Informa Cancels September Magic Trade Show Events in Las Vegas

Jennie Bell
·3 min read

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Trade show organizer Informa Markets Fashion today announced that it will cancel its Magic trade show events planned for Las Vegas in September, citing uncertainties related to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Based on our discussions with partners and stakeholders surrounding health, safety and travel concerns across the country, cancelling our late September Las Vegas event, while disappointing, is the best path forward for our fashion community,” said Nancy Walsh, president of Informa Markets Fashion, in a statement.

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The Magic shows, which include WWDMagic, Project, Micam Americas and Sourcing @ Magic, had already been rescheduled due to the COVID-19 outbreak and were slated to take place Sept. 30-Oct. 2 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The parent company said it will now focus its efforts around its previously announced virtual marketplace, the digital trade event, which is being developed in partnership with NuOrder.

“Current climate aside, reevaluating, readjusting and continually maturing our business model has always been part of our company ethos,” said Walsh. “Our digital trade event is a natural and necessary first step in revolutionizing and innovating our business in a time that is primed for digital opportunity and outlets.”

According to the company, the digital trade event, which will run from Sept. 1-Nov. 1, will feature new and known brands across women’s, men’s and children’s apparel, accessories and footwear. And as with the live event, it will include a lineup of educational programming and seminars.

Kelly Helfman, president of WWD Magic, Project Womens, Micam Americas and Sourcing at Magic, appeared earlier this week in an FN Live virtual roundtable about the future of trade shows. Speaking on the role of digital, she commented, “Our job is to convene the market, and if we can’t do that physically, we’re definitely going to do that digitally. … If you’re a buyer and you register for this platform, we’re going to be doing a lot of great work with influencers. We’re going to curate a ton of content. So what makes it different from any B2B order-writing platform is the content, how we’re going to supply education.”

In addition, Informa last week announced that its Coterie fashion events in New York would not proceed in-person. Those shows, which include Project and Children’s Club, will also be a part of the digital trade event.

To help brands prepare for their virtual presentations, Informa is hosting weekly webinar training sessions to introduce the NuOrder technology. Each hour-long session features a comprehensive tutorial demonstrating platform functionalities and capabilities, followed by a live audience Q&A.

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