A Little More MAGIC - Attendees, Exhibitors, Space All Up

February 19, 2012

Although the retail industry hasn’t fully recovered from the gloom and doom of recent years, there were green shoots of promise growing at Advanstar Communications’ MAGIC Marketplace, the world’s largest trade show for the fashion industry.

Held at the Las Vegas Convention Center and Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino Feb. 13-15, the biannual behemoth draws global buyers and sellers of the latest trends in men’s, women’s and children’s apparel, footwear, accessories and sourcing resources.

Show representatives were unable to release attendance figures by press time, but expectations were for the event’s attendance to be well above February 2011 participation, when more than 60,000 attendees converged at the show, according to Chris DeMoulin, MAGIC International president and executive vice president of Advanstar’s Fashion Group.

This year, MAGIC attracted approximately 3,800 exhibitors occupying more than 800,000 square feet of exhibit space, while last February 3,500 exhibitors spanned more than 700,000 sq. ft., he added.

“Our show has been growing since the post-recession 2009 show, and we’ve been growing ever since,” DeMoulin said.

He added, “Now, I think there’s this general sense that we’ve finally turned a corner. Consumer confidence is up a little bit (and) unemployment is down, so we can be bullish in 2012. We’re seeing that reflected in booth sales and in the excitement level.”

In an effort to keep that positive energy flowing, MAGIC continues to add more value in the form of new floor sections, events and activities, as well as a deeper foray into the social and digital world to connect with a broader audience and extend the life of the event for the fashion community, DeMoulin said. 

Although DeMoulin added there are many exciting plans for the show ahead, it appears he won’t be overseeing the implementation.

According to a recent announcement by Advanstar, Tom Florio, former Conde Nast executive and Vogue publishing director, will be taking the helm of the show as CEO of Advanstar Fashion Group, while DeMoulin will be transitioning to executive vice president of customer development and president of licensing.

Neither Florio nor DeMoulin were available for comment by press time on the executive changes.

On a busy, energetic showfloor, exhibitors and attendees alike said they had indeed noticed a pick up in the show this year.

Exhibitor Karen Castellano, senior account executive of Yummie, said she was pleased with both the traffic, as well as the gradual recovery she was seeing in her industry.

“Business has been good, the general outlook for most of the stores has been better than it has been in the past couple of years and there’s a lot more people opening stores, which has been promising,” Castellano said. “I have pretty positive expectations for the show and the industry.”

Attendee Koko Ward, owner of A Walk In the Woods, said that even though many of her colleagues were still hoping for better days ahead, her store had had its best year ever in 2011.

“My business has been good and so far the show has been good,” Ward said. “The selections are good, the prices are good and there are new companies here, which is good. When my feet start to hurt, things might not be so good.”

MAGIC will return Aug. 20-23 to Las Vegas.

Add new comment

Partner Voices
Overview: The award-winning Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) goes the extra mile to make every day extraordinary by offering customer service excellence and industry-leading partnerships. From their dedicated in-house Rigging team to their robust Exhibitor Services, The Center of Hospitality brings your imagination to life by helping you host unforgettable meetings and events. With more than 2 million square feet of exhibit space, world-class services and a dream destination, we are committed to making even the most ambitious conventions a reality. In October 2023, the Orange County Board of County Commissioners voted to approve allocating Tourist Development Tax funding for the $560 million Phase 5A completion of the OCCC. The Convention Way Grand Concourse project will include enhancements to the North-South Building, featuring an additional 60,000 square feet of meeting space, an 80,000- square-foot ballroom and new entry to the North-South Building along Convention Way. “We are thrilled to begin work on completing our North-South Building which will allow us to meet the growing needs of our clients,” said OCCC Executive Director Mark Tester. “As an economic driver for the community, this project will provide the Center with connectivity and meeting space to host more events and continue to infuse the local economy with new money and expanding business opportunities.” Amenities: The Center of Hospitality goes above and beyond by offering world-class customer service and industry-leading partnerships. From the largest convention center Wi-Fi network to custom LAN/WAN design, the Center takes pride in enhancing exhibitor and customer experience.  The OCCC is the exclusive provider of electricity (24-hour power at no additional cost), aerial rigging and lighting, water, natural gas and propane, compressed air, and cable TV services. Convenience The Center is at the epicenter of the destination, with an abundance of hotels, restaurants, and attractions within walking distance. Pedestrian bridges connect both buildings to more than 5,200 rooms and is within a 15-minute drive from the Orlando International Airport. The convenience of the location goes hand-in-hand with top notch service to help meet an event’s every need. Gold Key Members The OCCC’s Gold Key Members represent the best of the best when it comes to exceptional service and exclusive benefits for clients, exhibitors and guests. The Center’s Gold Key memberships with Universal Orlando Resort, SeaWorld Orlando and Walt Disney World greatly enhance meeting planner and attendee experiences offering world-renowned venues, immersive experiences and creative resources for their events. OCCC Events: This fiscal year, the OCCC is projected to host 168 events, 1.7 million attendees, and $2.9 billion in economic impact.  The Center’s top five events during their 2022-2023 fiscal year included:  AAU Jr. National Volleyball Championships 2023 200,000 Attendees $257 Million in Economic Impact MEGACON 2023 160,000 Attendees $205 Million in Economic Impact Open Championship Series 2023 69,500 Attendees $89 Million in Economic Impact Sunshine Classic 2023 42,000 Attendees $54 Million in Economic Impact Premiere Orlando 2023 42,000 Attendees $108 Million in Economic Impact