Leading buying group Associated Independent Stores (AIS) has revealed the calendar for its industry-favourite INDX Fashion trade shows.
Following a successful Q1 in 2023, AIS has made the decision to retain the same running order for the Q1 2024 shows, with the year opening with INDX Kids on 28-29 January.
As part of the format’s 10th anniversary in 2023, INDX Womenswear & Footwear was combined with INDX Accessories to form INDX Woman, while the nation’s number one menswear show, INDX Menswear & Footwear, was revamped into INDX Man. With AIS recording positive visitor and exhibitor feedback to both, the refined fashion shows will return on 31 Jan-1 Feb and 4-6 Feb respectively.
INDX is also the home of the UK’s only dedicated intimate apparel show, which is set to take place on 11-13 Feb.
The full calendar for INDX 2024 is below:
January
• INDX Kids, 28-29 January
• INDX Woman, 31 January-1 February
February
• INDX Man, 4-6 February
• INDX Intimate Apparel, 11-13 February
June
• INDX Sports & Leisure, 5-6 June
• INDX Kids, 30-31 June
July
• INDX Man, 14-16 July
• INDX Woman, 21-23 July
• INDX Intimate Apparel, 28-30 July
December
• INDX Sports & Leisure, 4-5 December
Karen Almond, Director of Fashion, Toys and Sport at AIS, said: “We have taken exhibitor, visitor and member feedback into account in the curation of our 2024 show calendar. In 2023, we made the decision to schedule our shows in relation to industry buying cycles so that they are best placed to serve the needs of both ends of the buying relationship. Overall, the response to this has been extremely positive, so we have made the decision to carry this running order over into 2024. We look forward to welcoming our varied customer base back to Cranmore Park for another successful year of trading.”
AIS has already hosted seven exhibitions so far in 2023, with a number of exhibitors weighing in with positive feedback.
Katie Heptonstall, Founder of Eleanor Charles, said: “Given the low barrier to entry at INDX (Kids), I came in without any pressure to do business as a first-time exhibitor. Despite this, I can easily say that the show far surpassed my expectations, generating many more transactions than anticipated. The friendly environment made it easy to strike up new opportunities, and I was thrilled to be awarded best-dressed stand.”
Lara Dell’Anna, Sales Representative at Wrangler, added: “We’ve been exhibiting at INDX for a few years, and it’s now the only trade show we attend. For us, making a business case for exhibiting is important, which is never an issue at INDX as we have lots of repeat customers and always pick up new opportunities too.”
Andy Smith, Sales Agent at Jana Shoes, said: “We recently returned to INDX (Woman), with this being our second show since coming back, and it’s definitely been the right decision for us. The current climate is forcing people to place orders much earlier in the season and we chose INDX because it’s so well-timed as well as being a focused order-writing show.
“The trade show landscape has changed so much in the last 10 years and exhibitors need to be able to demonstrate ROI more clearly, which is why I think INDX is seeing a resurgence with a lot of key players in the market. We’ve certainly had to make some important decisions with regards to where we prioritise our exhibition budgets.
“The INDX shows seem to have a new lease of life in the past year or so, and the organisers are clearly responsive to what’s going on in the world around us to make sure it’s well-suited to both suppliers and visitors.”
