Magic is making a major move to bolster its powerful position in the trade show world.
Informa Exhibitions will announce today that all of the Magic shows will now take place in a single venue, the Las Vegas Convention Center, beginning in August. The experience will be elevated further when the LVCC reveals its much-anticipated $860 million expansion in 2021. (An additional $540 million will be spent on renovations to the current space during the next several years.)
Magic’s shows include FN Platform, Footwear Sourcing at Magic, WWD Magic, Project, The Tents, Magic Men’s, Pool, Children’s Club and several others. FN Platform and WWD Magic have previously been housed in the LVCC, while Project and other key shows have operated in the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.
Mark Temple-Smith, managing director of Informa Exhibitions’ fashion business, said the decision was inspired by the retail malls of Asia, which offer the convenience of everything under one roof in a curated, engaging and community-led way. “Logistically, the move to a single campus means a shift from two venues to one,” Temple-Smith said. “Fundamentally, though, it’s a new perspective and a sharpened commitment to building a singular, powerful experience for our entire industry.”
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The unifying single venue is great news for FN Platform, according to Leslie Gallin, president of footwear at Informa. “It will now offer one-stop shopping for buyers and provide more efficiencies with their time. The ability to cross-shop the marketplace is brilliant. The density of the shows will create so much more excitement.”
Within the LVCC campus, each show will have its own unique neighborhood and personality.
The Magic Las Vegas mobile app, which soft-launches this week, will help buyers navigate the LVCC venue, and a digital concierge service will help them connect with brands efficiently. Other features include matchmaking — which will allow retailers to meet new vendors — and faster event entry.
“This reinvention of Magic — starting with the move to the LVCC in August — and the technology enhancements we’re piloting today is just the first step in a host of new products and initiatives we’re investing in to help our clients meet their rapidly evolving needs,” said Tom Nastos, chief commercial officer of Informa Exhibitions’ fashion business.
The developments come as Informa — the world’s largest business-to-business trade organizer following its purchase of UBM in June 2018 — plans to invest $15 million over the next three years to fuel growth in its fashion portfolio.
The next editions of the FN Platform and the Magic shows are slated for Aug. 12-14 at the LVCC, with the sourcing show set to open Aug. 11. For more information, click here.
While Informa has not yet revealed the new show layouts and locations within LVCC, Gallin said FN Platform vendors will now have the “right adjacencies” with apparel. “It is much more user-friendly,” the executive said.
In the meantime, FN Platform — which is being housed in the North Hall for this week’s edition — has already retooled its show experience. Interactive exhibits, expanded culinary choices and an easy-to-navigate show floor offer attendees a hipper, more engaging event. “We’re hearing great feedback from everyone,” said Gallin.
