Fashion Trade Shows - It's show time so get it right!

MAXIMISING YOUR TRADE SHOW INVESTMENT - updated article

We have represented the MAGIC Show for several years and we have walked for over 25 years the various trade shows around the world.
In addition, we give advice and join our Brand clients at the shows. We also work with retail clients visiting the shows and placing orders.
Finally, we regularly deliver business seminars at key shows such as
BIFF in Bangkok, Moda UK and Pure in London and Who's Next in Paris ...
We act as Retail / Brand Expert for Whos Next and have over a thousand of case studies to share.
You can benefit from free workshops and have your own Expert helping you (Appointment here or call-email us) and discuss your challenges at Retail and Wholesale. 
Discover below some key rules to ensure your Brand can get the most from the Trade Show investment you are making. 

Reminder: Paying £3000 for 10m2 over 3 days is like paying £360 000 in rent over 1 year on Bond Street AND YOU GET MUCH MORE THAN 10 M2!

I - HAVE AN OBJECTIVE

How to calculate the duty on your goods

EXPORT TO EUROPE OR THE USA REQUIRES EXPERTISE

As you are planning to exhibit in a foreign trade show in Europe or the USA?
Are you looking to look like any local Brand when it comes to the back office?
Are you looking to facilitate the work of the Buyer and giving the Buyer the right signals?

If you answer YES then you need to look into adding DUTY and freight to the price of goods especially if you are selling your goods to EU and USA buyers.

You may also want an expert by your side as it should not take more than just a few hours to share the logic and process to get it right from the start.
It can also be shared in 30mn and counting and for less than US$75.

Come Back From the Show With Orders and an Agent!

If you're planning to exhibit at a trade show in the next few weeks and you're also looking for a sales agent, take a look at our checklist and get some top tips.  Our suggestions are all tried and tested (we've been doing this for 25 years) and are based on talking to brands and agents at all the major tradeshows.  Obviously we've also had many discussions with both groups over the years: during the initial search and once the agent/brand relationship is well underway ... or over. 

Finding and working with agents is something we could talk about at some considerable length, but for this checklist we've tried to keep this short, so here are the key points to bear in mind as you get ready for your show:

Pure London - SHOW TIME!

Pure London Trade Show has started (July 22nd to 24th 2018).

As the Fashion Industry is becoming more challenging, the question we all have is "how will we maintain or grow sales"?
At GFM, we prefer to focus on profits with the clients and act as operations improvement specialists.

They see us as Change and Growth Accelerator.

• Did you reach your measurable goals for 2017? First semester of 2018?
• What have you changed in 2018 to ensure you can see noticeable positive impacts on the results for this year?
• Do you believe we would gain better progress if we had a sounding board, coach or mentor to work with us when we face difficult decisions?

Even at GFM, we work with our partners who act as sounding board. Let's share some more questions and solutions...

Branding, Branding, Branding (and BRANDING!)

If you’re taking your brand to a tradeshow for the first time this season, may I state the totally obvious and say, ‘Don’t forget the branding’? It sounds silly, but sometimes at tradeshows I see new brands exhibiting who have clearly decided to go to the show at the last minute, often flattered by an ‘invitation’ from a tradeshow desperate to fill space.

Their booth may well be showing gorgeous clothes, but sometimes the owners have given little or no thought to the branding of their space. How then, are busy buyers supposed to easily remember this brand when looking through the catalogue later (should they even have the time to do this)?

Trade Show Investment – Don’t Hesitate to Negotiate!

As I wandered around some of the tradeshows selling the new collection, I was struck yet again by the number of brands I spoke to who told me they had only decided to exhibit there at the last minute, following an invitation from the show (also known as a sales pitch from the sales team).

While exhibiting at a tradeshow can be a very effective way of boosting sales, taking the plunge like this can have its drawbacks. If you can negotiate with the show, you should be able to get a better deal, resulting in a win-win situation for both of you: they will get repeat business from you and you can make more sales.

London Edge - Never boring! It's SHOW TIME

LONDON EDGE trade show will run from September 3rd to 4th 2017.
Taking place at  the  Business Design Centre, it is the perfect show for those working in alternative Fashion, Street, Punk & Gothic apparel and accessories.

What has been a highlight at London Edge over the years is the ability to create a theatrical presentation for buyers and exhibitors.

Check it out!

Which brands can you discover at London Edge?

It's show time : Pure London ...

Wimbledon’s over, Brexit discussions are getting serious and we’ve all got our sleeves rolled up for buying/selling SS18. 

How are you preparing yourself to set up and grow your business?

Would you like to discuss Retail and Wholesale strategies and action plan with honesty and transparency like you have never seen it before?

If you’re a retailer (or a brand with retail), talk to us about:

Source British - British Brands are heading to the USA

Source British tradeshow, an industry first at the L.A. Fashion Market.

Source British is a new tradeshow taking place alongside shows like Capsule, ALT, Transit, Curve, Coeur, and AXIS during L.A. Fashion Market in the Penthouse at the California Market Center (CMC), 13-14 March 2017.

For the first time ever, British made and designed brands have their own edited space during this long standing event, across categories including apparel, footwear, crafts, accessories, home and gifts.

“The CMC is excited to host Source British, and honored to present the industry with the U.S.'s first tradeshow dedicated to British brands. Source British will join our established shows helping to further position the CMC as a prominent destination for premier fashion and lifestyle brands in Los Angeles,” said Joanne Lee, Senior Vice President of Tradeshows & Marketing at the CMC.

Salon Traffic - A 100% trade show dedicated to the suppliers to the Fashion Industry!

Under the patronage of the FFPAPF (Womens Ready To Wear Federation), Salon Traffic is born and it is the first trade show dedicated 100% to the suppliers of the Fashion and Retail Industries.