Takeaways from Texworld 2024

When I was a little girl, my number one dream was to be a fashion designer. My parents took me into the garment district on trips for birthdays, sent me to summer camp at FIT, and drove me to the craft store for fabric whenever I wanted, fueling the fire that was my passion.?

Years have gone by and my goals have changed–but I’ve hung on to that love for design, and thankfully get to create costumes on a regular basis for my adventures in burlesque.

I was so excited to see that Texworld NYC was happening this month, in my backyard no less! I knew that I had to go to check it out for myself, and marry my love of the Events world with my magpie-like love of beautiful fabrics and trinkets.

After being in the Trade Show world for a little over two years, it took me a longer time than most to venture out to the Javits center, but on this chilly Tuesday morning, I made the journey. Fueled by coffee, I met Dan at Penn station, and relieved childhood memories of going to visit family at work via the Hudson Yards station.

There was a mix of industries in the building, but we beelined right to Texworld (stopping to gawk at the life sized shark that the NY Boat Show was flaunting–I love a photo op, but was on a mission).?

On a starting note for some true thoughts on the show–check in was seamless.

I was emailed a few days ahead of the show with a reminder to download the app and log in. The exhibitor guide, show schedule, and my badge were all loaded right onto my phone, allowing us to skip the check in station and simply scan into the floor–free of clumsy papers and standing in lines.

I am always in favor of making it digital, especially as someone who has trouble refusing handouts, and often has a small purse along with me.

First impressions upon entering the show was the uniformity of the booths, most 10x10s, with the special handful of islands towards the center and back.

White backdrops, uniform rental tables and chairs, and small banners lauding the company names and locations, set up differently at each exhibitor's whim. The true showstopper was the product featured in each booth–hangars and rows full of swatches, samples, and sparkles.?

The juxtaposition of the textiles with the minimalism of the booth is a double edged sword.

On one hand, the product can truly speak for itself. No fighting against clashing colors or clutter. On the other hand, it is nearly impossible to tell one booth's offerings from another, and making a choice on who to approach is turned into a moral quandary.

Removing individuality should level the playing field, but just ends up making it harder for people to navigate the floor.?

The booths that did stand out were ones that were given the budget blessing of a larger floor plan, and ones that dared to dip their toes into the world of technology.

When you consider how the fashion world is built on the idea of immersion and showcasing, I’d expect more of the sort.

A select few booths used screens to showcase videos of their products in garment form (every fabric falls differently!), yet were missing some of the fineness that would have made it a truly wow-ing experience.

Landscape videos were shared on portrait screens, displays were placed behind tables and people–blocked from view, and none of them were clearly discernible as something you could interact with.

I did spend quite a lot of my time on the floor running my fingers through fabric, and snagging pictures to analyze with the team. There was so much happening in a condensed space, but it felt like each booth was its own little world, something I appreciated.

Being able to float from section to section and feel like I was apart from the crowd created an air of exclusivity that is key to events like these, allowing customers to feel comfortable even while others are wheeling and dealing all around you.

However, there was a tangible lack of information when it came to the swatches and samples–if I was displaying my product, I would want people to be able to educate themselves enough to have interest from a few feet away.

No catalogs or info sheets were easily accessible to the aisle, let alone guides displaying the differences from one manufacturer to another.?

Now I’m not going to be a total Debbie downer–I understand that this industry is heavily based around conversations and relationships. But what I fail to understand is why exhibitors would want to miss out on the formation of new relationships.

Most booths do not display enough information to independently support sales teams while they are engaged in a conversation, and you can’t expect someone to wait ten minutes in front of you talking to a competitor.

I wish in a show full of such wonderful examples of tangible products, that more would have been done to show it off.

Too many exhibitors are limited by a fear of overinvesting in their booth, but don’t realize that the ROI from being unique is going to be unmatched.

The amount of conversations I saw taking place was amazing, but I can only wonder if even more could take place after the show if attendees were able to leave feeling like they were able to self-educate to decision-make at a later date.

If you ask me, every exhibitor needs to take a storytelling course.

From the potential of materials and product applications, to expanding sales with self guided client education, every brand on the floor should be using technology to connect with customers.

There was so much to be said at Texworld, yet I left feeling like I was leaving behind too many thoughts in the folds of the fabric.