Project Founder Sam Ben-Avraham Talks Shop & Move To L.A.
Project founder Sam Ben-Avraham, left, with Alan Fernandez, the buyer from his boutique Atrium.
It may be time to roll out a Los Angeles welcome wagon for Sam Ben-Avraham. The founder of the influential Global Project Trade Show said he was thinking of moving from his current digs in New York to the Los Angeles area sometime in 2010.
When he puts down stakes here, he won’t be opening boutiques such as his high-profile store Atrium. Instead he was thinking about developing a product. No word yet on what that product may be.
Ben-Avraham was in town to do buying for Atrium at the Class Trade Show, which did business Aug. 27 and 28 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, Calif. Then he’ll travel to Las Vegas, where Project will be open at the Sands Expo from Sept. 1 to 3.
He said the upcoming Project would be a bit smaller than past shows, only 400,000-square-feet this time. “It will be more focused,” he said. He also stated that founding one of the past decade's most influential fashion trade shows had nothing to do with being cool. “It is about great product and making a great place for people to do business. I’m only the show producer. I do not need to be cool,” he said with a smile.
