United Offers Trim, Clean Show
LAS VEGAS—The United Trade Show cut the clutter when it opened its doors Feb. 12–14 at the Alexis Park Resort in Las Vegas.
The independent show, which specializes in new and emerging brands, trimmed 80 vendors from its last show, held in August. The February show also slimmed down from three rooms to one at the Alexis Park Resort, located across the street from the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
United co-founders Rama Mayo and Ryan Walker made the cuts after United’s Jan. 22–23 show in New York. Buyers complained that the trade show’s crowded floor plan made it hard to find specific vendors. Mayo said many exhibitors dropped from the Las Vegas show had not paid their $1,500 booth fee before the show. In all, the February show in Las Vegas hosted 75 vendors.
The show’s trim look met with mixed reviews. Gian Altomari, co-chief executive of San Francisco–based label Homeroom, applauded United’s new look. “They gave us a lot more room,” Altomari said. “There was so much chaos [at past shows], we couldn’t write orders.”
Retailer Angelita Gonzalez missed the larger selection of past shows. “You couldn’t find small, undiscovered, edgy labels,” said Gonzalez, a buyer for Density, a San Francisco boutique.
Retailers shopping United included Urban Outfitters, JCPenney and Hollywood-based Popkiller, according to vendor Mason Brown, founder of Long Beach, Calif.–based label Cardboard Robot.
The trade show also hosted a high number of Japanese retailers. Altomari estimated that there were 10 Japanese retailers to every one American at the show.
United vendors gave the show’s business mixed reviews. Mike Murphy of Costa Mesa, Calif.–based label Fyaskouml; said the show traffic was slow. “But it is always good to be seen,” he said. Ryan Cross, a designer for Austin, Texas–based label Maddogs, said United’s first day of business was slow but traffic was steady the following two days. —Andrew Asch
