A major U.S. fashion trade show organizer is hopeful for the return of in-person events.
Informa Markets Fashion, the producer of Magic, Coterie, Project, Micam Americas and Sourcing at Magic, announced Thursday its preliminary event schedule for 2021. Offering the fashion industry a hybrid event model, Informa will launch its second edition of a digital marketplace event in January, followed by a new in-person event format in February.
The first-ever Magic Pop Up Orlando is set to take place Feb. 9-11, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla., bringing together a diverse group of brands traditionally found at WWDMagic, Stitch, Project Womens and Micam Americas. Aimed at U.S. big box, online, specialty and boutique retail buyers, the intimate, appointment-driven event will showcase women’s trend and contemporary apparel, accessories and footwear, as well as select men’s wear brands.
Informa asserts that Magic Pop Up Orlando will feature limited capacity and will be 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.
Attendees can expect temperature screenings at entry, mask and physical distancing requirements and 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,” said Kelly Helfman, Informa Markets Fashion commercial president.
Synergistically with February’s live event, Informa Markets Fashion will return with a second edition of online events in partnership with B2B e-commerce platform NuOrder, giving brands and retailers more opportunities to connect digitally.
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The digital event will launch with the men’s wear show Project Digital and footwear event Micam Americas Digital on Jan. 19, followed by Magic Digital on Feb. 1 and Coterie Digital on Feb. 16. Each online event will run for approximately one month. Sourcing at Magic Online, which is hosted through a separate, proprietary platform, will also return with its online event, launching on March 1 and running through May 1.
Informa Markets Fashion is still exploring the potential for additional, larger scale marketplaces to be included in its 2021 lineup. In the second half of the year, it plans to return with its pillar larger-scale events in Las Vegas and New York. Magic Las Vegas, which includes WWDMagic, Project, Project Womens, Magic Men’s, Micam Americas and Sourcing at Magic, is scheduled for Aug. 9-11, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Coterie is on deck to take place Sept. 19-21 at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
Further details on August and September events will be released closer to the marketplace dates, along with the 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,” Helfman said. “Our aim is to offer a scaled and symbiotic approach in order to convene and help rebuild the fashion wholesale community in 2021.”