The Premium Group is returning to the German capital with its fashion fairs. In July, the trade fair organizer wants to present a completely new live event concept based around the Berlin radio tower and the summer garden.
“It’s a pity that the move to Frankfurt didn’t work out,” says Jörg Arntz, Managing Director of the Premium Group, in a statement on Monday. “We all tried very hard and did our best. As an entrepreneur, you always have to be able to act stay and question decisions made.”
After almost 20 years in Berlin, the Premium Group decided in the summer of 2020 to make a fresh start in Frankfurt with its Premium, Seek and Fashiontech events. But because of the pandemic, the trade fairs have never been able to take place in the Main metropolis since they moved. According to the trade fair organizer, the plan to establish the events at the new location fell victim to the pandemic. The Premium Group is now planning a new event from July 7th to 9th, which is also aimed at end consumers and will therefore run from Thursday to Saturday.
Measurements no longer up-to-date?
With the new event concept, the Premium Group promises to set new “standards for the future of specialist events” by bringing together events for the industry and end customers. “Classic trade fair formats are no longer up to date,” said Anita Tillmann, Managing Partner of the Premium Group, in the press release. “We have to reinvent ourselves and look to the future – to a new phase of the fashion industry’s life after the pandemic, which has changed everything. ” Current topics are digitization, climate change, pandemics, change in values, new industry cycles and new players as well as topics related to gender equality, diversity, metaverse, gaming and NFTs.
After intensive discussions with the city of Berlin, the Premium Group decided – in order to do justice to the customers and the market environment – to hold the events again in our hometown, Arntz explains the move to the capital.
The city of Berlin apparently also played a part in the new move. At least she has her say very prominently in the message from the fair. “We are therefore very pleased that we have succeeded in bringing the events of the Premium Group back home,” said Franziska Giffey, Mayor of Berlin. “Trade fairs and events are an important economic factor and a magnet for Berliners and guests from abroad the whole world.”
The city hopes that the events of the Premium Group will strengthen Berlin as a fashion and trade fair location and will have economic effects for the hotel industry, gastronomy, trade and services.
Quo Vadis Frankfurt Fashion Week?
The move of the Premium gave the starting signal for the Frankfurt Fashion Week, now the question arises what will happen to the event in the Main metropolis without the fashion fairs. The organizer Messe Frankfurt is sticking to the concept in principle.
“We regret this decision and at the same time remain convinced that the holistic ecosystem of Frankfurt Fashion Week will provide the industry and all participants with a contemporary and relevant offer,” replied Olaf Schmidt, Vice President Textiles & Textile Technologies at Messe Frankfurt, by e-mail. Mail in response to a request from FashionUnited.
Without the Premium and Seek trade fairs, it would be much more difficult for the Frankfurt Fashion Week to establish itself as a new event in the fashion calendar for a specialist audience. Due to the pandemic, buyers have gotten used to digital ordering anyway and are more selective at trade fairs.
The new Premium event in July overlaps on two days with the – previously announced – date of the Frankfurt Fashion Week from July 4th to 8th. And with the event there is now another appointment in Berlin – in times when the budget and the attention of the industry and buyers are consolidated rather than divided.
This post was supplemented at 5.15 p.m. with further details from the communication from Premium, as well as a statement from Messe Frankfurt and the background.