So Many Shows, So Little Time

-- Tradeshow Week, 8/28/2008 3:04:00 PM

There’s certainly no shortage of fashion tradeshows in Las Vegas. With new segments and events seeming to launch every year, this growth was especially noticeable Aug. 23-28 at the Las Vegas Sands MegaCenter, during fashion week.

 It was an almost full house at the Sands, with eight events and one launch taking up approximately 1.2 million of the facility’s 2.25 million square feet of space. Yet, one has to wonder, are more shows a good thing, or could all this growth lead to overkill?   

The summer event was also a shorter one, with shows including MAGIC Marketplace, Pool and Project reduced from four to three days. With more events to see and less time to experience them, attendees had their work cut out for them – and part of the battle was figuring out where everything was.  

As the biggest event in the building, Advanstar Communications’ Project took up the entire top floor of the Sands Expo & Convention Center, with Tarsus Group’s Off-Price Specialist Show holding court on the floor below. Down the hall from Off-Price were the collocated and independently owned ASAP Global Sourcing Show and the E.C.O. Trade Show. 

Meanwhile, at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino’s Congress Center, five shows encompassed its main floor.  

Business Journals’ three events, MRket, AccessoriesTheShow and Moda Las Vegas, collectively spanned one side of the hall, while across the hallway were Curve NV and the debut of ENK Las Vegas. 

Maybe this meant a lot more product to choose from, but could there be too much crammed into one place? According to Britton Jones, president and CEO of Business Journals, as long as fashion events don’t conflict with one another, more isn’t necessarily a negative. 

“It’s a good thing for the attendees,” Jones said. “We don’t have (conflicting events) yet, and there’s really tight segmentation … (representing) distinct markets. I think the whole industry is being served well.” 

Yet, having more shows to attend with less time to see them can be a double-edged sword, according to many attendees. Some commented that although they liked the wider variety of product, getting around and absorbing it all in such a short period of time can be tiring and overwhelming. 

ENK exhibitor Jenna Withrow, a sales representative from Serfontaine Denim, said she agreed that attendees would conceivably have a hard time hitting so many locations in such a short time period. 

“I think it could be overkill,” she said. “There’s so much walking, and buyers need to be more prepared. (That makes) staggering the dates (of shows) even more important.” 

Attendee Gisella Plastina, Reitmans merchandise manager, was of a similar mindset. She complained that traveling from MAGIC Marketplace at the Las Vegas Convention Center to the events at the Sands MegaCenter, not to mention shows at other Strip venues, was a feat of endurance. 

“I think it’s too much (walking),” she said. “They should put them all in one location.” 

Project exhibitor Karen Zambos, president and owner of Zambos Vintage Couture, didn’t see a problem with more events coming to the Sands/Venetian neighborhood, however. 

“There are so many creative designers out there; I think there’s room for everyone,” Zambos said. 

It remains to be seen if this mushroom effect at the Sands/Venetian will continue or slow down. Meanwhile, exhibitors said they enjoyed the extra foot traffic while attendees took advantage of a wider range of product. 

According to MRket attendee Tim McCullough, president and CEO of Reyn’s, the more shows that come to fashion week, the better.

“That’s the beauty of our country – right of choice,” he said.