GDS hosted its 123rd and final edition in the Düsseldorf, Germany last week. The show closed out with 600 exhibitors and a series of trend talks.
During a press conference on the first day of the trade show Kirstin Deutelmoser, Director of GDS and tag it!, reflected on GDS’ best days and the changes that are currently taking place in the global footwear market.
“Around the turn of the millennium GDS had the most visitors. People came to Düsseldorf to discover the new collections and—just as important—to network. But over the past few years the world started to turn faster. New players entered the market. The retail sector experienced constant change. And since trade shows are also always reflections of the market, this extreme dynamism within the footwear sector also impacted GDS,” Deutelmoser said.
Igedo Company will take over the show and reintroduce it in August 2017 as Gallery Shoes. The revamped show will take place in a new location, the Areal Böhler in in Düsseldorf.
“To create something new you have to be free of existing structures and traditions,” Deutelmoser added. “This is why we will hand over the shoe trade show after this GDS to the Igedo Company thereby enabling a complete re-start with completely new structures and signals. I thank all of those who have accompanied and supported us over so many decades—especially our customers, exhibitors and visitors, the many partners of GDS and my great team.”