Conventions

“GlobalShop is “”The Retail Solutions Event”", and the main things being retailed to these delegates were “”inspiration, innovation and insights”". GlobalShop is supposed to be the largest store design and retail marketing show in the United States. It is the place where retailers and brand marketers can shop for over 10,000 products and visit more than 900 suppliers in one location. The conference program offered 24 sessions led by top retail experts, who provided insight, advice and best practice information on how to create sustainable brands at retail that resonate with consumers. Big topics took in subjects like Lessons of the Recession; Shopper Marketing — a Revolution in Need of an Objective; From Research to Reality — Turning Shopper Insights into Successful Store Design; and Reimagining the Retail Store — The Shopper’s Experience. Sounds like retailers mainly needed to hone their listening skills…
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Toy Fair purports to be the largest toy trade show in the Western Hemisphere. More than 1,500 manufacturers, distributors, importers and sales agents from 30 countries showcased their toy and entertainment products, from classic toys to interactive entertainment and everything in between. Products included action figures and dolls, games and puzzles, earth-friendly toys, bicycles, tricycles and ride-ons, radio-controlled vehicles, infant and preschool toys, cars, trucks and trains, puppets and plush, electronic entertainment, robotics, computer software and video games, playground and sporting equipment, Halloween, Christmas, books, stationery, party supplies, and plenty more. This was a trade only event; Toy Fair is not open to the public. Buyers eligible for admission included retailers, wholesalers, importers, and buying groups. You didn’t see any squealing kids there, either, as no-one under 18, including infants, was being admitted…. Grinch? What Grinch?
Note on the pics below. The traditional ant farm has a new twist. There is a back light when the ants walk over it, projects onto the ceiling or wall for a “inside” experience.

Back in the 1950s, they apparently used to sell golfing equipment in parking lots. That was before the game of golf had developed into a multi-billion dollar industry and a national obsession, and those informal little selling meets have now evolved into the behemoth that is the PGA Merchandizing Show. It’s now a “comprehensive multi-purpose business platform for 1000+ vendors representing every business sector of golf from market leaders to start-up companies”. Golf industry leaders addressed key issues, there were education seminars and chances to share and discuss best practices. New golf employment initiatives were launched, as the industry tries to shrug off the recent economic unpleasantness. Spirits were high, and the attendees all wandered around with those strangely goofy grins that people get at sport shows and sport celeb encounters.

The outdoor industry aims to foster outdoor activity and enjoyment. OR stands for Outdoor Retailer, and this is the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. Think of all the things you can do outdoors in wintertime, like skiing, hiking, biking… and you need to dress warmly and appropriately for all of them. As the blurb for the OR Show Adventure Theater had it, “Take Fashion to the Slopes. From Mount Everest to the Swiss Alps, Outdoor Retailer showcases all the emerging winter looks that will dominate the next season. Featuring a blend of active wear, technical outerwear and base layer…this year’s Winter Exposure Runway Show will help you discover your next top selling garment!”. The Outdoor Inspiration Awards, presented by Adidas Outdoor, recognized the “groundbreaking individuals, groups and companies whose efforts excel in encouraging others to live, enjoy, and support outdoor activities”. Equipment was also showcased. The latest in winter resistant tents, ice picks, light weight provisions and skis/sleds/tubes/boards. No, you can’t stay indoors and watch TV.

How’s your German? Okay, Heimtextil means “home textiles”, and manufacturers and visitors to the Frankfurt were getting serious on the subject of “sustainability, in the sense of environmental friendliness and social compatibility”, given their new aim of building a “green Utopia”. (Wait, does it have to be green? I kind of saw myself in blue…). One big deal was the Mix Mash trend, where you play mind games with colors and textures that you had no idea would go together. The serious-minded were on a quest for that elusive “contract business characterized by functionality and design”. Furnishers of interiors were concentrating hard on “cutting-edge textile products and room concepts”. You’re coming again next year? Auf Wiedersehen, then…