New Markets, Domestic markets: When is a good time to do an exhibition/ trade fair/ fashion show?

Over the past 30 years I have exhibited or visited well over 250 trade shows in over 20 countries. I have also had the pleasure wearing different hats at them. As a brand owner exhibiting, as a salesperson selling, in my current company either having a nose around or helping a client. And they include luxury, premium, commercial and even outlet shows and covering most fashion product categories.

Whilst parts of this may not appeal to show organizers, I do think shows are useful at times and to be avoided at all costs (and I mean ￡$€ costs) other times. Like anything this cannot reflect every situation, but it does reflect most. Shows are still important.

Please note: All references to “agents” below also can refer to distributors and or retail partners (for retail brands) too.

I am writing this because in the 100’s of “first call/Skype” I do with a client, the 300 or so Prince’s Trust mentor meetings I have had as well as large retailers entering wholesale, the “Trade Fair” subject inevitably pops up. I haven’t written an article in some time and thought this would make a reasonable subject.

My first comment or warning is if you are unknown in the market where the trade fair is, you have no (well above 5) clients, no agents,?you will not cover the costs of the stand (let alone the price they charge for a bottle of water). The sales person for the show will tell you the opposite “it’s a great place to launch” etc but I can tell you when I walk around a show I can spot the brands that have pitched up and sat there for three days.

Here’s a question brands seldom ask a show organizer: “How many exhibitors have only done this show once?” Naturally you would do it again if it was good. The organisers are not too bothered most of the time as there are usually another lot of brands, revolving door. I would estimate 30% don’t do it again, higher at other times. At a recent show I had not visited for 2 years I would estimate 80% of the brands were not there two years ago, and vice versa, the 80% of brands not there, weren’t. They are usually brands who have pitched up either desperate for sales ( Spanish, Greek brands were typical when they had their crash 5 years ago “UK and US look good economies , lets go there!) or, and I have given this a great deal of thought, why do they go? because there are lots of other brands there, basically everyone else is doing it, I must do it.?

So with the above in mind Launches, especially startups, please avoid it. Even if you have a new agent in say Belgium who is saying lets do a show, my advice is not first season. Agents should get a feel for a new brand, brands should get some feedback, take it slow first season prepare for no sales, hope for enough sales. In that last sentence there is another whole subject I could write “starting, working with new agents”?having seen top brands fail with top agencies and not so good brands excel with a not so good agent. I have seen nearly all variants and experienced some.

Seldom be in a hurry, seldom try force things. I heard a great phrase the other day. Nature never hurries and yet achieves everything. With that in mind if you are considering doing a show go and visit it first. Walk around. Talk to people, the busy, the quiet and the noisy. Don’t ask hows it going, ask “Have you taken any orders?” Which location do you think is best for you and that you can get? (you wont get top location as a newcomer and unknown generally)? Ask yourself why Stand X is busy? Is it a known brand? are there lots of agents on the stand? etc.

But open your eyes. Do you really want to spend ￡$€3000 on a small stand, travel, sample logistics, and more (especially the water) or like Billy big boots ￡$25000 and hotels in many cases.

Look at the average wholesale price of what is being sold there, is your customer there, is it right? I wont say too much on that, customer focus etc as I want to point out the less obvious.

And beware the words of the Exhibition sales staff and promises. Go ask the brands who have turned up, look good and are quiet. I have seen multi million pound/ dollar brands turn up all big as brass and do very little. I have experienced an exhibition salesperson sell a stand at a fair where the average wholesale price is ￡30 to a startup who sells jackets at ￡300 av wholesale price, “this shows perfect for you”. I took that personally, it hurt as she was na?ve lady, which 100% the sales person new, she was supported by a charity I mentor at,?single mother trying to make her way. She got to me too late and was left with debts (behind the smiling face is a large corp with debt collectors and solicitors). But the salesperson got their bonus for sure.

No matter what fashion, cool, trendy words they say…………..they are selling space, square meters and like most real estate, that’s their focus.?Keep the attitude: They are not in the fashion business, see them as landlords, no more (even though some of them are really nice people) you will serve your brand better.

You will likely hear as you visit some shows and speak to brands, as I have hundreds of times and said it myself “yeah, it’s been ok. We had some enquiries, I have some leads to follow up and we had a shop from the Bahamas (always a far flung store will visit you as they are generally as lost as you), and I have some other business cards to go through, (which were left by PR, logistics, factories wanting to make for you.)” That means “I am hugely disappointed having spent all this money and taken no orders.” Simply then ask “will you do it again”?

