Fashion event could boost MAGIC

Monday, Oct. 25, 2004 | 10:40 a.m.

MAGIC Marketplace, one of Las Vegas' largest trade shows, will get even bigger next year with the addition of a new fashion event to be run concurrently at the Venetian.

Brighte, a women's fashion trade show that has been conducted in Los Angeles for three years, will debut Feb. 14-16 in Las Vegas during the winter MAGIC Marketplace. Organizers say the Las Vegas show is a new event and won't replace the Los Angeles show.

It's difficult to determine how much MAGIC would grow, since the organizers of Brighte haven't projected an attendance figure and many of those already attending MAGIC would likely attend the new show as well.

MAGIC -- Men's Apparel Guild in California -- is conducted twice a year in Las Vegas, in February and August, and the most recent shows have attracted about 100,000 people. This year's events were the first consolidated into one venue, the Las Vegas Convention Center, after being split between there and the Sands Expo Center for several years.

Originally established as a showcase for men's apparel, MAGIC has expanded and branched out into an event that highlights women's and children's clothing as well. Exhibitors and vendors meet at MAGIC to strike distribution deals for fashions headed for the nation's retail outlets, but the show's size is a financial bonanza for Las Vegas. The most recent February show produced an estimated $125.8 million in nongaming revenue for the city.

Brighte could expand future shows even more.

Elyse Kroll, president of ENK International, New York, the producer of Brighte, said she's looking forward to her first Las Vegas show.

"We decided to throw our hat into the ring because we feel the women's market is underserved," Kroll said. "I love Las Vegas and I think my exhibitors will find several new retailers there."

She said the event would be juried, meaning that a panel of judges would review prospective exhibitors before they are allowed to show. Kroll said she expects between 150 and 200 exhibitors to be a part of the show, but she said she has no idea how many people would attend the event.

"We decided for our first show in Los Angeles that we wanted something bright, colorful and fun in an atmosphere that people would think is cool," Kroll said. "That's how we came up with the name Brighte. Now, we're looking at doing the same thing in Las Vegas."

Kroll said she's looking forward to working with Las Vegas to produce the show.

"It's a terrific environment for a trade-show producer," Kroll said, "and hopefully for an exhibitor. It's very easy to entertain people here and it's small and easy to get around."