WHAT DRAWS VENDORS TO WWDMAGIC?
They sell their wares at this signature fashion and accessories show for similar reasons that buyers walk the floor — the high-energy atmosphere, top-quality merchandise and the thousands of industry leaders and trendsetters in attendance. WWDMAGIC is the place to be, no matter how small or new a company is, many exhibitors said. Both newbies and veterans filling floor space this season are looking to make impressions on retail decision makers and generate big sales, both from major retailers and small boutiques.
“We’re always going to be at MAGIC,” said Alicia Marmon, trade show coordinator for A.J. Morgan Eyewear, which has been exhibiting at the show for more than 20 years. “When you go there, you know you’re going to get the serious people.” Customers expect to see the line at the show, said owner A.J. Morgan, who added that WWDMAGIC “gets such a large breadth of buyers both domestically and internationally.” Morgan said he expected to write at least 200 orders at the show.
The breadth of buyers is what drew Ramona Senese, co-owner of Float, to the show for the first time. A new company featuring women’s luxurious beach cover-ups and accessories, Float has a booth in the ISAM swimwear section.
“We wanted to get our feet wet and start talking to some buyers and [launch] our line at a pretty big show,” she said. Her goal: to introduce Float’s line of cover-ups, sarongs and beach bags, and meet potential buyers. Senese did not have a sales figure in mind, she said. “Of course we’d be happy with sales, but we’re going to be happy whatever happens.”
Apparel Ventures, a swim veteran at the August edition of WWDMAGIC, which features cruisewear, will introduce its summer looks for lines including La Blanca by Rod Beattie, Playa and Ralph Lauren this February, according to marketing manager Kathleen Keyes. “Cruise for us is always a bigger line — we show more product and we do more business,” Keyes explained. “Summer is a bit more focused and narrowed. For the bigger stores, [we do February WWDMAGIC] just to keep the new goods going until we launch cruise again in July.”
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Last year, for the fi rst time, Swim exhibited alongside accessories at the Hilton instead of the convention center, which generated less traffic and therefore fewer sales, Keyes said. “That affected us a little bit, especially for this [February] show.” The location is the same this February, so “we’ve got to cross our fingers and hope people [in the main show] say, ‘Ooh, let’s go check out Swim.’ ”
New to the accessories section, Traci Kennedy of Traci Bags is hoping retailers check out her upscale tennis bags made of dyed calf hide. Boutique owners in her hometown of Indianapolis told her to attend WWDMAGIC. “They said it’s where everybody who’s anybody goes to buy their stuff,” said Kennedy. She hopes to generate leads, amass orders and meet with decision makers at retail outlets. “The biggest thing I’m looking forward to is the bigger-name contacts,” Kennedy said, adding that she wanted to sell to stores such as Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue, as well as boutiques. She realizes competition is high, especially for such a specialized product. But, Kennedy said, “statistics say that 23.5 million people play tennis in the U.S., so if I get a small percentage [of those people buying bags], I would do OK.”
Christine Sax-Stotesbery, co-president of Sax North Atlantic, is showing in WWDMAGIC’s accessories area for the first time to generate West Coast business. The company started selling eyewear about 25 years ago and has expanded to include cell phone cases, wallets, golf bags and other accessories. She has been exhibiting at the major eyewear shows for years, which has generated big business on the East Coast, she said. “That’s what I hope MAGIC will do for us in the women’s accessory market,” Sax- Stotesbery said. “Hopefully, we’ll find opportunities out there.”
Bongo Jeans also is looking for opportunities at WWDMAGIC, according to the company’s vice president of sales, Howard Jacobs. Bongo Jeans, a kids’ and junior licensee and division of Mamiye Bros., will return to the junior category at WWDMAGIC for the first time in several years. “I felt we should be at the show — it’s definitely a great venue,” said Jacobs, who started at the company last year. He said he had a “bare-bones budget” for a booth, but “the idea is to be there. The merchandise is what speaks volumes, not how fancy your booth is. You want to be there and have good placement, and the rest happens on its own.” Jacobs calls WWDMAGIC “a shmoozefest.” Though he wants to book business, he said the key was to network with retailers. “A lot of people go to the show and you just have to be there.”
Jamie Bishop, sales representative with American Paper and Plastic, agreed. Last year, the packaging company had a booth in Sourcing at MAGIC, but “it wasn’t the area for us,” she said, adding that most of the companies exhibiting there were international and few buyers visited that part of the show. So this year, the company has space in the women’s Casual Lifestyle section.
At WWDMAGIC, American Paper and Plastic will feature its high-end bags and packaging with a European fl air, Bishop explained, adding that WWDMAGIC was more vibrant than the gift shows the company is used to. “At gift shows, people are quiet and doing their thing,” she said. “At the apparel shows, it’s very loud and people are excited. You see a totally different customer at MAGIC — they are not looking for cheap bags. They are looking for something that sets their stores apart.”
What sets Avatar Imports, a junior clothing line, apart is its Fair Trade status, according to co-owner Jeph Hemmer. He said his company would be the only such manufacturer at WWDMAGIC. The 15-year-old “Bohemian chic” line had previously exhibited at the show, but took several years off to become Fair Trade certifi ed, meaning the company has agreed to abide by certain guidelines in its business practices to ensure equitable treatment and fair pricing with its vendors. “It makes us stand out; it feels great to be on the leading edge of this movement,” he said. Business grew 150 percent last year, and this year, Hemmer said, Avatar Imports was on track to raise sales another 150 percent.
Hemmer wants to add at least 20 accounts at WWDMAGIC. “We pick up a lot of new stores every time,” he said, adding that the wholesaler sells its kimonosleeve tops and dresses to small chains and single boutiques. “It’s not just about the fi rst order — it’s about making new contacts, and that is what really turns into numbers for us.”
This is the fi rst year that Jennifer Cohen, president of 1060 Sherman, will be at WWDMAGIC with her company’s new name. The women’s contemporary apparel producer was formerly called Anna Paul. During Cohen’s seven years at WWDMAGIC, the customers, products and venue have improved, she said. “When we first started, it was more junior-oriented, more moderately priced,” Cohen said. “Now, it brings all the high-end people and high-end stores — it’s a straightout market with the biggest venue I’ve ever seen.”
Like other vendors, Cohen will meet many of her top customers and network to attract more, she said. She plans to leave with at least $500,000 in sales with the new moniker, European-influenced booth and savvy networking style. “There’s a science to it,” Cohen said about the show. “And,” she added with a chuckle, “It’s Vegas!”