Liberty Fairs is giving the people what they want: fashion and the opportunity to enjoy a getaway during what many hope will be a safer summer.
The dual-gender apparel and accessories trade show announced it is partnering with Cabana, a resort-focused trade show, to host their first joint physical event at the Miami Beach Convention Center from July 10-12. It will be the first in-person show since the start of the pandemic for both.
Liberty Fairs and Cabana are both owned by Liberty Fashion & Lifestyle Fairs. Prior to the pandemic, Liberty Fairs hosted events in Las Vegas and New York, making the upcoming show its very first in Miami. Cabana typically ran biannually in New York, as well as each summer in Miami since 2013.
The organizer has run virtual-only trade shows over the past year, but the Miami event will be among the first in the U.S. to allow fashion retailers to make business decisions, once again, based on the touch and feel of physical product.
In February, Informa Fashion jumpstarted the return of in-person events with Magic Pop-Up, a small-scale tradeshow in Orlando. Informa reported that retailer attendance was 16 percent higher than expected. Registration increased after the show announced it would require all guests and staff to produce a recent negative Covid-19 test in order to enter the show.
The collaborative Liberty Fairs and Cabana show will heavily focus on safety for attendees as well, with systems in place to increase air quality at the convention center. Guests will be asked to wear masks and observe social distancing requirements. There will also be a “touch-free, crowd-free” pre-registration process with self-service badging systems to mitigate the risk of coronavirus cross-contamination.
Rebuilding and recalibrating the fashion wholesale community is Liberty Fairs’ and Cabana’s ultimate goal. Retailers can expect Cabana to present 250-300 brands, and for Liberty to present 150. Along with providing a space for retailers to make decisions based on touch and feel of physical product, there is further opportunity and convenience for dual-gender retailers and brands.
“I am excited about this collaboration with Cabana,” said Edwina Kulego, Liberty Fairs vice president. “If Covid has taught us anything, it is the power of togetherness. I believe this collaboration is a step in the right direction, and we are hopeful about the prospects and ideas that will be birthed from this venture.”
