#FashionAlert #AmazingAccessories 152nd ILM in Offenbach: Leather goods fair feels the impact of the Corona virus

# Fewer visitors: Corona virus slows down trade fair business

# More communication: exciting lectures and discussions

# More courage: Retailers are looking for fashionable products and merchandising ideas

The 152nd International Leather Goods Fair ILM took place as scheduled in Offenbach from 29 February to 2 March 2020. Around 300 German and international exhibitors from the bags, accessories, school satchels, umbrellas and luggage sectors presented their new collections for the autumn/winter 2020/21 season.

The course of the fair reflects the current difficult situation worldwide surrounding the corona virus epidemic: the fear of infection already led to around 20 cancellations from exhibitors at short notice just before the ILM. As expected, however, the number of visitors also fell short of the usual, very good figures. "We are very pleased that the fair was able to take place at all", says Arnd Hinrich Kappe, Managing Director of Messe Offenbach. "Of course, we had fewer visitors. But the exhibitors are reporting good business with everyone who came to Offenbach". After the three days of the trade fair, Arnd Hinrich Kappe estimates that the drop in visitor numbers was 41%. Buyers from the big companies, in particular, but also smaller dealers, stayed away from the fair this time.

The health of exhibitors and visitors is the ILM's top priority. “The decision to go ahead with the fair was taken on an objective level and in close cooperation with the municipal health authorities", said Arnd Hinrich Kappe in defence of the decision. High security requirements, including admission restrictions for exhibitors and visitors from particularly high risk areas, along with additional hygiene measures, ensured greater safety in the halls. As a precautionary measure, the hygiene measures for heavily frequented areas such as entrances, door handles, etc. were increased even more compared to the already high standard. Additional disinfectant dispensers were also installed around the grounds.

The majority of exhibitors also considered the decision to go ahead with the ILM to be the right one. Christiane Brunk from Braun Büffel said: "For us it was important to be here and to meet our customers. On the first day of the fair we were really busy even."

"We are positively surprised and had a lot of visitors at our stand every day," summed up Jasmin Mix from the suitcase specialist Titan. Product innovations focussing on sustainability aroused a lot of curiosity in the run-up to the fair. Georg Picard from Picard confirms the positive basic trend under the circumstances: "Postpone the fair? That wouldn't have done anybody any good. The mood is good. The retailers who came to Offenbach were completely relaxed." However, the situation in the retail sector is a major concern for exhibitors. The previous restrictions on consumption due to the "Greta effect" have now been ignited even further by concerns about corona virus infection. "Many retailers fear that now even fewer customers will come to the cities," says Picard.

Communication & Inspiration

Increasing customer frequency and finding new ways of addressing customers were among the top themes in the significantly expanded ILM framework programme. Inspiring lectures and exciting discussion rounds presented the trade with a wealth of ideas as to how to stimulate business with bags and accessories. Inspiration on the floor, too: There was a lot of demand from buyers for attractive product presentations, new merchandising ideas as well as concrete proposals for exciting customer events and they found what they were looking for. "We shouldn’t keep thinking of trade fairs merely as a product show, as was once the case, but have to change and think and act with the user in mind.” But Arnd Hinrich Kappe is also convinced that “Apart from that, the trade fair must be transformed from an exhibition venue into a place of experience". The after-work parties at the end of the trade fair days were the scene of lively talks between exhibitors and visitors.

A lot of exciting impulses came out of the Concept Square: New brands and interesting start-ups are concentrated in this modern and communicatively designed area. There was a lot of praise for the "Communication Desk", a kind of counter and service point offering visitors and exhibitors ideal conditions for working and/or viewing digital product presentations.

At the ILM's runway shows the focus was on new products in the bag and luggage collections. The stylishly staged shows by Bettina von Bassewitz of showzone, divided into the areas "Bag World" and "Travel World", were full of useful inspirations for the Autumn/Winter 2020/21 order season. Apart from an attractive look, added value plays an important role in the choice of products.

Lightness, function and colour are the central themes in luggage. Lot of fashion diversity among the new bags: In addition to nano bags and boxy, medium sized formats, XL bags with "slouchy" shapes are becoming more popular. "Caramel is the number one colour, but we are also seeing more and more darker brown tones," says Stefan Bruder from Abro. "Overall, customers are buying fewer basics and paying more attention to fashion. All shades of red are selling really well, but also cream and dusky pink," says Dave de Boer, who came to the ILM with brands such as Coccinelle, Guess, Valentino etc. The company has been recording remarkably strong growth in the men's bags segment for some time now.

The industry is also concerned with the issue of sustainability. Retailers are demanding more recycled materials, e.g. nylon from PET bottles, but also new types of water-based PU materials. The trade fair itself also focuses heavily on the broad topic of sustainability. Arnd Hinrich Kappe stated: "We have commissioned a management consultancy to analyse us so that we are brutally confronted with the green fingerprint of the fair. And we do this quite consciously as our aim is to make our claim to sustainability credible. We want to become even better every day! “

Summary: Despite all adverse circumstances, the ILM, even in its 152nd year, still remains a key date in the calendar of the leather goods, luggage and fashion industries. Reliability also means reliable and timely planning. The next ILM will be held in Offenbach from 5 to 7 September 2020. The collections for spring/summer 2021 will then be presented.



http://www.ilm-offenbach.de/presse/