Laurian davies presentation june 141

Laurian Davies

• Taking companies to overseas exhibitions since 1966 • A private trade association • Not part of Government, or Government funded – but we use a lot of their £££s!

Why show overseas? Reach international buyers? 600 to 60,000

Reach Press? Maybe...

The alternatives?

Buyer visits (but will they see you?)

Agents (but will they want you?)

Website, viral campaigns, bloggers, advertising, social

media, celebrity wearers, events, fashion shows, PR?

But...the right trade show, with the right preparation and

commitment should open the right international doors...

Make a name for yourself on the international circuit?

Gain credibility with buyers at home?

3 really bad reasons for doing a show…

1. “Dahling, you really should be in Paris... Berlin... New

York...”. Buyers don’t always give you the best advice

2. Tourists from there buy from my website…

3. “You have been specially selected to take part in…”

EXERCISE EXTREME CAUTION !!

SCOOP Jacket Required Jewellery & Watch

Textile Forum PURE London Edge MODA

London Fashion Week White Bridal

London Collections Men's Pulse

Top Drawer – including CRAFT 15

But you don’t have to start in the UK…

The look of the show and “stands”

Are your competitors there?

How to dress the stand

Which area is right – and near whom?

Don’t rely on show organisers to place you

Have alternative shows in mind – your Plan B

Are you ready to show? A good website

Someone on the stand with you

Sharing a stand? Very unlikely

Production and wholesale prices sorted…

Ready to show season by season?

Prepared to promote yourself to buyers?

UKFT can help you (discount for STLA members!)

Exhibition Organisers…

- need to be sold to!

- put you through hoops

- don’t let you choose your location

- often aren’t great at communicating

- can take ages to come back to you

Applying to more than one show? Be careful! ONCE

YOU’VE SIGNED up – you are committed!

Commit to showing season by season

You may not take orders at first BUT... you should meet

contacts to follow up

Buyers will check you out – from a distance

You need to drive them to your stand with your own

publicity: - intriguing pre-show mailings

- newsy pieces on your website

- advance publicity, social media (not nagging!)

- formal invitation cards? Really?

It will take a while to build up orders…

You’ve done your costings, including a profit for you (don’t go too cheap!)

Buyer asks…“How much is that?” £230.00, or Euros, or Dollars

In their shop? At the airport? On your doorstep?

What does that price include? It’s up to you to be specific!

“A set of 3 letter standard trade terms accepted worldwide in assignment of costs & responsibilities between buyers & sellers” Devised in 1936, they explain what is included in your price – there can be no argument! EXW? FCA? CIF? LDP? Get to know what they mean – they are CRUCIAL to successful exporting!

Care labelling – using internationalsymbols

Use freely in the UK, but for most overseas markets you need a licence to reproduce these – available from UKFT as part of Membership

Fibre and fabric content, and Country of Origin – get these right… different markets have different requirements

Be wary of sending “potential buyers” lots of images or flats (before you have checked them)

Register your trademark in as many countries as you can afford…

Especially in CHINA (esp if you are manufacturing there!)

THE TRADESHOW ACCESS PROGRAMME - TAP

WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM?

• TAP is a Government scheme,

administered by UKFT for fashion and textile events

• We evaluate shows and bid for Government support

• We are the largest industry user of the TAP scheme

HOW MUCH IS THE GRANT?

•A flat rate of: £1,200 per exhibition in Europe

£2,000 per exhibition in USA

£2,500 per exhibition in “emerging” markets

•You must be able to provide proof of expenditure at least

equal to the grant. It’s a reimbursement scheme.

•You have a total allowance of 6 exhibition grants in the

lifetime of a company. Additional grants in “emerging &

high growth markets” (when you are ready).

WHO QUALIFIES?

• UK based (sole trader, partnership or Limited)

• SME (small or medium sized enterprise)

• New to export, either:

Exporting for fewer than 10 years or Exporting less than 25% of total turnover

• Selling a UK product or adding value

• Deemed ready to show overseas

• UKTI (UK Trade & Investment) decides who is eligible

• Start-ups?

HOW DOES IT WORK?

You have list of eligible shows

Grants - paid on a reimbursement basis

Apply for a grant through us and pay UKFT marketing fee,

at the same time ....

Apply to show organisers for space

(be careful when signing exhibition contracts!)

•Then

Provide us with proof of payment after the show

Apply for a grant sooner, not later…at the same time as you apply for a stand

Keep in touch with UKFT

If you don’t get space…we need to know

A lost grant is lost for ever…not passed on

The major INTERNATIONAL trade shows are in Paris

Buyers from all over the World

Exhibitors from all over the World

Buyers at an International show:

• Travel

• Are more used to importing

• And so, more susceptible to paying pro-forma in Sterling

These shows are good for the first time exporter.

Mostly NO British group stands these days - contact the show/s in

which you are interested, in order to get accepted (ask us for tips!!)

Which Brits show where? Brits Around the World…www.ukft.org

Paris is a great starting off point:

Who’s Next Paris (includes Première Classe first editions) Jan+July

Branded and designer womenswear & accessories

Salon de la Lingerie Jan + Mode City July

Lingerie (inc mens) Lingerie + swimwear

PLAYTIME Jan + July

Childrenswear, maternitywear, babywear, nursery

Première Vision (PV) Indigo Modamont Feb &Sept

Fashion Fabrics Design Trimmings

Paris Women’s Fashion Week Women's Feb & Sept

capsule, MeMyMode, Paris sur Mode, Première Classe,

Fashion Scout, D&A, The Box, Tranoï, Vendome Luxury,

ZipZone, WOMAN, selected UK agent showrooms

Paris Men’s Fashion Week - Tranoï, capsule, MAN

This is a seminar in itself…

Feb and September - 321UK Designers

So many that UKFT produces its own

Brits in Paris Map to show where they are, in trade shows, UK Agents showrooms and their own showrooms

Accessories, shoes, RTW

UKFT has a stand at Tranoi we visit all the shows several times each season. I am on hugging terms with some of the organisers, shouting terms with others; it’s safer for me not to put my opinions on them in writing, but very happy to take questions to help you find your trade show home!!

Great international shows not in Paris

Berlin Fashion Week - Bread and Butter (party time!), Premium, Green

Showroom, Bright, (capsule), Show & Order, etc.

Pitti Uomo (Florence) – different sort of party time! Mens

New York Men’s Market Week – Agenda, Liberty, MRket, capsule, Project

NYC, MAN

New York Women's Designer shows - Coterie & sole commerce, Atelier

Designers, capsule, DATEH, D&A, WOMAN

Other trade shows are available... Main international buyers visit the European shows, but you could consider…

- Swimshow (Miami) – US agent or office needed

- Copenhagen - not without an agent

- Las Vegas shows e.g. MAGIC, Liberty, Agenda, (capsule), MRket,

Project, etc... not for womenswear but could be for menswear

The Hub (Hong Kong), CPM Moscow, womenswear shows in Munich

are getting interesting again

BUT THESE ARE NOT FOR THE NEW EXPORTER

New York shows…mmm, tempting!

Not as simple as you might think!

Same language (kind of)

Seem keen on UK fashion

Today’s exchange rate makes it all look SO much cheaper

But it’s not that simple…as smaller numbers demonstrate

Getting goods in is complicated and expensive (ATA Carnet)

Duty rates and paperwork complicated, you need to promote yourself

very professionally, and actively SELL

Nothing like selling to Europe!

Thank you – let’s talk!