The Premium Group trade fairs, Premium and Seek, will return to Station Berlin in July. With the move to the new old address at the Gleisdreieck, where the Premium was already at home from 2006 to 2020, there is also a complete reorientation of the event, which sees itself more as a platform than as a trade fair.
Following last year’s bundled show at the Messe West site under the radio tower, there was criticism of the venue and choice of brands represented, leading some to question the show’s relevance. FashionUnited spoke to creative director Maren Wiebus (via email) about the repositioning and her work as creative director and project manager.
Ms. Wiebus, you have been working in the exhibition sector for many years – for Seek for over 14 years and for Premium for over 17 years. Can you outline a bit your job role and how it has changed over the years? Is there a “typical day” for you?
Typically, I try to be the first in the office so I have a buffer for surprises. My everyday work is varied and creative – we always deal with what the industry needs to know now in order to be successful in the future. It’s always about: “What’s next?”
What are some highlights that you remember, what excites you about your job?
Despite being a rather introverted personality, I enjoy interacting with so many wonderful people. At least twice a year, everyone comes together at our events in Berlin – or sometimes in between and somewhere else. Most are wonderfully great, some wonderfully interesting, some wonderfully different. It definitely never gets boring!
And what are pages (if any) that you could do without?
The last few weeks before the events are always particularly stressful because sometimes “a few loose ends are still hanging over me”. Sometimes they get tangled up. But the relief when everything works out and fits together in the end is all the more fulfilling.
Did your training at AMD Düsseldorf prepare you well for your current job?
The time at AMD was definitely a good basis. Ultimately, it’s about what you make of such a basis and what lessons life gives you on the way. The importance of building and maintaining a strong network still accompanies me every day. I am still in close contact with my favorite fellow students, who have also found great jobs in our industry and with whom I sometimes even work. I’m pretty proud of us!
And how hard was it to settle down after graduation? What advice would you give to newcomers?
Listen a lot, keep your eyes wide open – and then just do it!
The Premium and Seek on July 11th and 12th are eagerly awaited. Berlin has the potential to be the fashion capital of the summer. Despite this, the event was shortened to two days – what were the considerations behind this decision?
It is precisely this efficient bundling that accounts for the high relevance and attractiveness. The feedback on this was positive without exception. We research and curate for months with a lot of passion and curiosity; the result can then be experienced compactly over two days at our events. We deliver a focused, organized and inspiring industry gathering.
The combination of Premium/Seek is the only European fair that brings together women’s and men’s fashion as well as shoes and accessories in one place. How do you choose the brands and what do you value after the criticism for the next edition?
Correct, this fact alone makes our events in Europe unique. We take feedback from the industry very seriously and proactively engage in dialogue with decision-makers in order to jointly generate as much added value as possible for brands, retailers and fashion professionals. For example, we have organized several round tables in Germany and abroad in recent months to talk about the future of formats like ours.
As a platform (we want to get away from the dusty word trade fair), we are in the middle of a major transformation and this is having a corresponding effect on the curation of our brand portfolios. We ask ourselves: What are the most exciting trends for the industry? What makes selected brands different or special? Why does a brand deserve to be seen or discovered? Does the brand’s strategy fit the consumers’ desires of our time? Where does this brand offer added value for retailers?
What innovations can visitors and exhibitors expect in July?
For example, ‘The Ground Format’, which we will implement in cooperation with Platte Berlin, is brand new. The focus is on the Gen Z community, their desires, views and ideas. These are translated into a fashion context and brands and visitors can be inspired by style interpretations.
In this edition, in addition to the brand portfolio, we are also focusing on our networking and content program. Visitors can look forward to exciting “How To” content from the fields of fashion, sustainability, business, tech and beauty. After the success in winter, another focus at the Premium will be on beauty.
Also new is the “Berlin Scents” format at Seek, which focuses on niche brands from the fragrances sector, as well as activation with D2C brands, which are opening up to B2B wholesale business for the first time.
How important is sustainability when planning and designing the trade fair?
Very important. Apart from a large number of outstanding exhibitors who act in a sustainable manner, such as Armedangels, Veja, Lanius, Thinking Mu, Dedicated and many more, as organizers we always strive to gradually optimize our impact. For example, we offer a sustainable stand concept in which furniture and walls can be stored and reused for many years. This not only saves costs and resources, but also reduces waste. At the same time, out of conviction, we cooperate with Deutsche Bahn and local food experts who use organic and regional products. These are just a few select screws that we are turning in order to constantly become ‘better’.