LONDON – Informa Markets has appointed former Reed Exhibitions North America President Nancy Walsh to lead its high-profile fashion division.
Walsh was named President – Fashion, Informa Markets and will split time between New York and Santa Monica, Calif., the home base of MAGIC, the group’s flagship brand. She reports to Informa Markets CEO Charles McCurdy in London.
“The Fashion business has been through a lot of changes in recent years – as has the industry as a whole – and we are all pleased with the performance in 2019,” McCurdy said in a written statement. “Under Nancy’s leadership, we fully intend to maintain the path we are on and we remain committed to our talented team.”
Walsh will bolster the Fashion team that has been under Managing Director Mark Temple-Smith, who is being promoted to COO of Informa Markets.
Walsh joins Informa from Freeman, where she was Senior Vice President Brand Experience. Prior to working at Freeman, Walsh spent some 30 years at Reed where she gained experience in the apparel and retail arenas by overseeing shows such as the PGA Merchandise Show and the JCK jewelry brand.
“I learned the events business from the ground up and I’m excited to join the industry’s leader to head up these strong brands in the international fashion exhibitions space,” Walsh said. “Mark and the team have done a fantastic job of stabilizing the business following a difficult time for the sector, and I look forward to continuing his work.”
MAGIC has long been a flagship brand in the apparel industry with its semi-annual shows in Las Vegas consistently being among the largest trade shows in the United States every year. The 2018 MAGIC – February was ranked eighth on the latest Trade Show Executive (TSE) Gold 100 with 1,014,000 nsf. “The Fashion business has been through many challenges with three acquisitions in just a few years and has faced headwinds on almost every front,” said Temple-Smith. “The team very quickly came together and executed a plan that has begun to stabilize the business.”
Reach Charles McCurdy at +44 (0) 20 7017 5000 or charlie.mccurdy@informa.com; Mark Temple-Smith at (212) 600-3000 or mark.temple-smith@informa.com; Nancy Walsh at (212) 600-3000 or nancy.walsh@informa.com.
