A whiff of sea air helps put the trade in a positive frame of find for SS ’10
Published: 11 February, 2010
It would seem from the first responses to the recent Blackpool Show, staged at the Imperial Hotel in the North Shore of the famous seaside town that we footwear types definitely do like to be beside the seaside, even in the middle of January. Visitors and exhibitors alike were pleased with the new format and the new venue.
From the moment the doors of the Imperial opened on the Saturday right through to close of play on Monday evening, there was a very positive buzz running through the whole event with exhibitors reporting healthy order books and retailers showing confidence in the new ranges on show. So much so that plans are afoot to hold it twice a year with a summer show pencilled in to take place pre Moda.
Conrad Dempsey co-organiser and Director of Jay Bill said “We took a calculated risk in altering the format of the show, but everyone seems very pleased with the changes and more importantly the results. From choosing to use a single venue and increasing the level of promotion with a ‘pull out preview’ in Footwear Today - planned and co-ordinated by our marketing team - to the willingness from all exhibitors to give the idea a go, has combined to make for a really good start to the year.” This sentiment was widely felt; and all the exhibitors we spoke to showing here were left in a positive frame of mind for the run up to Moda.
The event itself had a very personal feel about it, helped by the choice of venue and the free bar. The red brick Victorian grandeur of The Imperial Hotel made for an excellent setting and once inside layout made it easy to find all the exhibitors. It was not the vast, overwhelming, sea of exhibition stands you get at the bigger more formal shows - which provide a comprehensive industry snapshot and allow a great deal of design ground to be covered by buyers in a short period of time, but can, as a result, feel rather impersonal - it was instead a place where business could be done with serious players in the industry, but in a less intense atmosphere.
Blackpool has re-established a niche within the exhibition calendar by focussing on not just the product on sale, but also the building of good business relationships. In addition its timing allows exhibitors to preview ranges ahead of the main shows to gauge likely reactions to their new designs. John Proctor from Wide fit specialists E. Sutton & Son said: “Blackpool has been an important date in our show calendar for quite a few years. The changes for this season have made a positive difference to our pre Moda orders and have given us great confidence that our new designs are on the right track for a positive showing at Moda”.
Ian Haworth of Haworth Footwear in Rossendale commented: “It was a very good show and was well worth attending. I’m sure that when word gets around, we will have even more visitors at the summer show.”
Mr. Harman from Beta Shoes described the show as a “success” thanked all customers who spent time travelling to Blackpool: “We have displayed a stunning Spring Summer 2010 range and can confidently claim that the Blackpool show was a success,” he said.
Andrew Morris of Jacobson Group commented: “An upbeat, fresh vibe was evident at the Blackpool show, which can definitely be attributed to the fact that all suppliers were under one roof at the Imperial Hotel. It was also apparent that footfall was much improved and many customers remarked that the Blackpool show experience was far more sociable and convenient than previous seasons”.
Emma Hargreaves of LJ&R Footwear concludes: The Blackpool show is well and truly back! What a fantastic venue the Imperial proved to be, increasing the attendance on last year by ten fold. I think Blackpool is definitely a show buyers must attend; it’s the first chance to preview styles and trends for Spring/Summer. What a Success!”
So, as we appear to be finally coming out the other end of this recession, there appears to be a rising tide of optimism and confidence returning to the industry, certainly judging by the feedback from this show. And, with talk of two Blackpool shows a year, it looks like an event that had taken a back seat in recent years is on its way to the (sea) front once more.
