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The WSA Show : February 2008                      by Karen Koza
A Preview of Next Steps for the Footwear Industry

Twice each year, the footwear elite step together to blaze new trails for the future of their trade. This February, more than 37,000 attendees from 95 countries will gather in Las Vegas, NV for The World Shoe Association (WSA) Show to experience several new exciting features designed to engage every facet of the industry.

Diane Stone, WSA’s Chief Operating Officer, has great expectations for the event. “The WSA Show is the most complete, 360-degree view of the footwear industry, and is the only marketplace in the world that offers so many resources, experts, and influencers in one location,” she explains. “This February’s show is no exception, serving as a central hub for the entire industry, once again.”

Attendees can look forward to an enhanced experience at WSA this month. “Our outreach to specialty chains, independent shoe retailers and boutiques has been strongly focused for this show,” Stone details. “We hear from the brands all the time that they want to meet these retailers at our show. We have identified and reached out to many who either have not attended in a while or have never attended and, to date, our percentage of new retailer registrants in these specialty categories is up 29%. We are anticipating a strong specialty retail turnout in February.”

The trade show has traditionally hosted its own “show within a show” via The Collections at WSA, a premier luxury footwear and accessories show. Hosted in the luxury suites at The Venetian Resort Hotel, this February’s The Collections at WSA will feature over 350 designer men’s and women’s footwear, handbags and jewelry brands.

According to Stone, the WSA Show will debut several new initiatives, which include:

The Box
“We are launching this new exhibit area in the Mandalay Ballroom to provide a touch point to connect stylish fashion brands with retailers and buyers who want to browse them in an inviting open atmosphere. This initiative meets the needs of these brands and designers to be in front of the specialty store or bridge price point buyer that likes to explore the new and fresh. It meets the needs of buyers to be “invited in” without walls or barriers to that exploration,” Stone says.

The Box is an intimate space located in the Mandalay Bay Ballroom, adjacent to the Mandalay Bay Exhibit Halls. It will offer innovative style and design elements featuring the right mix of women’s fashion footwear in a fresh, new landscape, created with the consumer and his/her needs in mind.

Furthermore, The Box will showcase “indie” footwear designers with some of the industry’s most notable brands. They have been identified and invited to participate to form an edited selection of the marketplace’s newest Bridge collections for buyers to explore and discover.

Materials at WSA
“The supply chain will exist alongside the finished product for the first time!,” Stone relates. “This new event will be held at The Sands Expo Center. It will open two days before the WSA Show and then have a one day overlap. This allows people maximum time to focus on the expanded offerings the overall marketplace provides.”

Materials at WSA will further expand the breadth of this industry marketplace by focusing on materials, design, components, technology, and sourcing, becoming easily accessible to brand and retail leaders.

Key features of this new launch are the workshop program, featuring recognized leaders as presenters and an exciting “Trend Area” where attendees will be able to view, touch and feel the products being exhibited within the show.

Looking to extend its authority beyond the trade events, The WSA Show announced earlier this year that they will be hosting a new series of webinars aimed at assisting retailers with timely programs, information and education to help them grow their businesses.

For more information on WSA and its service to the industry, please visit www.wsashow.com.

• Top Trends at The WSA Show

Ombre patent
Fashion rugged
80’s jewel tones
Cut outs

• Top Trends at The Collections at The WSA Show

Flats
Platforms
Suede
Distressed leather
Jewel tones