NEW YORK — Trade show organizers are simplifying for the seasons ahead, planning for more convenient locations and overall ease for buyers.
ENK International president Elyse Kroll said she is hoping the ongoing construction at the Show Piers will be finished in time for the Fashion Coterie, scheduled for Feb. 20 to 22.
“I’m anxious to plan Coterie at an earlier date,” she said. “I’m just waiting to hear back from the city to see if the Piers will be finished. If they aren’t, we may have to use two venues, which I know isn’t the best.”
Aside from that uncertainty, Kroll said planning is in full swing. Clear, the company’s newest show, which showcases a select number of accessories brands from Europe, will expand when it appears again alongside Coterie.
“Clear has grown tremendously,” she said. “We had about 20 exhibitors at the last show. This time we will grow to about 50.”
Kroll said the reason for Clear’s success is the decision to run it with Coterie.
“It could become even larger, but for now, we want to keep it small and special for the buyers,” she said.
Kroll said she also will run Fresh Coterie again, which last season showcased a group of about 80 brands new to the Coterie show.
“Because of the construction going on at the Piers, we had to hold the last Fresh Coterie at the Javits Center, which was both good and bad for those vendors,” she said. “Some of them did well, and some did not.”
Overall, Kroll said that Fresh Coterie was a success, and she plans to bring that section back again in February.
But even before Coterie, Kroll is prepping for Intermezzo, planned for Jan. 7 to 12. Intermezzo, which is traditionally a smaller show than Coterie, will be held at the Piers.
“The construction is being done on Pier 88, which means that the ships have to go to 90, so that leaves Piers 92 and 94 for our use,” Kroll said.
To make more space, Kroll said she is planning to create another space under Pier 92 to house additional exhibitors.
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Growth is also the buzzword for Business Journals Inc. as it continues to expand its trade show division, which includes the Moda Manhattan, FAME and AccessoriesTheShow.
Last year, these shows grew by more than 30 percent overall, and attendance increased by about 10 percent. This year, the firm expects the upward trend will continue. Moda, which doubled in size last year, is leading the way again, with expected growth of more than 40 percent for the Jan. 7 to 9 show.
Next year, Moda also will host its first February show, Feb. 18 to 20, after adding September to its then-three-times-a-year schedule this year. Unlike the January, May and August Modas, which share space with FAME and AccessoriesTheShow in the Jacob K. Javits Center, the newly added versions are held in the Metropolitan Pavilion and Altman Building.
After a successful September launch, the new Moda shows will utilize an additional floor there, dedicated to dresses and special occasion. Dresses are just one area that will continue to get play in 2007.
“As the market changes, our shows need to change,” said Britton Jones, president and chief executive officer of Business Journals Inc. “For FAME, the area that is growing the fastest is junior and young contemporary, so we are expanding that section of the show. It’s growing 15 to 20 percent season over season. And the design and layout will reflect the aesthetic of the market.”
FAME also may expand its Jewelry To Go section into a broader To Go section, which will cater to immediate and impulse buys — a popular demand of retailers.
Business Journals is reinvesting its growth, partially through a 20 percent increase in marketing spending, which will allow for more personalized mailers, as well as expanded international marketing.
Designers & Agents, which first made a name for itself in Los Angeles, is planning a big year for its New York edition.
For starters, Ed Mandelbaum, co-producer of the show with Barbara Kramer, said D&A’s next Manhattan show, Jan. 6 to 8 at the Starrett-Lehigh Building, will undergo a name change. The January shows are typically small and used to be called D&A Annex. In order to simplify things, Mandelbaum said he plans to call it Designers & Agents, just like all the other shows throughout the year are named.
In addition, Designers & Agents will welcome a new mix of international exhibitors. “We’ve always attracted a big domestic contemporary crowd,” he said. “But now we are increasing in exhibitors from all over Asia and Europe, which will all be mixed in with the U.S.-based brands. Doing that keeps the show interesting for buyers.”
Also, Kramer said that they have hired a new art director, Emily Remensperger, who will work with the rest of the team to create a more pleasing environment for the exhibitors and buyers in attendance.
“We’ve been working with Emily on some of the past few shows, and we just agreed that we needed to hire her full time,” she said. “She continues to surprise us each season with her great ideas, so she is now in-house.”
Kramer said that she and Mandelbaum have been looking at new ways to make the shopping experience more convenient and pleasant for the buyers. “It’s about the whole experience, the vibe,” she said. “We want to keep making this a better environment.”
Kramer said she is looking into ways to make the show more environmentally friendly, such as having the catering company provide biodegradable glasses and paper plates. “It’s certainly not an easy feat, but [it is] a goal that we have set,” she said.
For the Nouveau Collective shows, planned for Jan. 6 to 9 and Feb. 18 to 21, organizers are looking to come up with an alternative to its traditional New Yorker Hotel venue.
“In 2007, we have plans to move,” said Elizabeth Grasso, account executive for the show. “It’s too early to say where we will go, but we are looking for a newer facility with more amenities. It’s also important that we find a location that’s convenient for the buyers, so we are working very hard behind the scenes in order to make this move.”
For now, the show will be held at the New Yorker, and organizers have secured a block of rooms at the new Windgate Hotel for attendees. The Windgate is just one block away from the New Yorker and provides a business center and wireless Internet access.
Also, because the show is sure to grow, with about 25 additional exhibitors planned already, Grasso said she is waiting to hear if more space will be provided to them at the hotel.
Also in the works is an opening breakfast, with a fashion show from Pure & Co. The Canadian knitwear vendor will launch a new collection called Neon Buddha, a lifestyle clothing line for travel, work, home and yoga.
“We have a great relationship with Pure & Co., and we are really happy to be launching this new collection at our breakfast,” Grasso said.