Location, location, location is A major selling point in real estate, but it has been both an asset and drawback for ENK International’s Brighte trade show.
Held five times a year in the California Market Center’s Fashion Theatre in the Los Angeles Fashion District, Brighte benefits from taking place in the hub of the apparel scene.
At the same time, the venue’s relatively small capacity of 100 to 125 vendors is a hindrance — not bad for a start-up, but lacking the critical mass for consistent retail traffic.
“If I found the right location, I’d leave, but the California Market Center is in the center of everything,” said Elyse Kroll, president of ENK International.
Officials at the 13-story complex, home to about 900 apparel, accessories, gift and home showrooms, have said they are working with Brighte to explore ways to expand the show’s scope.
“The CMC draws in over 100,000 buyers annually and our relationship with Brighte has always been a mutually beneficial one,” said John Kim, general manager of the market center, in an e-mailed statement. “We congratulate Brighte if they have outgrown the Fashion Theatre, and they always have the option of using our [top floor] Penthouse, which is the second-largest exhibition space in downtown L.A.”
In the past, Brighte occupied space in both the theater and the building’s downstairs Exhibit Hall. Splitting up the show, however, diffused traffic and left vendors dissatisfied.
Elbowing into Los Angeles’ busy trade show circuit isn’t always easy. Past one-name events, including Agenda and Project, have refocused their market efforts elsewhere.
Brighte entered the Los Angeles market in October 2003 with two advantages: Its owner, ENK International, had produced wildly successful trade shows such as Fashion Coterie and the Accessorie Circuit in New York, and also had amassed experience on the West Coast as producer of the Pacific Champions show, which bowed in 1998 and also outgrew its space at the market center.
Brighte (initially known as Brighte Companies) was launched as an answer to Los Angeles’ prevailing contemporary scene, focusing on diverse categories from denim and dresses to footwear and accessories.
Related Articles
You May Also Like
“There wasn’t a venue showing a good, broad, comprehensive range of product,” Kroll said.
Both fledgling and veteran vendors are welcome to Brighte, provided they can pass muster with the show’s selection team, comprising two West Coast consultants, a retailer and ENK officials. Among those accepted into the show are Dina Bar-El, Linda Loudermilk, Odyn, Dillon Rogers and Beth Springer Handbags.
“To us, if a product is redundant, poor quality or not appropriate for a West Coast customer, we say no,” Kroll said.
Retailers appreciate the edited merchandise and say Brighte offers a chance to unearth new lines in a clean, well-designed showcase.
“I make it a point to see who’s there,” said retailer Jaye Hersh, owner of Intuition in West Los Angeles. “I always find great accessories there and picked up a cute T-shirt line called Paparazzi Chic.”
Intuition, known for its celebrity fan base, represents the ideal retailer Brighte hopes to attract. In all, approximately 2,000 retailers, including Bloomingdale’s and Los Angeles area stores Kitson and Traffic, have attended Brighte.
Exposure to such stores is critical to keep vendors returning, as they can easily choose to attend other local shows such as the contemporary-focused Designers and Agents trade show held at the nearby New Mart showroom building.
Three Girls Running, a Los Angeles line owned by Offline Inc., previewed its new denim-driven collection at Brighte in March, and Sharon Segal at Fred Segal in Santa Monica, Calif., Q in Minneapolis and Bleu in Los Angeles ordered it.
“We were very happy with the selection of stores at Brighte,” said Rebecca Danenberg, design director of Three Girls Running, who said she would exhibit at Brighte again. “They are ‘A’ stores and that’s the client we’re seeking.”
Keeping those clients returning has been hit and miss, said some exhibitors.
“It’s gotta get stronger,” said Lloyd Singer, president of sales for A.B.S. by Allen Schwartz in Los Angeles, which has exhibited its denim, dresses and sportswear at Brighte since its inception. “We like working with them. We’d just like to see them bring in stronger lines to bring in more traffic.”
Even newcomers to the show, such as Gant, based in New York, said more buyers wouldn’t hurt.
“It wasn’t as busy as we were anticipating, but we got good exposure and opened seven specialty stores,” said Sandra Jordan, vice president of sales for the East Coast-influenced sportswear brand.
Brighte show coordinator Maria Carvalho, a former accessories and footwear buyer for Doneger Fashion Merchandising, and her assistant, Kevin McGee, are working to round out the categories with more players.
The more options, the better, said retailers.
“It would be nice if they offered other categories to save me trips to New York,” said Erica D. Thomas, owner of Erica Dee in Corona del Mar, Calif., which is expanding to include men’s wear and kids’ clothing this summer.
And ENK is exploring a return to Las Vegas, where the show was held in February 2005 at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, during MAGIC International, to draw more traffic.
“Las Vegas is very potent and we’d like to do it again immediately, but it has to be done in the right way,” Kroll said.