MAGIC is merging its shows.
The trade show’s producer, Informa Exhibitions’ said Wednesday that it will consolidate all shows at one location, the Las Vegas Convention Center, starting with the next show in August. Now, all shows will exist as “curated neighborhoods within one single campus” Informa said. The move is part of the organizers’ effort to “reinvent itself” and improve the show experience.
The February edition of the MAGIC trade show wrapped Thursday marking the last time the show splits time between the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Previously, attendees that wished to visit both shows needed to travel the five miles between the two locations via their own methods or on one of MAGIC’s complimentary shuttles.
“We were inspired by the retail malls of Asia which offer the convenience of everything under one roof in a heavily curated, engaging and community-led way,” Mark Temple-Smith, managing director of Informa Exhibitions’ Fashion business said. “Logistically, the move to a single campus means a shift from two venues to one. Fundamentally, though, it’s a new perspective and a sharpened commitment to building a singular, powerful experience for our entire industry.”
The venue change will also coincide with the release of Informa’s “One-MAGIC” mobile app, which the company says had a soft launch during the first show this year. The app will make the show “mobile-powered,” according to Informa, and allow each “neighborhood” to stand out while being interconnected under one platform. The app will also assist buyers in navigation and will include a “digital concierge service” that can help make connections with brands. Additional features include expedited event entry and a program that can match buyers with brands they might not have been aware of.
The Las Vegas Convention Center is also currently undergoing renovations that Informa says will make it one of the most technologically advanced convention centers in the world. Those renovations are slated for completion by 2021, at which time the company’s plans for the space will be finalized.
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“Informa truly believes in the future of transformative fashion events and has committed to investing in our continued effort to enhance and define the fashion industry,” Tom Nastos, CMO of Informa Exhibitions’ fashion business said. “This re-invention of MAGIC, starting with the move to the LVCC in August, and the technology enhancements we’re piloting today, is just the first step in a host of new products and initiatives we’re investing in to help our clients meet their rapidly evolving needs.”
The change was the result of buyer feedback, Informa said, and had been on the mind’s of its executive leadership for some time. In February of 2016, Tony Calanca, executive vice president of exhibitions for UBM Advanstar (a formerly separate company that managed the show at the time), told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that “bigger was better” for the show and that the organization “would really like to be at one location.”