Summer is known for unforgettable events and new challenges. If you are an entrepreneur you may want to make attending a trade show part of your summer plans. According to TSNN, 67% of all attendees represent a new prospect and potential customer for exhibiting companies.
Trade shows offer manufacturers, designers, and brands a curated environment to display their products to current and prospective buyers. For emerging designers and small brands, trade markets are a major opportunity to display one’s collection, interact with customers, network with industry experts, and connect with manufacturers and fabric suppliers.
More than 100 million people attend the nearly 15,000 trade shows each year across the United States. Here’s a curated list of the top trade shows we recommend attending this summer:
1. MAGIC
→ Las Vegas, NV
MAGIC is the world’s largest fashion marketplace, comprised of ten unique communities showcasing the latest in apparel, footwear, accessories, and manufacturing.
→ WWD MAGIC – August 15-17, 2016, Las Vegas Convention Center, NV: Fashion’s most comprehensive collection of women’s apparel, accessories, and footwear, WWDMAGIC showcases more than 2,000 emerging to established labels across every price point and trend. Presented in collaboration with Women’s Wear Daily, WWDMAGIC features expert fashion forecasts, exclusive networking events, cutting-edge seminars and all the styles of the season.
→ SOURCING at MAGIC – August 14-17, 2016, Las Vegas Convention Center, NV: SOURCING at MAGIC is the network of fashion. This one-of-a-kind convergence of fashion’s global supply chain connects established and emerging brands to an unparalleled network of manufacturers, materials, technology, logistic solutions, and talent. From emerging technology to trending patterns, colors, and materials; a venture through SOURCING at MAGIC demonstrates where fashion is heading and connects designers with the players to set their brand apart.
2. PROJECT
→ July 17-19, 2016, Jacob Javits Center, New York
PROJECT in New York is held twice annually, in January and July and offers an intimate buying experience for the contemporary menswear market. With three unique communities featuring men’s apparel, footwear, and accessories; retailers from around the globe gather to shop this menswear destination of inspiration and elevation.
3. TexWorld USA
→ July 12-14, 2016, New York, NY
Texworld USA is a dynamic industry event bringing together apparel textile suppliers and buyers. Designers can connect directly with fabric manufacturers in the US market offering a wide array of fabrics of high creativity and an excellent price / quality relationship. Designers can discover textiles of innovative structures, material mixes, and surprising colors.
4. Capsule
- → S/S 2017 LAS VEGAS MEN’S & WOMEN’S – July 15-17, 2016, Las Vegas, NV
- → S/S 2017 NEW YORK MEN’S – July 10-12, 2016, NY, NY
- → S/S 2017 NEW YORK WOMEN’S RTW – September 17-19, 2016, NY, NY
Capsule is the fashion and lifestyle trade event that fuses the best high-end, progressive brands and directional, independent designers. The show is small and intimate while known for its global curation of the world’s most directional designers.
5. Agenda
→ June 29-30, 2016, Long Beach
→ July 18-19, 2016, Miami
→ August 15-17, 2016, Las Vegas
Agenda is the most diverse and creative lifestyle fashion trade show in the world. Agenda is a level playing field. The exhibitors are diverse in scale, but they are all treated equally. The show serves as a conduit between brands and buyers, from core to corporate. Buyers, brands, investors, distributors, and media hail from around the globe, gathering at Agenda to build partnerships, participate in the community, and grow their businesses.
6. Coast
→ July 18-19, 2016, Miami, FL
Coast continues to offer the latest trends, serving as a gateway to bridging international designers and retailers. Fusing together shores from around the globe, Coast is becoming a permanent driving force in the world of fashion. The show’s intimate setting allows exhibitors to work closely with buyers, enabling a more personalized service.
7. Kingpins
→ May 11-12, 2016, New York, NY
Kingpins is an invitation-only trade show with a highly-edited selection of vendors that include denim and sportswear fabric mills from the U.S., as well as overseas suppliers. Designers will have the chance to connect with wash houses, full package manufacturers, and trim providers.
