TOKYO — As the Japanese trade show market becomes increasingly competitive, organizers are looking for ways to make their shows must-attend events. That means expanding offerings to include unique features and exhibitions and listening to exhibitors’ and attendees’ needs and suggestions to encourage repeat business.
With its usual Yoyogi National Stadium location undergoing renovation, the innovation-focused exhibition Rooms will set up shop at Roppongi Hills Feb. 14 to 16. The theme for the 14th edition of the show will be “jungle,” in reference to the hectic pace of life in urban areas.
Rooms also will introduce an artistic jewelry installation by S. Nakaba and an experimental corner called Pregnant, where coordinator Takayuki Minami selected 21 independent brands to create an edgy product assortment.
“We needed exciting news to refresh Rooms,” said Mika Sato, producer of the exhibition.
Rooms also will continue its association with France’s women’s Prêt à Porter Association, which helps to produce the new corner Livingroom, an area where overseas brands (mainly from France) are showcased.
Sato also noted that the 13th Rooms show was held right after Japan Fashion Week. “In the future, we want to look for a way to closely collaborate with Japan Fashion Week in Tokyo.”
At Japan Creation, organizers are focusing on “Japan quality” to differentiate the show. “As the biggest textile exhibition in Japan, we are not planning to change the schedule according to the overseas schedule. Instead, we will focus more on the quality of the domestic textile,” said JC’s Mutsuko Tatsukami.
The show is open only to exhibitors with a commercial and production base in Japan. Also, JC requires the exhibitors to submit their swatches in advance to examine quality. Ninety percent of the buyers are from
within Japan, while the rest come from overseas, mainly Asia.
The next edition of JC, for autumn-winter 2007, will be held Dec. 6 to 8 at Tokyo Big Sight. At the show, JC will divide the floor into two sections: a business
section for writing orders and contracts, and a promotion section where vendors can display their merchandise and company information.
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“This is the result after listening to suppliers and buyers,” said Tatsukami.
Next year, JC will host a second show May 9 to 11 and plans to hold a “satellite exhibition” in spring to promote the quality of the nation’s textiles.
The Creators Village has grown into a major attraction for International Fashion Fair, a general trade fair for fashion business that will next run Jan. 17 to 19 at Tokyo Big Sight.
CV is a zone designed by IFF to exhibit original and creative offerings from new designers.
In January, IFF expects to have 702 exhibitors and 28,000 visitors from Japan and overseas.
As the biggest integrated exhibition of garments, accessories, textiles and machines, “we are attracting many buyers from department stores and specialty stores. That’s the base on which we can level up the quality of the exhibition,” said Hiromi Kudo, IFF division manager.
Besides the main shows in July and January, IFF started a smaller version this year. “It is like a small CV. For about 50 exhibitors for the three-day show at Ebisu 303, we had about 1,500 visitors,” said Kudo. Some of them are department store buyers with many stores and large budgets. “To let the new brands meet those buyers means a lot,” Kudo added.
Frontier, the five-times-a-year exhibition, takes advantage of its frequency to meet the demands of the market faster than the competition. The next Frontier will be held Feb. 14 to 16 for spring and early summer.
“Our advantage is to introduce the merchandise that retailers can sell right after the show,” said Takashi Yoshioka, producer of Frontier. “The mission of exhibition is to activate the market. Frontier vitalizes it by introducing merchandise of the consumers’ needs of that time.”