Review Gallery SHOES 10 up to 12 March 2019

Review 

• Steady attendance with 9,800 professional visitors
• Unanimous praise from trade and industry associations
• A good atmosphere and results despite stormy weather conditions
• Number of exhibitors participating in all four Igedo tradeshows in Düsseldorf is growing

Ulrike Kähler, Managing Director of the Igedo Company and Project Director of the tradeshow formats in Düsseldorf, is concluding Gallery SHOES on a positive note: “The event attracted an estimated 9,800 professional visitors, a healthy and encouraging figure that would have been even higher were it not for the serious storm situation in the region of North Rhine-Westphalia and large parts of Germany on Sunday afternoon, which caused travel problems and necessary safety measures to be taken on the grounds. As early as Sunday morning there was already a good flow of visitors and the halls of the Areal Böhler were very busy. And the same can be said for the whole of Monday.”

And at yesterday’s press conference by the HDS/L German Federal Association of the Footwear and Leather Goods Industry at Gallery SHOES, which is a reliable barometer and sheds light on the international industry, the tenor was similar: the response to Gallery SHOES was extremely positive and encouraging there too.

Brigitte Wischnewski, President of the Federal Association of German Shoe Retailers, sees Gallery SHOES as an obligatory event for shoe retailers, summing up enthusiastically that professional visitors should under no circumstances miss it. She also met all the big, important buyers here and encouraged those who had not yet been to this event to make sure they attend future editions. In her opinion, Gallery SHOES has an exciting vibe with an open, extremely varied, individual roundup of brands that are fascinating, impressive and highly modern. She says this is where the industry comes together to inform themselves, place orders, re-order and maintain their networks. She found the mood among the exhibitors to be very good and positive.

Carl-August Seibel, President of the German Association of the Footwear and Leather Goods Industry, confirmed this, adding that in addition to the excellent atmosphere, the large number of visitors and the fair’s good scheduling, another bonus is that the shoes here are shown within the context of fashion and the latest trends, a very important criterion for a successful understanding of today’s market requirements at the POS. Important added value is offered here and everyone can get a lot out of it.

This is not only because of the new, open presentation of the brands at Gallery SHOES, but, first and foremost, also the noticeable integration of fashion, for example with the catwalk in the Premium hall and the line-up of accompanying events including trend views, fashion forecasts, talks and trend zones with highly respected partners like TextilWirtschaft, HDS/L, Modeurop, Fashion Trend Pool and – for the first time – OEKO-TEX and SCALERION. All in all, a unanimous conclusion from spokespersons from retail and the industry. These opinions are based on their experience after four successful editions of the new shoe fair format for the European shoe industry in Germany, which is meanwhile a firm fixture throughout Europe.

“We are delighted to receive this confirmation, which we are also seeing on an international level,” says Ulrike Kähler. “Gallery SHOES is a well-established event. That’s not only something we’re noticing on our trips abroad to curate new brands, but also when visiting important European retailers.” She goes on to say that with regard to the internationality of the trade visitors in particular, after four successful events the fair has built up a good, solid platform and a credible reputation to take the discussions even further, in addition to the marketing measures in many European countries that have been going on since the beginning. This will help to attract important buyers to Düsseldorf again in the mid to long term, in some cases also in cooperation with key exhibitors.

“Another benefit is that the Gallery SHOES portfolio is dynamically developing and, in some cases, also being extended within the zones. As a result of the new layout of the ‘Halle am Wasserturm’, for example, space has been created for new premium brands. And there is still room for the gradual expansion of the space at Areal Böhler,” says Ulrike Kähler, going on to underline the four available dates in conjunction with sister fair Gallery. She is also reporting an increased presence of shoe brands and shoe distribution agencies at the fashion format Gallery, also in Düsseldorf, which takes place at an earlier date.

Gallery SHOES shows over 550 brands from 20 countries, with a participation ratio of 65% international and 35% national. In the fashionable zones of Gallery SHOES, sneakers in all variations and Western boots were among the biggest trends this time.

Upcoming dates of Gallery SHOES

1-3 September 2019

8-10 March 2020

Exhibitors statements