MAGIC Pop-Up Event in Orlando - A Recap
By Dane Cohen, Business Development Manager, Management One
This month, MAGIC made a sunny return to the trade show scene with a scaled down pop-up event in Orlando, FL attracting more than 200 vendors and thousands of fashion retailers. The new concept show marks an important milestone; the first in-person fashion trade event for MAGIC’s parent company Informa since the pandemic brought a halt to all live gatherings. Gone was the grandiosity of Las Vegas and in its place emerged a far more intimate B2B commerce experience which skewed heavily towards women’s trend and LA based apparel vendors. Management One was there to experience the action and (finally) interact with the retail community in person! It was important for us to meet with retailers and valued partners again as well as offer support to our friends at Informa.
The show came at a crucial moment as retailers are hungry for newness and fresh inventory to fill their shelves, while brands are eager to introduce new trends and move beyond stale pandemic-era styles. Overall, the mood was bright and optimistic, with steady traffic filling the show floor on Day 1.
“It was great to be back to a show, in-person buying is simply unparalleled to virtual appointments,” noted Sunni Spencer, owner of the namesake women’s advanced contemporary boutique in Tampa. “I would like to see more well-known and quantity of brands at future shows, but having a presentation in Florida was a win!”, she added.
The show attracted an increased turnout of Southern and Southeast based retailers, with many new and first-time attendees joining the market. One group who attended in full force was The Boutique Hub network of brands and retailers, a valued partner of Management One and their signature pink dot was ubiquitous on the show floor. “We saw a healthy appetite for brands to continue to push trends and the community is still thriving despite a seemingly insurmountable year,” said The Boutique Hub’s director of partnerships, James Weiss.
If MAGIC’s Orlando pop-up proved one thing, it is that our retail community remains strong and resilient. In the midst of the race to go digital, this event (and other relaunched regional trade events) signal a refreshing return to live interactions as the industry settles into a new normal. So, while precautions like on-site COVID testing, mandatory masks, and social distanced aisles may allow us to gather; it is the love of product, discovery, and retail that truly brings us together.
Of course, many retailers and buyers will remain understandably hesitant to in-person events, which is why Informa and NuOrder teamed up again to produce their Digital Trade Event to run concurrently with the MAGIC pop-up in Orlando. Retailers can discover unique products through curated digital marketplaces featuring exclusive editorial content and of-the-moment industry insights. Learn more about all of these digital marketplaces featuring women's, men's, and footwear brands and exclusive content running from February 1st through March 16th.