New Danish buying event Mandatory CPH: ‘There has been a desire in the industry for earlier dates’

Two trade show veterans have joined forces to launch a new buying event in Copenhagen. Mandatory CPH will take place in late June, just a few months after the planning for the event started. FashionUnited spoke to the organisers Mads Petersen and Clara Leone, who together have 35 years of experience in the fashion industry, particularly focused on the trade show business.

Petersen and Leone have been competitors for many years. While Petersen worked for the Copenhagen trade show CIFF, Leone was at the (now CIFF-owned) trade show Revolver. “We have known each other for about ten years and have also worked together before,” Leone explained.

“There has long been a desire from the industry when it comes to the dates of the fairs in Copenhagen,” said Petersen. The trade fair CIFF and the former trade fair Revolver always took place at the beginning of August. “This late into the season, buyers' money has often already been spent. As a result, the return on investment for a stand at a trade fair, which often costs tens of thousands of euros, is very low.” It is often more about networking and being inspired than about doing actual business and writing orders.

Petersen and Leone therefore want to introduce an event at the beginning of the buying season, when the budgets have not yet been spent. “We want to bring the right people together at the right time and give a more modern approach to buying.” As such, the timing of the event, June 26 to 28, comes just after the men's fashion week in Paris, so that visitors from outside Europe can travel more easily.

Leone also explained that when orders are placed at the end of the summer, there is less time available to produce the items and get them into stores on time. By bringing the buying period forward, brands also potentially have more time to plan their production, which is an improvement for the entire ecosystem.

Mandatory CPH gearing up for purchasing season debut

Mandatory CPH is a trade event with a showroom format, through which interested parties can also view participating brands on the event’s website and make appointments. The brand segment of the trade fair is contemporary and in the mid/high-end segment. At the time of the initial launch announcement of Mandatory CPH, Petersen and Leone were hoping for a hundred brands to show at the event, but that number has now grown to 200. There are many Scandinavian brands, but also major international brands such as Scotch & Soda, Veja, Aspesi, Howlin', Christian Wijnants, Kings of Indigo, Missoni, Edwin, and Filson on the line up.

Mandatory does not aim to be the biggest, however. Leone and Petersen say they want to be the best in the specific market and style segment. Being the best in this case means bringing together the most qualitative trade and like-minded people. The look and feel of the trade fair should match the kind of brands that are at Mandatory CPH: contemporary and high-end. A modern look and feel with low costs for the participating brands. A food curator has been hired for the catering of the event and all food and drinks are free for brands and guests, alike. “We want to create a relaxed atmosphere. A feeling that people are coming home to us.” The event is free of charge for visitors.

New trade show Mandatory CPH brings buying in Denmark to forefront of calendar

For the time being, the event will focus on its home base, Copenhagen, and the Scandinavian industry. That does not mean that there will be no other nationalities on the floor, but there must first be a solid base before Mandatory thinks about conquering other markets. Asked about potential German visitors now that the German trade fair landscape has become so much smaller, Leone says that they have no illusions about suddenly attracting many German visitors. “Germany needs its own platform for buying. Of course, some of the German buyers will travel to Copenhagen, but we don't expect the whole industry to come here all of a sudden.”

The first edition of Mandatory CPH is almost upon us, but Petersen and Leone are quite relaxed about it. “We don't expect everything to be perfect the first time. It's also something new, it's a new rhythm that our industry needs to start selling the collection earlier. It's always the hardest to start and then we adjust. We are going to prepare for an edition in January and there will be some improvements based on the summer edition. We'll see what works and what doesn't. For us, it's all about timing and this is the perfect moment to start.”

This article originally appeared on FashionUnited.NL.