TRADE SHOWS
Licensing Expo Drives Brands, Retail and Big Business
By Kelli Freeman, Contributing Writer | June 25, 2026
Strategic, lucrative partnerships and fandom were top priorities at the 2026 Licensing Expo, held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas May 19–21.
Informa Markets Fashion Promotes Helfman, Peskin and Rudow
More than a month after Informa Markets Fashion unveiled digital trade shows for its MAGIC anchor and sibling shows such as Project, the trade-show producer announced the promotions of executives who helped direct the digital trade shows.
For LA Textile, CMC Experiments With Talk Show Style Presentations
Following its debut during the August edition of L.A. Market Week, the CMC Uploaded virtual platform was used again by the management of the California Market Center to host the CMC’s popular biannual textile-and-fabrics show, LA Textile.
FMNC Wraps Up Last Show of 2020
While many trade shows reacted to the COVID-19 rules against in-person gatherings by producing virtual shows, the regional Fashion Market Northern California took a different path. It reacted against COVID by producing its first open-air show, which ran Oct. 4–6 in San Mateo, Calif.
Entrepreneurs Forecast What Will Be in Factory of The Future
The entire business of fashion has been undergoing major changes in the past decade. The Virtual Symposium, a webinar series produced by the TechTextil North America and Texprocess Americas trade events, charted what may happen next with manufacturing. The Zoom panels were webcast on Oct. 7 and 8.
Onsite and Online, L.A. Market Week’s Hybrid Model Sees Success
Buyers descended on downtown Los Angeles’ fashion district in person and virtually Oct. 12–14 for L.A. Market Week.
Curve Connect Launches to Afford a Virtual Home to the Intimates Community
Establishing a virtual space for the lingerie and intimate-apparel category, events producer Comexposium Group USA launched its Curve Connect event through a partnership with event-software provider Grip for an online trade exposition that was held Sept. 13–25.
Liberty Fairs Panel Talks on New Normal of Omnichannel
During the past six months of the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses have greatly accelerated rollouts of digital services. A panel discussion produced by trade show Liberty Fairs on Sept. 25 gave advice on what fashion retailers need to do to produce successful omni-channel businesses.
Informa Markets Fashion Unveils FIT Student Showcase
The COVID-19 shutdown inspired celebrated fashion designers to go online and produce digital runway shows. Now, student designers are following.
Surf Expo Virtual Show Works to Capture the Spirit of In-person Show
Surf Expo was the latest trade show to produce a virtual event due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns.
Informa Markets Fashion Makes a Successful Move to Digital During Launch
Launching Sept. 1, Informa Markets Fashion allowed the show to go on with its digital trade event that saw its MAGIC anchor and sibling shows run online through the NuOrder platform.
California and Global Brands Shine as Paraiso Unveils Hybrid On-site/Virtual Swim Event
Leading a new fashion format, Claude Kameni’s new LavieByCK swimwear brand launched with a Bali-inspired, Los Angeles–produced campaign and a Paraiso Miami Beach runway debut with The Diigitals.
NTWRK Launches Virtual Festival, Complex Networks Announces New Event
Aaron Levant, founder of the Agenda trade show, introduced Transfer today, a virtual culture, design and retail festival, running through tomorrow on the NTWRK platform, a video commerce channel headquartered in Los Angeles.
Liberty Fairs Unveils Virtual Trade Show
Liberty Fairs introduced its first virtual trade show on Aug. 17, co-produced with the Joor wholesale marketplace. The virtual trade show enjoyed more than 1,800 unique visits to its site, libertyfairs.com, on the first day of the show, said Edwina Kulego, the new Liberty Fairs vice president, who joined the trade-show producer in July.
Designers & Agents Goes Virtual
Designers & Agents is the latest trade-show producer to announce that it will put together a virtual trade event.
Paraiso Miami Beach Announces a Hybrid Digital-Physical Swim Week
Paraiso Miami Beach rallied from the cancellation of its July swim week due to COVID-19 by announcing a combination of in-person events and a virtual trade show. This fresh concept will afford opportunities for brands and designers to increase exposure of their Resort 2021 collections.
