LAS VEGAS — Don’t get too comfortable at the Las Vegas Convention Center, MAGIC is on the move again.
On Monday, at the opening of the spring market here, Informa Markets, which owns MAGIC and its related shows, revealed that the multimillion-dollar construction project at the LVCC is forcing all the shows to move to the Mandalay Bay for one season. The dates have also been pushed ahead and will now run Feb. 5 to 7, 2020, smack dab in the middle of New York Fashion Week.
This is what happened six months ago when MAGIC moved its dates ahead, overlapping with NYFW and causing a domino effect in the industry.
The other trade shows that always align their dates with MAGIC — Liberty Fairs and Agenda — could not host their events at their longtime home at the Sands Expo Center at those times and were forced to move downtown. Their plans for next February are uncertain at this point since the show directors just heard about the date change on Monday.
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Tom Nastos, chief commercial officer for Informa Markets Fashion Division, said the shift in venue and dates in February could not be avoided but the company has signed a decade-long contract with the LVCC and will return to its mid-February/mid-August calendar after the one-season relocation.
He also said the dates of the trade shows, which include Project, WWDMAGIC, FN Platform and Pool, will run Wednesday to Friday in February in deference to the Council of Fashion Designers of America whose men’s shows will run Feb. 3 to 5 and women’s shows Feb. 7 to 12.
He acknowledged the space at Mandalay “will be very tight,” meaning not all brands might be able to secure booths, but added it is most important to Informa to keep all the shows together.
“By positioning ourselves this August at the LVCC it sets us up for the future to secure traditional market dates that align with the industry and join together under one roof at a state-of-the-art facility,” he said.