The battle of the trade shows heated up Thursday when Liberty Fairs revealed that it has hired Lizette Chin, the former head of the MRket show, to take on the new role of vice president of Quest.
Chin will be charged with expanding Liberty’s Quest section, which is the high-end component of the show that has been presented during the biannual Las Vegas market for the past six seasons. In the past, brands that have exhibited at Quest include Lardini, Sand Copenhagen, Boglioli, J.W. Brine, Pringle and Paul & Shark.
Quest is Liberty’s answer to Project’s popular Tents area, which features more upscale brands in a special section with an elevated aesthetic. Project is operated by MRket’s new owner, UBM.
According to Liberty, Chin is expected to build on Liberty’s place in the contemporary market by layering on more progressive, modern men’s brands. She will also introduce Quest to the New York edition of the show.
“I’ve known Lizette for quite some time and have always admired her energy; she’s a natural fit for the Liberty family,” said Sam Ben-Avraham, founder of Liberty Fairs. “I look forward to exploring ideas with her and I’m excited to see her extensive experience and knowledge take Quest to the next level.”
“Focusing on brand curation and customer experience, Quest will be a home for creation and commerce within the men’s wear category,” said Chin.
Chin most recently served as vice president of menswear for UBM, overseeing MR Magazine, MR-Mag.com and the MRket Tradeshows. UBM purchased MR’s parent, Business Journals, Inc., last April for $69 million. Prior to that, she led The Collective, ENK International’s men’s wear show, for 15 years (it is also owned by UBM now), before joining BJI in 2007 as advertising director. She launched the MRket Las Vegas and New York trade shows in 2008-09.
Chin will start at Liberty on March 27.