LOS ANGELES — The Las Vegas apparel trade show scene is growing nearly as fast as the city itself. This past August saw the addition of the JCK Accessories show and the ISAM swimwear show to the MAGIC Marketplace, as well as the announcement that MAGIC parent company Advancestar acquired the Pool and Project trade shows.
Now, for the Feb. 21-24 show held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, WWDMAGIC is adding ModeEurope to the accessories show at the Hilton. ModeEurope, produced by Reed Exhibitions, does two yearly shows in Paris and will launch its first U.S. show, featuring fashion-forward jewelry from France, Germany, Italy and other European countries.
“In many cases, this is the first time some of the resources have been in the U.S.,” said MAGIC marketing director Camille Candella. “They are really a unique resource for many buyers who want to have something different in the store than what’s on the street.”
More than 60 brands are expected to exhibit at the show, which will sit alongside the Jewelry Marketplace by JCK. Together the two shows will take 15,000 square feet at the Hilton.
Candella said the show is part of a long-term, three-year partnership with Reed.
Several other expansions are also planned for the upcoming February show, according to Candella. Platform, the juried premium and contemporary section in the South Hall of the LVCC, is expanding with an additional 20 booths, based on positive feedback the company said it received from retailers and manufacturers.
The category launched in February with 30 brands and expanded to 100 in August.
The High Five section, which showcases contemporary streetwear and is housed within the streetwear category located in the South Hall of the convention center, is also planning to expand by 20 booths. It launched in August 2004 and is currently in its fourth installment.
“We expect an increase in art- and music-influenced resources in our South Hall, and they are merchandised together near High Five,” said Candella.
Growth at WWDMagic includes an expansion of Window, a juried category featuring bridge and designer women’s sportswear and dresses from multiline showrooms. The company expects more than 30 booths this February.
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MAGIC officials also said changes are afoot for the women’s contemporary market within WWDMAGIC, but that an announcement would not be forthcoming until later this month. However, a source within MAGIC indicated that the juried contemporary pavilion known as inldex would be replaced with a new concept.
The company said it’s optimistic about an increase in exhibitor numbers as well as a boost in overall attendance at the show. The August edition saw more than 100,000 attendees, a 6 percent increase over the previous year.
“We’re definitely on track with pre-registration, and have been on a growth track for the past few years,” said Candella.
Sam Ben-Avraham, founder and president of Project, said he is also pleased with the growth and interest he has seen from buyers and retailers coming to Las Vegas.
“Bloomingdale’s used to only go to shows in New York, but now they [told me] they are coming to Vegas instead this time,” said Ben-Avraham.
The denim and sportswear-focused show, which will be held at The Sands Expo and Convention Center from Feb. 21-23, is expanding from 100,000 square feet to 189,000 square feet for this upcoming show.
“Most of the growth is coming from existing vendors
taking more space,” said Ben-Avraham. “We’re not getting anyone who doesn’t belong in the show. It’s just exploding.”
This show will also see a new area just for women’s apparel, and Ben-Avraham said they are working on merchandising the entire show more as a shopping environment than a trade show environment.
“People who didn’t feel comfortable with Vegas before or who thought it was too commercial are now coming.”
The Pool show, to be held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center Feb. 20-22, will celebrate its 10th staging with parties and retrospective events, said the company.
Since its inception in 2001, the contemporary show has grown tenfold. Its August show saw more than 500 brands and 20,000 attendees in the 180,000 square feet of convention center space.
Pool also recently moved into a new 10,000-square-foot office in Silver Lake, Calif. The company’s home is designed to resemble the floor plan, booths and design elements of the show in Las Vegas, so prospective exhibitors can drop by and get a feel for the look of the show.
Like the rest of its Vegas cohorts, the Off-Price Show is also expecting to grow. “Every show is a little bit
bigger and better than the last one,” said Bill Jage, chief executive officer of the biannual Off-Price Show, now in its 12th season.
And for the upcoming show, to be held Feb. 19-23 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, the company will host a silent auction Feb. 23 in partnership with eBay.
The auction will give vendors a last chance to unload merchandise remaining at the end of the show to bidding retailers.
“Even the closeouts have closeouts,” said Jage. “A lot of people are mistaken and think that off-price business has everything to do with desirability of merchandise, but a lot of it is really about supply and demand.”
Jage said many of the exhibiting vendors do 20 to 35 percent of their annual business at the shows. They will also have the option of listing whatever merchandise does not sell at the auction on eBay the day after the event.
The popular Web site is one of Off-Price Specialists’ platinum sponsors, and is an integral part of the show, where it helps smaller retailers learn how to buy from exhibitors, said Jage.
Despite fluctuating gas prices and natural disasters that have affected the market this year, Jage said he is optimistic about this show.
“We’ve never had a bad February show, if only for one reason: There’s a natural optimism for people when they start the new year. People really try and make a go of it then.”