Who's Next Prêt-à-Porter Paris – successful show

03 Feb '12

3 min read

WHO'S NEXT Prêt-à-Porter Paris ended its first edition as a global trade show Tuesday January 24th on a positive result. Altogether, 65,682 visitors dispatched up around the six exhibition halls of the trade show located at the Parc des Expositions - Porte de Versailles. 68 % of these visitors were French while 32% (i.e. 21,286 visitors) included international buyers.

All the major fashion actors were looking forward to this new meeting point, which had been very actively promoted these last 7 months.

After four days, most visitors praised this new event, a huge one indeed, but considered as clear and dynamic, where the offer was clearly identified in each one of the fashion areas.

The integration of brands previously exhibiting at PRÊT-A-PORTER PARIS proved successful in PRIVATE and all of them praised the space design, as well as the efforts made by the organizing team to give a boost to both floors in hall 7 and increase the offer's appeal.

In hall 4, FAME confirmed its position as a leader on the creative womenswear market segment and as a result was packed with people during four days.

For the first time since its creation, PREMIERE CLASSE dispatched its products in four small accessory trade shows scatted in three different halls. In many ways, this new face proved efficient, helping buyers get a better understanding of the offer. However, if most areas enjoyed a successful attendance during four days, bag designers in hall 2.2 lamented the poor number of buyers.

WHO'S NEXT Prêt-à-Porter Paris also launched a brand new area, LE CUBE, devoted to leather goods and luggage. Leather good retailers were happy to find back a real luggage and leather good offer at Porte de Versailles and praised the product visibility. Exhibitors also enjoyed the business-oriented as well as joyful atmosphere of this first edition.

If MESS AROUND suffered on account of a low attendance Saturday and Tuesday, the purchasing atmosphere proved positive Sunday and Monday. For most exhibitors however, the turnover remained as satisfying as in January and September last year. If French visitors were not as present, the number of foreign retailers, mostly from Europe, but also from Asia and America, was on the rise. Visitors and exhibitors all praised the quality of the space design and the very clear offer.

The true revelation came from MR. BROWN, an area devoted to urban and men's fashion. Buyers, just like exhibitors, who massively attended the event, praised the organizing team's space design choice and brand selection. The special state of mind and high impact events organized (late opening hours, live showcases, trend forum, exhibitions...) were also an opportunity to assert the personality of this area.

After this “premiere”, the organizing team will learn from this experience and make the necessary adjustments and improvements to prepare the June 2012 edition of the trade show (30 June - 3 July), WSN DEVELOPPEMENT's second big challenge as part of the new group strategy.

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