65th SIMM confirms incipient recovery of the industry

25 Feb '11

6 min read

Out of the total number of 18,665 professionals who attended SIMM, some 4,154 also visited at least one of the three exhibitions that make up Giftrends (Intergift, Iberjoya and Bisutex), a figure that once again confirms the success of an initiative based on the coincident staging of these fairs, one that attracts a wide-ranging group of professionals who share a common interest in all of the different events involved.

Some Favourable Exhibitor Results Coupled with a Prudent Approach
The recovery of the market is not only reflected by the increase in visitor numbers and participation figures, but also by the perceptions of the participating companies, who all agreed that they had noticed a change in mentality among the buyers at the fair, especially the foreign buyers. This much was confirmed by Alberto Rodríguez, the Head of the firm, Vilagallo, who observed "a certain improvement regarding orders from Spanish traders, although they were more restrained when making purchases than their foreign counterparts". A similar trend was observed by the young designer taking part in the EGO Area, Ana Martín (Anmargo), who declared that 80% of her sales had been made to foreign buyers. The companies, Strena and Difusión Moda Internacional, expressed similar opinions. In effect, these two exhibitors pointed out that the fair had enjoyed a constant flow of orders, clients and visitors throughout its three-day duration. "The Spanish buyers were more cautious than the foreign buyers when making purchases, although the Spaniards are gradually recovering their confidence", they declared.

All of the exhibitors consulted by the fair organisers agreed that they had fulfilled their initial expectations and that they would be tackling the year with a greater sense of confidence than in previous years. "The large number of visitors at this edition of SIMM provides the best indicator for the industry," stated Pablo Conde, the Head of Exports from the Galician firm, Alba Conde, who added that companies should attend fairs in order to "promote their brand image and secure customer loyalty and contacts".

The designers and brands that took part in the IFEMA Showrooms at the North Convention Centre at Feria de Madrid also rated the results achieved at this edition favourably. Kina Fernández and Cantallops, among others, declared that they had achieved their initial objectives and confirmed their intention to return to the next edition of the Showrooms, an initiative aimed at high-category brands that wish to present their collections to clients within a private and highly exclusive setting.

At this edition of SIMM, Aragón took over from Galicia as Spanish Guest Region, effectively demonstrating the strong performance of its textile industry within the context of Spanish fashion as a whole.

IFEMA is already working on the next edition of SIMM, which is due to take place between 1st and 3rd September. Atits next event, the fair will present the new collections for the Spring-Summer 2011/2012 Season.

IFEMA - Feria de Madrid

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