Bobbin World Sets New Date
VNU Expositions, operator of the Bobbin technology expos, has announced that it will hold its Bobbin World Expo at the Miami Beach Convention Center in the spring of 2004. Actual dates have yet to be announced. The show producer previously canceled this year’s Bobbin Americas Expo due to poor market conditions.
The announcement further clouds the trade show schedule, as the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) previously announced it is aligning with Material World to put on its own sourcing and technology show (see adjacent story). Another trade group, the Sewn Products Equipment & Suppliers of the Americas (SPESA), also previously announced that it would host a tech show, though at press time, it was unclear whether it was in conjunction with the Bobbin show.
Doug Tober, general manager of the Miami Beach Convention Center, confirmed that it has contracted the dates of May 19–21, 2004, to SPESA. A SPESA spokesman said the organization’s board of directors was to meet soon and make an announcement regarding show dates and any partnerships it may have with Bobbin. VNU could not confirm any commitments between it and SPESA, but a spokesperson did say the two groups were in talks.
The technology shows are especially important to Latin American apparel producers because of certain programs within the North American Free Trade Agreement relating to cutting specifications for apparel. The cutting room equipment the producers need are supplied by U.S.-based technology suppliers that rely on the Bobbin show.
The Bobbin World Expo will continue to rotate with the industry’s two other international triennial events—JIAM in Japan and IMB in Germany.
“Staging the most comprehensive, beneficial event for the industry is our top priority,” said Art Ellis, vice president of the retail design and apparel group for VNU. —Robert McAllister
