While Informa Markets’ Las Vegas fashion marketplace has traditionally taken place in August to align with the fashion industry’s buying cycles, the organisers believe this is a "delicately balanced decision" to tentatively move forward with postponed event dates is a two-fold response amid continued uncertainty of reopening plans across the country, as well as shifts in this years’ buying season. Informa Markets hopes to provide the fashion community with the urgent and necessary commerce opportunities it needs.

“We know that our community is eager to connect again. We also know our partner brands and retailers put a lot of effort into the logistics of exhibiting at or attending one of our shows. We believe it is in the best interest of our community to postpone the show at this time, giving us the runway to review the situation on an on-going basis. At the same time, we believe it is our responsibility to the industry we serve to move forward and provide an opportunity for some form of business continuity while we reassess and work through what fashion business looks like in a post COVID-19 world,” said Nancy Walsh, President of Informa Fashion Markets. “We are hopeful for a September return to the show floor and are working tirelessly to make it happen, with a very focused effort on health and safety standards.”

While the show design is still being considered, the final reimagined marketplace formats will be guided by physical distancing guidelines, crowd-control measures, and enhanced cleaning protocols. More information on the health and safety standards across fashion portfolio events will be available on the Informa Markets website in the coming weeks. Simultaneously, Informa Markets Fashion announced it will turn its resources to the development of enhanced digital products to help retailers and brands do business both on and off the show floor. “There has been great enthusiasm around the digital roundtable discussions we launched earlier this spring and we see a lot of value in engaging our industry in that way”, concluded Kelly Helfman, President of MAGIC.

*CDC – The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention is a national public health institute and federal agency, under the US Department of Health and Human Services.