MAGIC Market Week comes to Vegas for its semi-annual trade show

Taking a break from its normal party-enthused audience, Las Vegas attracted an interesting crowd this past week. From August 17 to 19, Las Vegas was filled with fashion buyers perusing through potential new brands. UBM Advanstar, owner of the Magic Marketplace and Project, hosted the semi-annual fashion trade show MAGIC Market Week.

Buyers attend semi-annual MAGIC trade show

The new tradeshow did the flip-around on its classic layout. Instead of expecting the shows, booths, and projects to be at their usual spot, UBM Advanstar renamed and relocated most of its traditional shows. ENKVegas was renamed Project Women’s. Sourcing at MAGIC moved from the South Hall to the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. The Pooltradeshow was re-located to an area next to Project in the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Outside of those convention centers, buyers were able to experience other shows at different venues. The Venetian and the Sands Expo and Convention Center also hosted shows such as Liberty Fashion & Lifestyle Fairs, Agenda, Capsule, Stitch, Offprice, and more. Overall the shows included in MAGIC Market Week were WWDMAGIC, Project Las Vegas, Project Womens, FN Platform, The Tents, Pooltradeshow, WSA@Magic, Sourcing at Magic, The Collective, Curvenv@MAGIC, and Playground.

Although the shows were rearranged in a different manner, the market week itself may have not had as much traffic. According to Apparel News, in the past the shows were more staggered than usual. The Mandalay Bay Convention Center would open a day or two before the shows at the Las Vegas Convention Center creating more space between the shows. “Sales were up at least 20 percent for all brands,” Bryn Thomas, head of sales for Los Angeles-based Lip Service, told Apparel News.

Shows are re-arranged in a new layout at the Convention Center

Including every facet of retail fashion from manufacturing to buyers, Las Vegas did attract big names in fashion. The tradeshow is known as the world’s largest fashion marketplace that is comprised of unique fashion communities. Brands vary from advanced contemporary, luxury brands to fast-fashion retailers ranging from swimwear, sleepwear, lingerie, contemporary, womenswear, and more. According to Apparel News, Chris Josol of Los Angeles-based Flagship, said buyers attended the show from Urban Outfitters, Need Supply Co., and Nordstrom. “People come to Vegas to finalize their orders,” Josol told the publication. Overall, buyers come from all over to check out new apparel for their retailers. Currently, MAGIC receives over 200 million dollars in orders written daily, according to the company.

The semi-annual market week pops up in Vegas in the months of February and August. MAGIC itself is headquartered in Santa Monica and has been an established trade show since its inauguration in 1933 by the Men’s Apparel Guild in California. Exhibitor categories include designer, contemporary, casual, young men’s streetwear, women’s and more.