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This Just In

Informa, FFANY, Meet with Stakeholders on Shoe Show Calendar

HIL ANDERSON, SENIOR EDITOR

NEW YORK – Two of the leading footwear trade shows will bump heads next winter when they take place on the same dates. That prompted the organizers to call for a sit-down meeting in October to map out a path for a smoother future.

Representatives of Informa Exhibitions and the Fashion Footwear Association of New York (FFANY) will meet with their major stakeholders to discuss ideas to accommodate exhibitors and attendees who will otherwise have to decide which of the two February shows to attend. The date and location of the meeting has not yet been set.

“It’s a ‘listening event’ that will bring the groups together,” said Leslie Gallin, President, Footwear, at Informa’s UBM Fashion division.

The idea for the meeting, which the two organizations refer to as a “footwear industry roundtable,” came about after it was revealed that the FFANY’s New York Shoe Expo in Manhattan on Feb. 5-7 takes place on the same days as the Informa’s WWDMAGIC in Las Vegas. Both have pledged to start coordinating their show calendars in the future, and for now, to look for ways to enable customers to take part in both February events.

“Informa’s policy of transparency in scheduling — and our mutual commitment to serve the needs of footwear brands and retailers with a thoughtful calendar — is a development that will benefit all,” said FFANY President & CEO Ron Fromm.

While MAGIC and the New York Shoe Expo draw from the same exhibitor and attendee pools, the two shows are vastly different in size and scope. The Shoe Expo takes place at New York’s Warwick Hotel and invites a select audience of footwear buyers and sellers. MAGIC takes over much of Las Vegas with more than 1 million net square feet of exhibit space, including shoes and a full gamut of retail clothing. MAGIC is held semi-annually while FFANY Market Week and New York Shoe Expo take place four times per year, which makes it difficult for either organizer to change dates on short notice.

“We are appreciative to be working alongside FFANY on this forward-thinking planning initiative and collaboration,” said Mark Temple-Smith, Informa’s Commercial Director, Global Exhibitions. “We look forward to working on our joint commitment to ensure that all footwear brands and retailers have the necessary opportunities to succeed.”

Reach Leslie Gallin at (310) 857-7316 or leslie.gallin@ubmfashion.com; Ron Fromm at (212)751-6422 or rfromm@ffany.org; Mark Temple-Smith at +44 (0)20 7017 5000 or mark.templesmith@informa.com

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