Hi everyone,
Last month has been a huge leap for our little brand. We decided to participate at two major industry trade shows in Las Vegas and in New York. For those of you who dont know much about trade shows, they are a huge gathering of buyers, press, designers from all over the country. There is good exposure, good contacts and sales that may not have happened otherwise.
This industry gathering obviously requires a lot of prep. To start, the money invested is pretty high. Be ready for a 5K investment/show which would include fees, booth setup, and even small things like hangars. This means you must be sure of the show you are participating in will give returns. Visit all if possible and ensure you understand the layout and the feel of the designers and attendees. Trade show venues charge for everything, I had to pay $95 just to have an outlet in our booth in Las Vegas. They will invite you to do promos (which obviously cost more)like being on a TV network or having a display, so pick and chose well.
Once you have chosen your show, you may need to apply to get in. Ensure your samples are ready and return shipping is paid for when you send everything to the committee. Usually the response is quick and I did not have any issues with samples that were returned. Once accepted, start prepping for the show including mailing lists, booth setup and selling.
Booth setup is another aspect that needs to be carefully thought through prior to show. You only have a few hours to set everything the day before. We planned our layout, furniture, fabrics etc for weeks prior to the show. Also be ready to improvise once at the venue, lot of things will seem different when you are there in person. The key is to make it inviting, open, and ensure there is adequate clothing that will catch buyers eye and make them stop and come in. A lot of buyers will walk by and if they see something they like will stop and pick a card or at least give feedback.
Last, but not the least, the selling process. This one is tougher than you think. I experienced that if we were too aggressive, buyers did not like it and avoided coming in. If we let them take their time reviewing the clothing from afar, we had a better chance of getting them in the booth. We also observed a lot of experienced salespeople around us and it helped us learn a lot. Take notes when you are sitting idle, which will happen for periods of time Also, ensure you wear your own clothes. Lot of people may talk to you when you are walking around the exhibition hall, it is key to always be ready to sell.
Attached are some of our pics of the booth in Vegas and NYC. It was a fantastic experience and we created great wholesale accounts and met good showrooms who will be taking our line further into the wholesale industry.
