TRADE SHOW
2013 Year in Review: New Trade Shows and Venues in 2013, Plus Changes on the Horizon
It was a busy year for veteran trade show producers and start-ups alike.
The Agenda trade show celebrated its 10-year anniversary with a bustling trade show in Long Beach, Calif., in January. The show debuted a dedicated section for women’s collections called Agenda WMNS in Long Beach in July and expanded to launch Agenda Las Vegas in August.
Surf Expo saw its largest-ever turnout (12,500 buyers) in the show’s 37-year history at its January show, according to its parent company, George Little Management LLC (GLM). But GLM’s West Coast surf concept, LaunchLA,was put on hold before it could host its second edition in July.
Nielsen Expositions, organizers of Outdoor Retailer and the Imprinted Sportswear Show, was acquired by Onex Corp. for $950 million in May and changed its name to Emerald Expositions. In December, Emerald acquired GLM, putting Surf Expo and Outdoor Retailer under the same ownership umbrella.
The giant MAGIC show in Las Vegas debuted a new look in February following the acquisition of ENK International by MAGIC and Project parent Advanstar last year. For the February show, ENK Vegas moved to a tented venue next to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, where Project is held. MAGIC also debuted a new street and skate section called MVMNT and bowed an upscale men’s show, also held in a tent, called The Tents at Project. By the August run of the show, ENK Vegas moved from the tent to a space inside the Mandalay Bay and MVMNT was renamed Project MVMNT.
Business Journals renamed and remerchandised its Moda LV show into a new show called Stitch, which ran adjacent to BJI’s MRket and Accessories The Show at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in February. BJI was one of a consortium of six trade shows, including Liberty, a new show launched by Project founder Ben-Avraham; Capsule;and Agenda. The consortium, called Modern Assembly, jointly promoted and marketed the six shows at the Sands and The Venetian in August.
Before the Las Vegas launch of Liberty, Ben-Avraham kicked off a New York edition of the curated menswear show, as well as a new swimwear trade show, called Cabana, which bowed in Miami, running concurrently with the Miami SwimShow and Salon Allure.
In September, the Coast show, which operates contemporary trade shows in Miami and Chicago, debuted its first New York show at Stage 37 on Manhattan’s West Side.
Upscale contemporary show Brand Assembly bowed in June during Los Angeles Fashion Market at the Cooper Design Space and, by October market, had grown to 60 brands exhibiting. The show co-located with EM Productions’ upscale accessories show, Coeur, in the 11th-floor penthouse of the building.
A group of men’s fashion showrooms in Los Angeles partnered to produce an independent trade event, called Los Angeles Men’s Market Initiative, during Los Angeles Fashion Market in October, as well.
New footwear trade show Lazr moved from its debut location at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles to the penthouse of the Cooper Design Space.
Another streetwear show, called Venue Trade Show, launched in June at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and the Los Angeles Apparel Show (LAAS), a show for made–in–Los Angeles and designed–in–Los Angeles exhibitors debuted in September at the California Market Center.
Several trade show organizers also unveiled plans for new shows and new venues in 2014. Lingerie and swimwear trade show CurvExpo announced plans to launch Riviera by CurvExpo in Huntington Beach, Calif., in August 2014 in partnership with ISAM (the International Swimwear and Activewear Market).
The 2-year-old West Coast swim show Swim Collective announced plans to vacate its home in Huntington Beach to move to the St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point, Calif., in August.
Agenda announced plans to move its New York show to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in July 2014 and host its Agenda Emerge conference four times annually in Long Beach and New York. Other plans call for Agenda WMNS, the show’s new section for women’s lines, to expand to Las Vegas in February and to debut a new indie surf event, The Woods, in Las Vegas in February, as well.
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