TRADE SHOWS

German Trade Show Producer to Buy a Stake in Liberty Fairs

Berlin-headquartered trade-show company Premium Group announced it is buying a minority stake in the U.S.-based Liberty Fairs Fashion Group.

Liberty Fairs produces prominent trade shows including the biannual Liberty Fashion & Lifestyle Fairs in Las Vegas. It also produces the beach-lifestyle show Cabana in Miami Beach, Fla. In April, it acquired the Capsule trade show for an undisclosed amount.

Premium produces Berlin-based trade events, including its namesake show, Premium, which exhibits menswear, womenswear, sportswear, athleisure wear, footwear and accessories as well as beauty and fragrance products. More than 1,000 brands are scheduled to exhibit at the next Premium show, which runs Jan. 15–17 in Berlin.

Premium also produces the business-to-consumer event Bright, which is a three-day skateboarding festival.

The Premium Group deal, announced Sept. 17, will help Premium and Liberty expand internationally, said Sam Ben-Avraham, founder of the Liberty Fairs Fashion Group.

“This deal gives us the opportunity to officially join forces as Premium Group explores the trade-show market in the U.S. and as we evaluate different options in taking Liberty, Capsule and Cabana to Europe,” he said in a statement.

Anita Tillmann, managing partner of the Premium Group, said the deal would be an avenue for growth. “There is a huge opportunity to provide state-of-the-art events focused on commerce, community and relevant content in order to better serve the changing needs of brands and retailers,” she said in a statement.

The Premium Group will be introduced at Liberty Fairs’ February 2019 show in downtown Las Vegas, and it will be developing a new womenswear concept in New York City, according to a joint statement from Premium and Liberty Fairs.