Marijn Verschure from CAST: rethinking the future of showrooms and fairs

With more than eighteen years of professional experience, Marijn Verschure has been leading the Dutch trade platform CAST, based in Nieuwegein, since August 2018. The organisation positions itself as a central meeting point for brands, retailers and suppliers in the footwear, sports and fashion industries. 

Representing more than 100 permanent showrooms and over 1,000 brands, the organisation combines physical, digital and educational initiatives to support the sector’s evolution. Its strategy revolves around three main pillars: showrooms, knowrooms and wowrooms. These pillars reflect their focus on business, innovation, knowledge and inspiration.

The 20,000m² centre, strategically located between Brussels, Amsterdam and Düsseldorf, serves as both a business and networking hub, hosting permanent showrooms alongside a dynamic programme of seasonal events. 

CAST’s services range from operational support, such as logistics and postal services, to providing market intelligence and regulatory updates for Dutch and international stakeholders. “The most important unmeasurable tool that we use is the parameter of impact”, Verschure emphasises. As long as the industry continues to engage with its platform across multiple levels, CAST sees its mission as fulfilled.

According to the General Manager, the platform’s strength lies in its deep market knowledge and continuous engagement with global trade fairs and events. This approach allows the team to anticipate challenges, identify opportunities and connect industry players. “We share this information with our stakeholders and connect with them where needed. We act as a unifying force and do this in our own unique way”, Verschure highlights.

According to the General Manager, “the goal should be to share all generic information of a product in order to get a certain similar data set for each brand, supplier or producer towards the rest of the chain”. By encouraging a common data structure, CAST believes the industry can simplify data processing, reduce inefficiencies and align with upcoming European digital regulations.

Verschure argues that the footwear industry must embrace this transformation to maintain control over its own ecosystem. He sees digitalisation as essential to bringing more manufacturing back to Europe. In his view, Europe’s footwear industry can regain global relevance by 2050 if it invests in technology, transparency and long-term strategic thinking.

Despite recognising the potential of artificial intelligence and automation, CAST remains cautious about their immediate benefits in their business model. Verschure notes that digitalisation often adds cost and complexity rather than efficiency. 

“More digital costs than less, more labour required in other (digital) departments and higher marketing costs than ever before”, the General Manager highlights. However, he believes that as adoption grows and technologies mature, costs will eventually stabilise, making these tools more widely accessible and commercially viable.

Looking ahead, Verschure expects a gradual transformation in the roles of permanent showrooms and trade fairs. While face-to-face interaction between suppliers and buyers remains essential, the formats are changing. “International trade fairs have become less relevant, and local initiatives have grown in recent years”, the General Manager notes. 

Flexibility is becoming a defining feature of CAST’s model. In the future, “the content of a platform like ours will consist of three core activities: permanent showrooms, flexible showrooms and events”, Verschure shares. Smaller and mid-sized brands increasingly prefer temporary or modular spaces to reduce fixed costs, while large brands continue to rely on permanent showrooms for their marketing presence. 

Digitalisation will also play a stronger role in the coming years, especially in speeding up order processes and improving forecasting accuracy. Verschure foresees a future where better data and digital tools help eliminate overproduction and waste, shifting the industry from mass trends to more individualised consumer choices. “I expect the ‘white sneaker effect’ to be completely gone in five years”, he predicts.

“As a non-profit organisation, we are primarily focused on making an impact”, Verschure notes. The organisation prioritises sustainability and social responsibility in its operations. It aims to drive awareness about conscious consumer choices and sustainable retail practices, using data to inform and improve decisions across the value chain.

By fostering collaboration, innovation and transparency, CAST seeks to contribute to a more sustainable and efficient future for the global footwear industry. In the long term, CAST envisions its centre as an international hub for knowledge sharing, connecting European and global partners. “Ultimately, everyone is welcome to visit suppliers and explore the quality and technical products still available”, Verschure shares.

You can find more information about CAST here.