Industry News
The Show Miami – Contemporary Concept for an Innovative Fashion Trade Event
by Markus Oess, editor-in-chief in chief FASHION TODAY EUROPE
In an exclusive interview Ivan Herjavec, President of The Show Miami, discussed with Markus Oess, publisher and editor-in-chief of leading European online platform FASHION TODAY, the innovative approach for their upcoming fashion trade show - set to debut in March 2025.
Ivan Herjavec over our Berlin live session elaborates on their unique strategy to integrate social commerce, the reasons behind choosing Miami, and the plans for establishing the show as a premier event in the fashion industry. The Show Miami aims to bridge the gap between wholesale and direct-to-consumer markets, providing a platform for international brands, especially from Germany and Europe, to penetrate the lucrative US market.
Markus Oess: Ivan, another trade show in a time when trade shows are struggling to gain traction and visitor numbers are declining worldwide. What do you plan to do differently?
Ivan Herjavec: Fashion business is evolving and tradeshow organizations should follow the trends. The trends are moving into the closer work with social commerce or direct-to-consumer model and brands need to be closer to influencers’ communities. If they already have collections and are looking to gain new or additional business, they need to participate in events where they will be able to optimize their investments. On the other side, buyers are looking for new and fresh ideas and for the place where they can make better and complete buying. Also, the timing is important as too early tradeshows in the season are not helping buyers in their decisions as they need to analyze their performance once the seasonal sales are over. That’s why we have decided to host The Show Miami in the middle of March instead of January or February.“
M.O.: Can you briefly outline the basic idea of the trade show in two or three sentences?I.H.: The Show Miami will be the best tradeshow or better to call it fashion fair in the US, because it will unite wholesale business with direct-to-consumer promotions to be arranged over show times in collaboration with leading social influence communities. Brands will be able to work with buyers, but also to be promoted by social influencers and that will help them to boost their e-commerce business and increase traffic to their stores. Miami is the perfect destination for this type of fashion fair based on the fact that it connects North and South America and it will host many international brands and attract many buyers from both continents.
M.O.: How much time are you giving yourselves to establish the trade show? One single appearance surely won’t be enough…I.H.: Personally I have been in the fashion business for almost 30 years and was able to learn about all major issues in the industry. When we made a decision to start with The Show Miami, we decided to work closely with Miami Dade County and the cities of Miami and Miami Beach. We work in partnership with local authorities and we very carefully selected the dates, the venue, the format for the event, a manageable target number of exhibitors, and the type of visitors we are addressing with our launch activities. Everything was done to make The Show Miami successful and to go for a long run. Every new edition of The Show Miami can be only better and we are here to be established as the best fashion fair in the world.
M.O.: How are you financing the trade show, and what are the prices for exhibitors?I.H.: The Show Miami is done in partnership with a local authority and a group of partners who not just bring funding, but also large knowledge, experience, and networking. Prices for exhibitors will be at the same level as any other similar tradeshow in the US or Europe. For example, a booth of 20 m² will cost no more than 11.000 USD [10,000 Euro].
M.O.: Why Miami?I.H.: In the last several years Miami became one of the most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities in the US. It is a city that attracted many people who moved there not just from the fashion industry, but in general. Miami is also known as the informal capital of Latin America, which provides a unique position. Art Basel organized in Miami is the best example of a successful global event. The Show Miami is looking for a similar path of success but in the fashion and lifestyle world. Miami has outstanding infrastructure for organizing world-class events and on top, local authority is very pro-business and open-minded. There are many reasons why the City of Miami and I would like to keep this question partially unanswered and let your readers discover more if they visit The Show Miami.
The world is getting smaller and smaller, but opportunities are getting greater and greater.
M.O.: You are dividing the trade show into Advanced Contemporary, Contemporary, Sportswear, Streetwear, and Athleisure. How should I envision this, and what price ranges are you considering?I.H.: The Show Miami is a fashion fair that is open to different styles in fashion design. It is not a question of price positioning, but really about the design attitude. Exhibitors will be showing apparel, footwear, and accessories classified in the mentioned style categories. However, The Show Miami is more focused on premium to high-end price ranges.
