GlobalTex Cancels March Show

After four seasons, textile trade show GlobalTex: L.A. International Textile & Sourcing Fair is canceling its upcoming show in March, citing difficult business conditions.

The show, held at the Los Angeles Convention Center, launched in 2009 with the support of the Textile Association of Los Angeles and a mix that included apparel and trim suppliers, trend forecasters, sourcing resources, and information-technology providers.

The news came in a statement released by Bill Winsor, president and chief executive officer of Market Center Management Co., the Dallas-based organization that produces the event.

“It’s never easy to walk away from an opportunity,” the statement reads. “We would like nothing more than to keep working hard to provide a better trade event for the West Coast. However, given present business conditions, we are canceling our plans for the March edition of GlobalTex: L.A. International Textile & Sourcing Fair. It was a very difficult decision. We continue to believe that L.A. deserves a quality, comprehensive show with resources from around the world gathered in an inspiring environment.”

Show organizers declined to comment on the fate of future GlobalTex shows.

The trade show launched in direct competition with the longstanding Los Angeles International Textile Show, held at the California Market Center. Earlier in October, the two shows were held during the same week, with schedules that overlapped by two days. The schedule drew praise from attendees, particularly those from out of town, who were able to visit both shows in one trip to Los Angeles.

The L.A. Textile Show will showcase Spring/Summer 2012 collections at its March 28–30 run at the CMC. “The Los Angeles International Textile Show is the West Coast’s largest showcase for textiles, trims, design and production resources from around the globe, hosted by the California Market Center since 1993,” said Oscar Rodriguez, manager of the L.A. International Textile Show. “From hundreds of premium, creative resources to innovative trend reports and fashion culture insights, L.A. Textile is a forum for fashion direction as much as it is an essential trade show for high-quality design materials and production resources.”—Alison A. Nieder