The coronavirus pandemic, or rather the fallout from it, continues to tighten its grip on the trade show landscape. As a result, processes, concepts, plans and even some companies’ corporate structures need to be revised and reconfigured.
Digital, virtual and online; these three terms are by no means new, but since mid-March 2020, they have been more omnipresent than ever. This accelerated digitization is also being felt in the fashion industry. Store closures, supply chain disruptions and shifting consumer interests are forcing companies to take things up a notch or two because e-commerce is no longer a mere nice to have, but a must-have. While online channels were previously seen as a complement to brick-and-mortar retail, they are now moving to the fore.
The exhibitors of Neonyt, the global hub for fashion, sustainability and innovation, have a leading edge when it comes to innovative online solutions. From the online retail platform that only stocks sustainable labels and creates personalized styles using AI, to the standardized database that transparently lists the most important fashion brands and their contribution to a fair and sustainable industry, the whole spectrum is covered.
Collaboration is key
In times of travel restrictions and social distancing, the organizers of Neonyt also had to come up with a plan B for the show’s sustainable community. How do you hold a trade show when the legal measures in place don’t allow it? Here, too, the answer is: digital, virtual and online.
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“To meet the needs of our exhibitors, we have decided to cooperate with B2B online marketplaces The Brand Show Circular and Joor for summer 2020,” said Thimo Schwenzfeier, show director of Neonyt. “There are already countless approaches to hosting virtual events and showrooms right now. So following an in-depth review of the situation, we therefore decided that it makes more sense not to develop yet another solution for that ourselves, but to trust the expertise of well-known industry partners instead.”
This gives exhibitors the opportunity to position themselves at discounted rates and in an international order context with Neonyt’s two preferred partners, and to look ahead to the time after the virus.
During the virtual “Neonyt On Air” taking place from July 13 to 17, fashion and digital experts will be discussing innovative topics related to business, lifestyle and knowledge in panel talks and live interviews. Plus, the initiators of Frankfurt Fashion Week—Messe Frankfurt and the Premium Group—will be letting attendees in on what summer 2021 has in store.
No registration is required to participate in “Neonyt on Air.” The full line-up is available on the @neonyt.berlin Instagram profile, and will also soon be found on the neonyt.com website.
All change from summer 2021
When Fashion Week moves from Berlin to Frankfurt in summer 2021, the entire German fashion industry will be looking beyond the horizon toward a post-pandemic future. On Monday, June 8, Messe Frankfurt and co-initiator Premium Group, along with the City of Frankfurt and the State of Hesse as hosts, revealed the well-kept secret surrounding Frankfurt Fashion Week in an online press conference.
“Many different worlds collide in Frankfurt: from modern skyscrapers to cozy apple wine taverns, the whole scene comes together in this compact metropolis. And that is precisely what gives the city its charm and makes it predestined for this new business venture,” said Detlef Braun, member of the executive board of Messe Frankfurt.
Forming the heart of Frankfurt Fashion Week are the leading fashion fairs as guest events: PREMIUM, Europe’s most relevant business platform for advanced women’s and menswear; SEEK, one of the most progressive trade shows for contemporary fashion; and NEONYT, the leading hub for fashion in a sustainable context. Together with the Fashionsustain and Fashiontech conferences, they round off the constellation kicking things off in Frankfurt.
From summer 2021, Frankfurt’s exhibition grounds will therefore become the focal point for five platforms, three trade shows, two conferences, and more than 2,000 designers, brands and fashion companies. And digitization will again play a decisive role. “Applied Sustainability” and “Applied Digitization” are the two strategic pillars of Frankfurt Fashion Week, during which technology leaders will meet sustainability experts and come together to drive forward change in the fashion industry. Frankfurt Fashion Week is positioning itself as a source of inspiration for a digital fashion culture and a more sustainable way of doing business.
“No other city in the world can boast so much expertise in textile exhibitions,” said Olaf Schmidt, vice president of textiles and textile technology at Messe Frankfurt, noting that he is delighted that the event will be a home fixture. “Frankfurt Fashion Week will enable us to fully play to our textile strengths gained from over 50 textile trade shows worldwide, to spark a firework of inspiration and to create new synergies along the entire value chain,” he added. And organizing Neonyt at home in Frankfurt from next summer is sure to serve as icing on the fashion cake.
Click here to learn more about Neonyt.