3. • Taking companies to overseas
exhibitions since 1966
• A private trade association
• Not part of Government, or
Government funded – but we use a
lot of their £££s!
4. Why show overseas?
Reach international buyers? 600 to 60,000
Reach Press? Maybe...
The alternatives?
Buyer visits (but will they see you?)
Agents (but will they want you?)
Website, viral campaigns, bloggers, advertising, social
media, celebrity wearers, events, fashion shows, PR?
But...the right trade show, with the right preparation and
commitment should open the right international doors...
5. Make a name for yourself on the international circuit?
Gain credibility with buyers at home?
3 really bad reasons for doing a show…
1. “Dahling, you really should be in Paris... Berlin... New
York...”. Buyers don’t always give you the best advice
2. Tourists from there buy from my website…
3. “You have been specially selected to take part in…”
EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION !!
6. SCOOP Jacket Required Jewellery & Watch
Textile Forum PURE London Edge MODA
London Fashion Week White Bridal
London Collections Men's Pulse
Top Drawer – including CRAFT 15
But you don’t have to start in the UK…
7. The look of the show and “stands”
Are your competitors there?
How to dress the stand
Which area is right – and near whom?
Don’t rely on show organisers to place you
Have alternative shows in mind – your Plan B
8. Are you ready to show?
A good website
Someone on the stand with you
Sharing a stand? Very unlikely
Production and wholesale prices sorted…
Ready to show season by season?
Prepared to promote yourself to buyers?
UKFT can help you (discount for STLA members!)
9. Exhibition Organisers…
- need to be sold to!
- put you through hoops
- don’t let you choose your location
- often aren’t great at communicating
- can take ages to come back to you
Applying to more than one show? Be careful! ONCE
YOU’VE SIGNED up – you are committed!
10. Commit to showing season by season
You may not take orders at first BUT... you should meet
contacts to follow up
Buyers will check you out – from a distance
You need to drive them to your stand with your own
publicity: - intriguing pre-show mailings
- newsy pieces on your website
- advance publicity, social media (not nagging!)
- formal invitation cards? Really?
It will take a while to build up orders…
11. You’ve done your costings, including a profit
for you (don’t go too cheap!)
Buyer asks…“How much is that?” £230.00, or
Euros, or Dollars
In their shop? At the airport? On your
doorstep?
What does that price include? It’s up to you to
be specific!
12. “A set of 3 letter standard trade terms accepted
worldwide in assignment of costs &
responsibilities between buyers & sellers”
Devised in 1936, they explain what is included
in your price – there can be no argument!
EXW? FCA? CIF? LDP? Get to know what they
mean – they are CRUCIAL to successful
exporting!
13. Care labelling – using internationalsymbols
Use freely in the UK, but for most overseas
markets you need a licence to reproduce these
– available from UKFT as part of Membership
Fibre and fabric content, and Country of Origin
– get these right… different markets have
different requirements
14. Be wary of sending “potential buyers” lots of
images or flats (before you have checked
them)
Register your trademark in as many countries
as you can afford…
Especially in CHINA (esp if you are
manufacturing there!)
15. THE TRADESHOW ACCESS PROGRAMME - TAP
WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM?
• TAP is a Government scheme,
administered by UKFT for fashion and textile events
• We evaluate shows and bid for Government support
• We are the largest industry user of the TAP scheme
16. HOW MUCH IS THE GRANT?
•A flat rate of: £1,200 per exhibition in Europe
£2,000 per exhibition in USA
£2,500 per exhibition in “emerging” markets
•You must be able to provide proof of expenditure at least
equal to the grant. It’s a reimbursement scheme.
•You have a total allowance of 6 exhibition grants in the
lifetime of a company. Additional grants in “emerging &
high growth markets” (when you are ready).
17. WHO QUALIFIES?
• UK based (sole trader, partnership or Limited)
• SME (small or medium sized enterprise)
• New to export, either:
Exporting for fewer than 10 years or
Exporting less than 25% of total turnover
• Selling a UK product or adding value
• Deemed ready to show overseas
• UKTI (UK Trade & Investment) decides who is eligible
• Start-ups?
18. HOW DOES IT WORK?
You have list of eligible shows
Grants - paid on a reimbursement basis
Apply for a grant through us and pay UKFT marketing fee,
at the same time ....
Apply to show organisers for space
(be careful when signing exhibition contracts!)
•Then
Provide us with proof of payment after the show
19. Apply for a grant sooner, not later…at the
same time as you apply for a stand
Keep in touch with UKFT
If you don’t get space…we need to know
A lost grant is lost for ever…not passed on
20. The major INTERNATIONAL trade shows are in Paris
Buyers from all over the World
Exhibitors from all over the World
Buyers at an International show:
• Travel
• Are more used to importing
• And so, more susceptible to paying pro-forma in Sterling
These shows are good for the first time exporter.
Mostly NO British group stands these days - contact the show/s in
which you are interested, in order to get accepted (ask us for tips!!)
Which Brits show where? Brits Around the World…www.ukft.org
21.
22. Paris is a great starting off point:
Who’s Next Paris (includes Première Classe first editions) Jan+July
Branded and designer womenswear & accessories
Salon de la Lingerie Jan + Mode City July
Lingerie (inc mens) Lingerie + swimwear
PLAYTIME Jan + July
Childrenswear, maternitywear, babywear, nursery
23. Première Vision (PV) Indigo Modamont Feb &Sept
Fashion Fabrics Design Trimmings
Paris Women’s Fashion Week Women's Feb & Sept
capsule, MeMyMode, Paris sur Mode, Première Classe,
Fashion Scout, D&A, The Box, Tranoï, Vendome Luxury,
ZipZone, WOMAN, selected UK agent showrooms
Paris Men’s Fashion Week - Tranoï, capsule, MAN
This is a seminar in itself…
24. Feb and September - 321UK Designers
So many that UKFT produces its own
Brits in Paris Map to show where they are, in
trade shows, UK Agents showrooms and their
own showrooms
Accessories, shoes, RTW
25. UKFT has a stand at Tranoi
we visit all the shows several times each
season.
I am on hugging terms with some of the
organisers, shouting terms with others; it’s
safer for me not to put my opinions on them in
writing, but very happy to take questions to
help you find your trade show home!!
26. Great international shows not in Paris
Berlin Fashion Week - Bread and Butter (party time!), Premium, Green
Showroom, Bright, (capsule), Show & Order, etc.
Pitti Uomo (Florence) – different sort of party time! Mens
New York Men’s Market Week – Agenda, Liberty, MRket, capsule, Project
NYC, MAN
New York Women's Designer shows - Coterie & sole commerce, Atelier
Designers, capsule, DATEH, D&A, WOMAN
27. Other trade shows are available...
Main international buyers visit the European shows, but you could consider…
- Swimshow (Miami) – US agent or office needed
- Copenhagen - not without an agent
- Las Vegas shows e.g. MAGIC, Liberty, Agenda, (capsule), MRket,
Project, etc... not for womenswear but could be for menswear
The Hub (Hong Kong), CPM Moscow, womenswear shows in Munich
are getting interesting again
BUT THESE ARE NOT FOR THE NEW EXPORTER
28. New York shows…mmm, tempting!
Not as simple as you might think!
Same language (kind of)
Seem keen on UK fashion
Today’s exchange rate makes it all look SO much cheaper
But it’s not that simple…as smaller numbers demonstrate
Getting goods in is complicated and expensive (ATA Carnet)
Duty rates and paperwork complicated, you need to promote yourself
very professionally, and actively SELL
Nothing like selling to Europe!