M.O.: For the manageable number of exhibitors you refer to, the target is 200 exhibitors and designers. How do you select the exhibitors, and what criteria do you apply?I.H.: It is about diversity, novelty, and quality. We are looking for brands and designers who will understand the opportunity to show their innovations and creativity in communication with social influence communities. Also, for new brands and designers who are aiming to do business in the US, Caribbean, and Latin America and The Show Miami is an ideal platform for this.
M.O.: Have you received any feedback from the market yet, and if so, what kind?I.H.: Feedback is just amazing. Brands and retailers are excited to understand that finally there will be a high-quality show in the US. We are filling a required gap for the contemporary fashion business and bringing something new that was missing not just in Miami, but in the larger part of the US. The fact that Miami is on the east coast of the US, where the majority of the population lives. On top, the magic city is located quite close to the Caribbean and Latin America, which gives an additional special value to the event.
M.O.: For the manageable number of exhibitors you refer to, the target is 200 exhibitors and designers. How do you select the exhibitors, and what criteria do you apply?I.H.: It is about diversity, novelty, and quality. We are looking for brands and designers who will understand the opportunity to show their innovations and creativity in communication with social influence communities. Also, for new brands and designers who are aiming to do business in the US, Caribbean, and Latin America and The Show Miami is an ideal platform for this.
M.O.: Have you received any feedback from the market yet, and if so, what kind?I.H.: Feedback is just amazing. Brands and retailers are excited to understand that finally there will be a high-quality show in the US. We are filling a required gap for the contemporary fashion business and bringing something new that was missing not just in Miami, but in the larger part of the US. The fact that Miami is on the east coast of the US, where the majority of the population lives. On top, the magic city is located quite close to the Caribbean and Latin America, which gives an additional special value to the event.
Ivan Hervajec: “The Show Miami will bring buyers better selection of brands with a better diversity and options.”
Venue for the innovative Fashion Trade Show format: The Miami Beach Convention Center
- M.O.: The trade show targets not only buyers and brands but also directly includes the consumer world. Influencers are supposed to come and also address regular consumers. Why?
- I.H.:The influencers are a main force driving sales in the fashion industry and this cannot be ignored. Brands need influencers in their communication with consumers. Tradeshows cannot be run only for buyers. It is important to have interaction between all stakeholders and this includes influencers.
- M.O.: How far along are you with your social media concept, and what is the current status?
- I.H.: The Show Miami invites global and local social media communities to be a part of the event. This also includes social platforms as they are more and more transforming to e-commerce business models and they are looking for the source of new products.
- M.O.: The US represents a huge market, making it attractive but also challenging for market entry. It takes a lot of time and resources to overcome the threshold to gain visibility. How can the trade show support the process?
- I.H.: The US market is the largest and the most evolving market in the world. The Show Miami enables brands to enter that promising US market, but also those of the Caribbean as well as Latin America. We as the organizers offer outstanding networking where brands can connect not only with buyers and social influencers, but also with other professionals like PR agencies, media companies, and other market experts. It is up to the brands how they will utilize all of the opportunities that The Show Miami offers to them. However, we will support all our exhibitors with communication with all leading buying groups and many independent retailers and will follow up through regular communication with leading global and local fashion media channels.
- M.O.: You have lived in Berlin for a long time and traveled the world. Germans now flock to Florence for Pitti Uomo and long for a strong womenswear trade show. But this applies to Europe. Why should Germans now take the leap across the pond?
- I.H.: The world seems to be getting smaller and smaller, with opportunities getting greater and greater. We bring the “American dream” possibly to German and European brands. They shouldn’t ignore the importance of the US market nor should they be dependent on the European market which continues to slow down. The Show Miami is the most “European” tradeshow in the US, because of its leadership and the selection of brands which will be represented. We know all the pain points which European brands could be facing and we will support them to go through the easiest process of entering the markets across the pond.
The Show Miami – Key DetailsLaunch Date: March 17-19, 2025Location: Miami Beach Convention Center, Miami, FLFocus: Showcasing Autumn/Winter 2025/2026 collections for women and men, shoes, and accessoriesTarget Audience: International brands, buyers, press, influencers, and fashion enthusiastsExhibitors: 200 brands and designers worldwide targetedCategories: Advanced Contemporary, Contemporary, Sportswear, Streetwear, AthleisureSpecial Features: Social media concept with interactive displays and influencer zonesFrequency: Bi-annual (March and September)Goal: Facilitating successful market entry for international brands, particularly from Germany and Europe, into the US market.
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