Informa Markets Fashion, organizer of MICAM Americas, Magic, Coterie, and Project trade shows will pursue a hybrid event model in 2021, beginning in January with a second edition of digital marketplace events, while also reintroducing live events, starting with a new format: Magic Pop Up Orlando, Feb. 9-11, at the Orange County Convention Center.
Bringing together a diverse group of brands traditionally found at WWDMagic, Stitch and Project and MICAM Americas shows, the limited capacity, appointment-driven Florida event will showcase women’s trend and contemporary apparel, accessories and footwear, as well as select menswear brands. With safety at the forefront of merchandising and event execution, the show will feature a limited footprint of buyers and brands guided by Informa AllSecure, a detailed protocol of measures developed collaboratively with industry associations, event organizers and venues, along with input from health, government and local authorities in order to provide the highest levels of hygiene and safety.
“The safety and wellbeing of our guests is at the forefront of our in-person event planning,” states Kelly Helfman, commercial president of Informa Markets Fashion. “All Informa Markets events around the world, regardless of format or location, follow Informa AllSecure protocol. Therefore, attendees can expect temperature screenings at entry, mask and physical distancing requirements as directed by local and government guidance both on the show floor and in public spaces, as well as continuous sanitization and deep cleaning measures. These are just a few of the rigorous protocols that will be followed to keep our guests safe and give them the peace-of-mind that we are carefully and considerately presenting our events this season, including Magic Pop Up Orlando, as well all future physical events in 2021.”
As for the virtual shows, Informa Markets Fashion will once again partner with B2B ecommerce platform NuORDER. Project Digital, a menswear marketplace, will launch Jan. 19 and run through Feb. 15, 2021. MICAM Americas Digital will also launch on Jan. 19 and run through Mar. 16, 2021. Magic Digital, the women’s young contemporary and trend marketplace, will launch on Feb. 1 and run through Mar. 1, 2021, and Coterie Digital will run Feb. 16 through Mar. 16, 2021. Sourcing at Magic Online, hosted through a separate, proprietary platform, will run Mar. 1, 2021 through May 1, 2021.
Informa Markets plans to go back to in-person shows in the second half of the year in Las Vegas and New York. Magic and MICAM Americas and Sourcing at magic shows are scheduled for Aug. 9-11, 2021 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Coterie will take place Sept. 19-21, 2021 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.
Informa Markets Fashion is exploring the potential for additional, larger scale marketplaces to be included in its 2021 lineup, while announcements on additional curated, intimate event opportunities will be shared in the coming months. Further details on MAGIC’s August event and Coterie‘s September events will be released closer to the marketplace dates, along with announcement of second half 2021 digital marketplace opportunities.
“For the fashion industry, it’s about interacting with materials and the tactile experience that is greatly missed—a sentiment that has been shared directly with us by our customers and what drives the want and need for a return to live events in 2021,” says Helfman. “Our aim is to offer a scaled and symbiotic approach in order to convene and help rebuild the fashion wholesale community in 2021. In addition to evolving our digital product offering, our approach will be a phased reintroduction of physical events in a slow and thoughtful manner, as this will allow us to ensure maximum safety while delivering the much-needed opportunities for the industry to come together in key markets in 2021.”
Back to Vegas, baby—next August, says Informa Markets. (Photo: Instock)
