Copenhagen's high-powered beauty
The Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF) sees itself as Europe's biggest fashion expo. Yet its appeal stems not from its disputed size, but from subtleties of a very different kind.
Whether it really was one square metre bigger than Düsseldorf's CPD or not is an unresolved issue. Not a particularly important one, though, given that the Copenhagen International Fashion Fair is cresting the wave of success even without the rather contrived comparative. Things have been that way for a few years now. The fair is expanding and deemed a trendsetter when it comes to fashion - not merely for the Scandinavian region. Just recently, from February 8 to 11, another edition of the CIFF took place with more than 1,000 exhibitors on upwards of 42,500 m2 of net exhibition space. Since Copenhagen's Bella Center can no longer accommodate all the fashion up for display at the CIFF, a 5,000 m2 temporary exhibition marquee enhanced the space. Around 31,000 attendees were registered.
Bella Center Sales and Marketing Director Jesper Andahl believes the secret of success lies in the showrooms permanently installed in the exhibition and congress centre for various labels to display what is "in" not only at CIFF show times. Throughout the year a number of fashion companies showcase themselves there with their steadily expanding and ever faster-changing collections. Whereas in 1993 a mere 5,200 m2 was permanently occupied in the centre, today 18,000 m2 is fully taken up all year round simply with the 250 showrooms now available. "Imagine if, during the CIFF, these companies preferred to go into town and appear there at other cool venues as has so often happened at the CPD; then we wouldn't be slating so much exhibition space and such gratifying growth," Andahl says. That the labels also use the space for the rest of the year makes them all the more loyal to the event. Wolfgang May, Director Domestic Fairs at the Igedo Company, Düsseldorf, which organises the CPD, identifies another source of the Copenhagen Fashion Fair's success. "Denmark is currently being enormously hyped, particularly in design and fashion. This naturally works to the CIFF's advantage." But conversely, as a result of this trend he sees the CPD registering an increasing number of Danish exhibitors. "That's great," May insists, especially since it is increasingly emerging that "the CIFF is the fashion fair for Scandinavia and the English-speaking region, the CPD for Central Europe". May attributes this to structures that have evolved over the years. The people in Düsseldorf have close ties with the Russian capital, where they also stage a Collections Premiere Moscow (CPM). This links the interesting east European market to the CPD und CPM.
Meanwhile, Copenhagen has grand plans for internationalisation. "We expect the number of foreign exhibitors and visitors to continue climbing." Ten years ago about 2,000 visitors did not come from Denmark - today that figure is about one-third of the 30,000 exhibition guests.
m+a report Nr.1 / 2007 vom 13.02.2007
m+a report vom 13. Februar 2007