NEW YORK — Gotham’s trade show organizers are firm believers that bigger is not necessarily better, so they’re focusing more on repeat vendors and less on attracting new ones, while finding new ways to freshen up their shows.
“We consist of about 80 percent repeat exhibitors,” said Joanne Feinstein, director of Nouveau Collective, a ready-to-wear and lifestyle show. “Although fashion is about change, the underlying theme is consistency.” Feinstein said experience has taught her that retailers value relationships with exhibitors.
“At the bigger shows, there are no relationships. Our retailers know that they can find exhibitors here and talk to them because they’ve been in touch in the past,” said Feinstein. Nouveau Collective will be held Jan. 8-11 at The Park Central New York hotel in Midtown.
Ed Mandelbaum, co-founder of the Designers and Agents contemporary show, said that, while D&A is growing, he thinks of growth in terms of quality, not quantity.
“We’re not trying to be the biggest,” said Mandelbaum, “but we are trying to be the best.” The key to a successful show, Mandelbaum said, is having a discriminating eye. D&A will take place Jan. 9-11 at the Starrett-Lehigh Center on West 26th Street.
“We focus on uniqueness, salability, quality and integrity,” he said. “We only accept about 5 percent of the people who apply each season.”
There were 120 exhibitors at D&A’s September show. January’s staging will see an increase to 175. While the venue will stay the same, Mandelbaum said the show will occupy more space in the building to accommodate the jump in exhibitors.
Britton Jones, president of the Moda (rtw) and Fame (rtw and accessories) trade shows, said 75 to 80 percent of the vendors at his shows are repeat exhibitors. “It’s reassuring to the buyers to do repeat business, and those repeat exhibitors are the reason the buyers come back.” Moda Manhattan and Fame will take place Jan. 9-11 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
But for organizers looking to keep their shows as fresh as possible, repeat vendors and visitors also can be a challenge.
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“It’s important to have continuance,” said Mandelbaum of D&A, “but you don’t want to look like a department store.”
“Repeat exhibitors are always launching new lines, which is great, but you also have to change the look of your show every season — and I’m not talking about minor tweaks like restyling the mannequins,” Jones said.
Susan Summa, coordinator of the Atelier Designers show, which runs Feb. 26-28 at the Rihga Royal Hotel on West 54th Street, said that it’s also important to maintain a clear brand image. “Part of the curatorial aspect is keeping it balanced and straightforward. That effort is mirrored from our end and the designers.”
Summa and her team have incorporated a new marketing program to promote the show, which specializes in avant-garde and artisan better and designer fashions. Through Atelier’s Web site, retailers can access preshow images in order to get a sense of who will be attending and what kind of merchandise they’ll be bringing.
“Retailers can get an idea of the flavor of the show,” Summa said. Retailers also have been registering for the show through the Web site, a new focus for Atelier organizers. “These days,” Summa said, “no one can function without a computer.”
Elyse Kroll, president of ENK, said repeat exhibitors contribute to the success of her shows. “It’s all about word of mouth,” Kroll said. “People know what kind of shows we produce based on our exhibitors. We don’t have salespeople, like some other shows do. When choosing exhibitors, you’ve got to go with your gut feeling.”
Kroll said she can’t increase the number of exhibitors at shows like the Fashion Coterie, but she is making changes in her roster.
“We’re focusing more on young designers,” Kroll said. “We’re creating a section just for them.” In addition to Fashion Coterie, ENK also produces Intermezzo and Children’s Club in New York and Brighte Companies in Los Angeles and, in February, Las Vegas. Intermezzo and Children’s Club will run Jan. 9-11 at the Show Piers on the Hudson and the Javits Center, respectively. The Fashion Coterie takes place Feb. 27-March 1 at the Show Piers.
Show organizers also are seeking ways to make their shows more user friendly.
Nouveau Collective lasts four days in January and has one late night, when the show is open until 9 p.m. “Our dates always include a weekend,” Feinstein said. “It’s quieter and more laid-back, and for people coming from out of town, they get a better rate on their airfare if they stay for the weekend.”
Feinstein said the show will move from the hotel’s top three floors to the mezzanine, third and fourth floors so retailers won’t have to waste time waiting for elevators. “We just want to accommodate the buyer,” she said, “and 15 minutes is a lot of time to waste.”
The Train debuted at the Terminal Stores in West Chelsea in September and was organized by Fédération Française du Prêt à Porter Féminin. Jean Pierre Mocho, chairman of FFPAPF, learned that European sensibility sometimes doesn’t translate into American fashion. “Not every style was good for the American market. There were three collections that didn’t work at all,” Mocho said. More than 2,500 retailers attended the three-day show.
Mocho said for the next show, Feb. 26-28, he’ll add 30 exhibitors, bringing the number of collections to 90.
“We can fit 100 vendors, but we want to keep it very selective,” he said.
One of the shows that won’t be making a return is Industry 212, produced by Advanstar Communications. A company spokesman said they had canceled the show that was scheduled to take place Jan. 11-13 at the Javits Center and that they were “reviewing their options” on how to proceed on the East Coast.
“I think the reason it ended is because it was in New York and Advanstar has the biggest show in the industry in Las Vegas,” said Jones. “I think they wanted to focus more on that market, which they felt was more successful.”
Organizers are overwhelmingly optimistic about the next trade show season and are looking forward to connecting with attendees.
“Retailers are our profit center and they make or break a show,” ENK’s Kroll said. “I think buyers are upbeat and consumers are buying.”
Feinstein of Nouveau Collective expects the season to be a memorable one.
“Planning this show is like planning a dinner party,” she said. “You need to have people taste and experience something special.”