What Do We See?
Footwear News brought the fashion trade show industry together today that addresses the biggest elephant in the room, trade shows in a COVID19 and post-COVID19 world, in an informative talk about action taken as “FN LIVE Presents – The Future Of Trade Shows”, with Kelly Hoffman from MICAM Americas, John Heron of FFANY, Laura Conwell-O’Brien of the Atlanta Shoe Market, and moderated by Nikara Johns, Women’s Editor at Footwear News.
The first inevitable aspect addressed is we can’t necessarily compete against each other in this unprecedented time, trade shows have to come together as one, with partnerships and incentives to promote one’s shoe, apparel, intimates, or accessories trade show because it’s realized we have to enhance our brands in order to survive in COVID19.
Also stressed first thing is that physical trade shows are here to stay, they’re not going away, but they will join with digital for a virtual experience if there’s no way for international or domestic brands to travel to New York for a trade show, and there social distancing and sanitation will be implemented and practiced if a physical trade show still takes place.
Along with the Atlanta Shoe Market, MAGIC in Las Vegas will take place, albeit postponed to late September instead of late August like in normal times, and it’s where MICAM Americas official unveiling as a new identity to the footwear trade show under Informa will still take place, you are encouraged to sign up for social media and email updates if anything changes, as well as with Atlanta Shoe Market who will also take temperatures, sanitize, and practice social distancing, but ultimately COVID19 and CDC guidelines make the decisions at day’s end, so prepare also for physical cancellation if it arises, and virtual presentations only.
Also at this time, most independent and emerging brands cannot afford to travel to New York to be part of a trade show, so it’s encouraged these brands participate virtually, as big box and more established brands can afford the expense of a New York trade show, Informa also in recent years made it reasonably priced for entry-level brands to participate.
Informa also took made the hard decision to cancel all its trade shows for the rest of the year last Thursday, and partner with NuORDER for an eight-week digital trade show event with all its brands starting September 1, running all the way to November 1.
Informa did however announce at “The Future Of Trade Shows” today that in spite of many events already being canceled for the first part of 2021, Informa does see a return to physical trade shows at the Javits Center in New York’s Hudson Yards in February 2021, given if things are back up and running before or by that time, best to sign up for updates.