe Palace and Sheik Shoes, said Tony Shellman, Agenda’s event director. He said that 90 vendors exhibited at the show, down by 10 vendors from the show in February 2018.

Despite a good turnout, Agenda will not return to the World Market Center. For its upcoming shows, it will return to the Sands Expo and Convention Center, Shellman said.