With all of the changes going on at Project and the show beginning next week, August 17-19 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas along with MAGIC, S.L.A.T.E. and Street, Pool, and Capsule, we thought it was time to get the inside scoop from one of America’s favorite trade shows rooted in denim. Project has a new p.r. agency, Zoi Agency, a new President, Andrew Pollard, who along with Nancy Berger, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, are bringing some fresh ideas to the show which will evolve once again over the course of the next year -including a new website in the near future.
To start, Nancy Berger set the record straight -that Project would continue its trends for being a premiere denim show. “Project is rooted in denim,” explained Berger, “we are going to keep it that way but make it bigger and better. We are surrounding the show with brands that fit the denim lifestyle.”
One show that we believe does this very well is Bread & Butter Berlin, which is often held as the highest standard for such fashion trade shows. Berger had to concur when we brought up the comparisons, which have been done before between Bread & Butter and Project. “Bread & Butter is a good European show, but yet they are still global as well. This is something they have accomplished. We will do the same thing here, but from our views.”
“We will be an American show that is also global, concentrating on what America does best which is having the ability to dream. We dream big in America and the show will evolve to reflect American values of heritage, simplicity, and yet a sense of avante gardism at the same time, which will be how America brings people together and provides a global perspective.”
According to Berger, “Dream cultivation” will be the new tagline for Project, with the idea of giving people a platform to dream big and to experience new ideas, network, and do business. “Now is the time to do this since our global economy is not going as well we are coming into a time where we need to have a platform for embracing America and making it possible to embrace things globally as well.”
More specifically, the aesthetics of Project have always made the show quite beautiful and interesting. While some changes will be seen next week, it’s the tip-of-the-iceberg of what to expect in upcoming shows, including Project New York%uFFFDs relaunch in January. One of the key elements is “merchandising” the areas so that the show flows better -with like brands that get along near each other, representing certain genres, and also allowing buyers greater ease of discovering where things are located.
“Andrew [Pollard] came in and he’s from New York City,” explained Berger about the new merchandising concepts. “He wants the show to be even more merchandised with “neighborhoods” like they are in the city in order to make it easier to shop, and to make the exhibitors happier because they feel that they are in their neighborhood. This will be reflected more so in the future.”
Nudie Jeans booth from Project during the Spring 2010 show.
Other elements include upping the educational aspects of Project, which frankly didn’t have much if any before hand. For example, instead of having an opening night party, they’re dedicating time and finds to a Tweet House Event sponsored by HauteLook right after the closing of the show, with cocktails, and a high-end social media panel of experts on how to effectively use Twitter and other new media tools within the fashion industry.
There will also be a new morning VIP breakfast series with 3 keynote speakers including Maurizio Donadi the first morning, the creator and director of Levi’s XX launch with vintage denim, followed by Michael Williams, the famous blogger from A Continuous Lean who will moderate a panel called Project 10, a big initiative for Project which will feature10 up-and-coming brands that represent the future of contemporary fashion for how they are doing business. Project 10 was also something that Berger talked about extensively as a way to incubate new brands coming into the show.
“Project 10 will be a 2,000 square platform area that’s an open space, devoid of walls, featuring 10 brands that are doing business in new ways, plus one social cause. This area will rotate with different brands and a cause at each show.”
The cause this year for Project is Falling Whistles, a non-profit fashion company that has been able to integrate humanitarian efforts into trying to stop the war in the Congo with grassroots campaigns, fashion, and still make money (which sounds similar to Tom’s Shoes). The founder of Falling Whistles, Sean Carasso will be the final speaker at the VIP breakfasts on the last day.
Other initiatives for Project is improving it%uFFFDs new media programs including an iPad lounge, a trade show app with maps of brands and ways to connect with brands after the show, a new website (thank goodness), and of course the Tweet House event on opening night.
In keeping with Project’s green initiatives, we can expect more green packaging in the food areas, plus each attendee will be offered an aluminum water bottle, sponsored by LaCoste L!VE, plus recycled clipboards instead of notepads, and snacks and lunches provided to the exhibitors from Whole Foods.
And finally, Project will offer up a press lounge.
When I asked about the brands from MAGIC or other shows trying to get into Project, Berger admitted that yes, this is still happening. “We are sold out and there’s a waiting list, but there will always be people who want to be in one area or another.” In the end, Project is developing ways to address the overlap with other shows and keeping that at a minimum, and keeping the integrity of it’s original premise around denim, but moving forward, with a more modern merchandising/aesthetics plan, new media components, education, eco-friendly highlights, and greater ability for Project to be a key point of commerce as an American show that attracts a global following.
