Gallery Shoes starts off on the right foot

From 27 to 29 August in the Areal Böhler in Düsseldorf

Exhibitors, buyers, sector operators: everyone seems to agree that the new Gallery Shoes event, born from the ashes of the historic GDS fair, has gotten off on the right foot: the overall feeling of the fair was positive, fresh, modern, and trendy. Without a doubt, the location of the Areal Böhler in Düsseldorf made all the difference, with its striking post-industrial atmosphere, which was also very urban and trendy. To this can be added the IGEDO Company’s long-time experience in organizing trade fairs. With this fair, in fact, it proposed an extremely well-organized event, with a clear division per product type and a lower stand height with more of an open structure than GDS, allowing for an immediate overview of the collections and the visitors in attendance.

gallery-shoes-1

For many exhibitors the clear separation from the ‘Tag It!’ sourcing fair, which remained in the Messe Düsseldorf tradeshow complex, also worked to their advantage. Even the weather,which was very pleasant and sunny, contributed to the positive outcome of the fair’s debut, with the outdoor meeting and restaurant areas at near full capacity.
Moreover, the extension of the exhibiting area, which saw the addition of two temporary tensile structures, was appreciated by exhibitors and visitors alike, thanks above all to the high level of professionalism and the perfect organization of the offering.

gallery-shoes-2

As far as the official figures are concerned, a turnout of 9,200 buyers (above all German in origin) visited the fair between 27 and 29 August for an overview of the brand new Spring-Summer 2018 proposals of around 500 international brands coming from 16 countries, going far beyond the expectations of the fair’s organizers. Accordingly, the fair met up with the general interest and approval of operators, the Areal Böhler adhered to the zeitgeist of present-day times, and now the goal is that of lending the fair a greater international appeal.

We are very pleased with the unanimous approval we received from the industry – commented Ulrike Kähler, ProjectDirector of Gallery & Gallery Shoes. This first edition of Gallery Shoes was a genuine success for us.

We are very satisfied because we hit the bull’s eye and the results went above and beyond our expectations, above all when considering the short amount of time we had available. This was a confirmation of how in order to change it was necessary to make a break with the past, starting from the location – with the more fashionable and trendier new Böhler area -, to then end with a new concept. We all worked with great heart and complete dedication, we gave it our all, and the results proved us right.

Now, however, we need to focus more on the international profile of the event, reinforcing the promotion of the show, with a special emphasis on Northern Europe. Our aim is to create an event dedicated to mid-to-high end footwear, with a proposal that is clearly divided according to product type, all to the advantage of the buyers themselves.

We are not interested in growing in size, but rather maintaining a clear and well-defined concept. In the future, we will take greater advantage of the existing synergies between footwear and apparel, since we noticed how many visitors are present at both of the fairs we organize – Gallery Fashion Trade Show and Gallery Shoes – to get a preview of the collections and subsequently book their orders.