As organisers had expected, the number of trade visitors at the children’s fashion summit matched that of the event’s first edition in July of last year. Leading decision-makers from small and large businesses alike attended the season kick-off event. The frayed economic situation – a challenge for many smaller kids’ fashion retailers in particular – was a recurring topic of discussion at the trade show stands.

“The strength of THE LITTLE GALLERY lies in the special way it speaks to visitors. Our trade show concept conveys the individuality required in the kids’ sector. We’ll continue to carefully build up the show and will again be the kick-off event for Germany in July,” says Ulrike Kähler, the Igedo Company Project Director National Trade Shows.

The Fashion Talk moderated by Christel Wickerath for TextilWirtschaft magazine was well attended. The topic ‘Storytelling – Presentation at the Shop vs. Online Shopping’ was the subject of an intense discussion featuring Ute Wethmar (Esprit Europe), Barbara Frères (Barbara Frères für Kinder) and Peter Bierhake (Sütegro Managing Director). Marc O’Polo hosted a launch presentation on the trade show Saturday. The second day of the trade show was devoted in large parts to the ElternBloggerCafé.

More than 40 blogging mums and dads attended THE LITTLE GALLERY, exchanging trade show news from Lego, GANT and Ernstings Family or talking about the charity event held by the Rita Lagune label on behalf of the foundation Stiftung KinderHerz. The Diaper World Championships, organised by the online portal styleranking and supported by the dm brand babylove, was another highlight of the supporting programme. All the fashion shows were well attended.

Igedo Company Managing Partner Philipp Kronen gets to the bottom line: “The children’s sector needed a platform in Germany that’s simply a little different. This was signalled to us more than enough times. So we set out to address the issue and created an ideal framework with THE LITTLE GALLERY. Now it’s up to specialised retailers and the industry to embrace more strongly what we have to offer.”

The next edition of THE LITTLE GALLERY will take place in Düsseldorf on 2 and 3 July 2014, with a late-night ordering opportunity on the first day of the trade show.

Igedo Company