If you have an agent they are great as they will tell all their customers to come and see your brand before the show, but more important during the show they will know and say hi, sociable etc. and “drag” them through your collection enthusiastically. Agents are friendly people in the main and their customers like them. Especially at the bar/ after party etc. Great memories come to mind. But as I said, don’t go piling in at the say so of an agent to rent a stand first season until you both have a feel. The agent’s priority,?in your first season,?is still the other brands he or she has in the showroom that pay the bills.

Your brand is likely a cost to the agent first season so jointly my advice is don’t add to those costs. And don’t be bullied before signing with an agent that he/ she may not sign if you don’t do a show. “I would prefer you get a feel for the brand first season, I am keen to do shows but not yet”. There are occasions where an agent has a multibrand stand, low cost and they don’t have a showroom, listen but don’t spend more than you are comfortable with.?

Also, if you are offered a stand “cheaper” or subsidized by a Trade Mission, do add up all the costs you will have to pay, travel, food, logistics, etc. beforehand including, you guessed it, how much water you drink.

With larger brands, the classic mistake is the sales team goes to the brand director ( while the accountant is out) and says, “all the top brands are there, it must be good, we must be there.” Again, they don’t see those brands are either already selling in that market or already have 5 regional agents.

?Larger brands generally think they are better than they are and forgot what got them there. A guy who started 5 years ago, she came from a poor background and now only in her domestic market is selling $5m so she is getting about $200k minimum in her pocket, which is great, but he or she begins to feel a bit invincible and wants to conquer foreign lands. Let’s get a big stand, top hotel etc. They forgot the act small think big reconnaissance , go there first, get some agents or at least start with a small stand. One person, one hotel room, meals etc. I have taken more orders on a small stand at a good show in a rubbish location than any other as the time was right, the show was right, and the collection was right.

So, and thanks for your patience, When is a good time to do a show? I will split that in two. First when you have no agents. I was first properly asked this by a leading U.S. brand manager about 7 years ago. I dropped my head in my hands as a pose to think, how do I best answer that? I went back in memory to my first show, another show I did in Dusseldorf and another in Helsinki. Two, my first and Helsinki had one thing in common, they were a success. So I had to think back, why? what precipitated them? : The key thing was I had existing customers there. In my first show I didn’t have agents, but I already had 20 customers, boutiques and independents and most of them started to say “are you doing the London Show”. So that’s a good sign when your existing customers ask if you are doing it. With Helsinki, at the time I had a showroom in Stockholm and used to get about 10 customers per season from Finland. They paved the way to an eventual showroom there.

If you do have agents, to state the obvious by now the best time to show is when you already have approximately 10 customers in the new market and it’s time to build.

So why is that I ask myself? Well think of your body language at an exhibition after 2 days with no customers compared to knowing you will have your existing customers visit. People attract people, so do happy salespeople. Existing customers normally order more in their second season. Existing customers know lots of other buyers and they talk “you should see Brand X”, agents see you busy and enquire. The old snowball.

Now, as you may or may not be aware, I work with brands to get them agents, distributors and for the big guys retail partners. I am also working more and more with large retail brands to start wholesale for wider exposure etc.

So if you are looking at new markets or expanding your domestic??I have introduced Australian brands to New Zealand agents as well as an Israeli brand to an Israeli agency, U.S. brands to multiple European, or as I said you are retail only, not doing any wholesale and want to,?by all means get in touch. I will send my info pack which contains References relevant specifically to “first call/Skype”, references for work done, how I work, who for, current clients and a bit more. It explains I do charge for the “first call” (see Pure Collection quote below).

Do read my website as it is clear what I do: Fashion Compass

Do connect with me on linkedin if you are not already. https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/stephenlaundy/ ??

And please if you got anything from this, like, share comment. Negative feedback will be taken on the chin. And I have the excuse I am not a writer and struggle to put grey matter to paper sometimes:)

Enquire through Linkedin or [email protected] , add your brand link and request for info pack.?

Thank you so much for reading this and hope it saves you a few quid at least and successful orders at best.?

Stephen Laundy. Fashion Compass

“This (call/ Skype) was probably the best ￡75 Pure Collection have ever spent, we talked for 90 minutes”. Richard Levin, head of brand.