8. AmericasMart Atlanta Apparel
→ July 12-19, 2016, AmericasMart, Atlanta
AmericasMart Atlanta is the premier product destination in the center of a global crossroads — the nation’s leading gift, home furnishings, apparel, and area rug marketplace.
9. Premiere Vision
→ April 12-13, 2016, Metropolitan Pavillion, New York
Located in NYC, Premiere Vision offers an extensive selection of fabrics, trims, and materials. Premiere is a one of a kind fashion event providing a chance to introduce the new spring collection designs to the best mills. The leading players in the fashion industry come together to showcase their latest designs and styles to a large customer base. Detailed discussions provide a look into economic strategies and future plans of the textile industry. This event offers the very best in terms of creativity and quality from the stalwarts of the fashion and textile industry.
10. Designer and Agents
→ June 6-8, Los Angeles, CA
→ September 17-19, New York, New York
Designers and Agents is an independent, international trade fair for hundreds of collections and thousands of retailers who define the direction in fashion and lifestyle. D&A features brands from the United States, Europe, Japan, and around the World that are the influencers in the advanced contemporary market, the segment of the women’s market that continues to experience consistent growth.
11. DG Expo
→ June 15-16, 2016, Dallas, Texas
→ August 3-4, 2016, New York, NY
DG Expo is a great place to find resources who work with small growing companies. The expo features a two-day textile and trimmings exhibit for designers, small manufacturers (producing apparel, accessories, home furnishings, other sewn products), plus private label retailers and fabric stores. Exhibitors are wholesale suppliers who have low minimums, and in-stock fabric and trims. The expo also hosts seminars focused on business Growth and profitability as well as textile classes.
12. Dallas Apparel & Accessories Market
→ April 30-May 2, 2016 Dallas, Texas
The Dallas Apparel & Accessories Market exhibits apparel and accessories in numerous categories from fashion accessories for children and infants, shoes, socks and hosiery for children, outwear, sleepwear, sportswear, swim wear for children, decorative pillows, pottery, sculptures, wall decor, tapestries, sunglasses, jewelry, watches, accessories for women, belts sand leather goods, scarves, gloves, hats, wraps, and dresses for men.
13. Moda
- → May 2-4, 2016, Jacob Javits Center, New York
- → July 31-August 2, Jacobs Javits Center, New York
Moda is an upscale trade event providing a concise mix of carefully juried modern contemporary ready-to-wear collections and showcases some of the most desired names in the industry today. Designers are able to conduct business with their better customers and prospects from around the globe in a refined and elegant environment while giving retailers the opportunity to discover everything from the latest trends to updated classics.
14. STYLEMAX
→ August 7-9, 2016, Merchandise Mart, Chicago
STYLEMAX is the leading women’s apparel and accessory trade show running 4 times per year at the Merchandise Mart, in Chicago. Each season the show hosts an extensive array of exhibitors from various categories such as: Holiday, Resort, Spring Preview and more.
15. Fame
→ May 2-4, 2016, New York, NY
Fame is the Junior/Young Contemporary show where retailers discover the best quality resources at great margins. It is all encompassed by an upbeat vibe generating the most positive and productive marketplace possible. Footwear flourishes on the show floor to complete the season’s must-have looks in this one-stop shopping environment. Fun, fresh and exciting – this is a marketplace full of fast fashion and cool trends.
16. ENK INTERNATIONAL
ENK International orchestrates a series of trade exhibitions in New York City and Las Vegas that include nearly 10,000 design companies.
→ Intermezzo Collection – May 2-4, 2016, New York, NY
The perfect opportunity between the major women’s fashion markets for designers to showcase their collections and for retailers to discover and shop the current trends in all ready to wear classifications – contemporary, active wear, casual, denim, bridge, and evening.
→ Accessorie Circuit – May 2-4, 2016, New York, NY
Circuit is a comprehensive women’s accessory and footwear exhibition featuring designer and fine jewelry, handbags, footwear, scarves, belts and gift items. Circuit is held 3 times a year during the January, April, and August NYC market weeks and runs concurrently with ENK’s Intermezzo Collections.
