Review of edition N°3

Review of edition N°3

• Over 500 brands (around 350 exhibitors) from more than 20 countries (approx. 65% international and approx. 35% national)
•  Around 9,800 professional visitors (approx. 75% national and approx. 25% international) from brands including Breuninger, Dodenhof, Garhammer, Görtz, Prange, P&C and Zumnorde
•  Areal Böhler is proving itself to be a modern, comfortable location for ordering, networking and information

 A positive atmosphere at Gallery SHOES: “We are concluding this edition on a par with the previous edition in March 2018 and are also very satisfied with the positive acceptance of the platform as a comfortable, feel-good location where people enjoy spending time,” sums up Ulrike Kähler, Managing Director of IGEDO COMPANY and Project Director of Gallery & Gallery SHOES.

And this is despite the fact that “in Germany alone, the number of sales outlets has once again decreased,” according to Siegfried Jacobs, Managing Director of the Federal Association of the German Footwear Retail Trade (BDSE). “Gallery SHOES attracts mid- to upscale retailers who also offer curated ranges themselves and really feel at home in this productive working atmosphere,” continues Siegfried Jacobs.

“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the entire industry. We achieved something wonderful together last year, all thanks to the industry’s belief in us. With the third edition, we have exceeded a magic threshold for tradeshows. Gallery SHOES hasn’t just crossed this threshold: with a return rate of 98%, we were once again fully booked. That is brilliant and almost unheard-of. And we are working hard to ensure that this continues in the future,” continues Ulrike Kähler. “Our utmost priority is to continue hand in hand with everyone. Together we can maintain the appeal of the show at this high level and also expand it even further throughout Europe. Gallery SHOES has, without a doubt, fully established itself on the market!”

“The tradeshow had a great start. Retailers were searching specifically for new products and also the stories behind the products. It’s all very well organised. Ms Kähler and her team have done a really good job. After all, despite the whole digitalisation aspect, we still also need to be able to meet people in person, experience emotions, have the chance to smell the shoes and touch their materials. That’s not something the internet can offer, however, it is only possible at a tradeshow like Gallery SHOES,” summarises Carl-August Seibel, Chairman of the German Federal Association of the Footwear and Leather Goods Industry (HDS/L) and Managing Director of Josef Seibel.

The most significant developments included the extension of the Premium area with a new hall bay and the associated establishment of the new Fashion Lifestyle Corner with its own catwalk. Successful German brand MARC CAIN played the leading role at the premiere, showcasing breathtaking summer outfits with their own shoe styles, as well as shoe models by Peter Kaiser and Högl.

“A fantastic new partnership model,” according to Norbert Lock, Managing Director Wholesale & Retail of the brand MARC CAIN, this season’s main partner of the newly launched catwalk. “Together with the catwalk, the entire Fashion Lifestyle Corner was a huge success. It’s important that this is further developed, which we plan on doing together with Gallery SHOES in the future. After all, presenting shoes and fashion here in this form is another of the platform’s professional assets. For us as a brand, this offers a very high personal added value and gives us the opportunity to showcase our shoes to a direct audience in addition to the presentation at our booth.”

“Showcasing products and creating an emotional presentation of brands on the shop floor are becoming increasingly important for retailers. Gallery SHOES offers a unique opportunity to do both. Our customers were highly impressed by the new Fashion Lifestyle Corner,” confirms Gerhard Bachmaier, Managing Director/CEO of Högl.

“The new concept of presenting the latest seasonal highlights in combination with flamboyant outfits and other competent shoe brands is a great concept and a definite benefit for all retailers,” says Stefan Frank, Managing Director/CEO of Peter Kaiser.

“We will certainly be continuing this area at future events. During all fashion shows, the catwalk proved to be a particularly popular attraction for the professional visitors, who enthusiastically made use of this hotspot as well as the info events on offer, especially the fully-packed Order-Info presentation by TW magazine, which was also streamed live on the internet,” continues Ulrike Kähler. “In general, the amount of time that the guests spent at Gallery SHOES was exceptionally high. The lounge zones were used as meeting places where industry insiders got together and spent a lot of time. They obviously felt very much at ease there, which in addition to the factual statistics, is what’s most important to us.”

And there wasn’t just positive feedback about the PREMIUM zone, but also the COMFORT and KIDS’ zones: “We are new on the market and regard Gallery SHOES as a must-attend event! Overall, it has gone very well for us: we have made new contacts and secured a lot of orders! We are especially impressed by the great atmosphere, the venue and the event itself. There has been a really cheerful vibe in our segment and the quality of the booths is excellent,” said Nany Mañas, Sales Manager of Guantitos from Spain.

The same applies to the URBAN zone: “This is the second time that Steve Madden Europe has exhibited at Gallery SHOES. Our feedback is totally positive! For this edition we were given a booth in the ‘Alte Schmiedehallen’, right in the URBAN area with lots of other great exhibitors around us. Participating in this tradeshow gives us the perfect opportunity to quickly come into contact with our existing customers and to show them our latest collection. And we are also seeing a lot of new faces here. We are definitely attracting the right audience to our booth,” said Jacky van Dijk, Marketing Manager Europe of Steve Madden Europe.

Another aspect that worked well at the third edition: getting to and from the Areal Böhler. “Our decision to only allow the exhibitors to park on the limited parking spaces of the Areal Böhler, to keep the traffic flowing and avoid long queues to get onto the grounds, was totally right. The shuttle services we offered the professional visitors who had made use of the alternative parking spaces were fully utilised and in operation throughout the whole event,” concludes Ulrike Kähler.

Upcoming Gallery SHOES dates for 2019:

10-12 March 2019

1-3 September 2019