The 35th annual Swimwear Association of Florida’s SwimShow, the most-respected, comprehensive and longest-running of its kind, took place July 22-25 at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, FL, with the support of the Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority, and brought together the biggest and best US and international retailers with the hottest swimwear collections of the season

The four-day event hosted thousand of buyers in the two beautifully renovated halls as they met with new and existing vendors. “We welcomed over 100 new designers and redesigned the floor plan to showcase the expanded and highly anticipated Collection area,” said Judy Stein, Executive Director of the Swimwear Association of Florida. Footfall figures are yet to be announced, but Stein said that pre-registration numbers were up by 12% by the beginning of July.

Luli Hanimian, Designer and Partner of Luli Fama was thrilled with customer response at the show, “This is the biggest and best show for us to present our collection to the world and get the most exposure in front of all of the international buyers.”

“Our booth was consistently busy all four days. Our buyers loved The Collection layout, the atmosphere was very upscale and zen. It allowed us to engage in a more intimate, one-on-one way with our accounts and to spoil them with luxury amenities like butlered champagne service. This is the only place to showcase your brand” said Mauricio Esquenazi, owner of Peixoto.

There was an exhilarating buzz on the show floor this year. Buyers, bloggers, and influencers moved quickly from booth to booth, discovering new brands, new trends and catching up with familiar favorites. “I’m delighted that the swimwear industry is going so strong. According to the NPD, US swimwear sales totaled $5 billion through the end of May 2017. With those figures, this market is one of the best performing in the retail industry at this time, putting it in a truly advantageous space. Walking the SwimShow floor, you could see that orders were being written and business was being done,” said Stein.

Lynn Fram and Mindi Leikin, Owners of Bare Necessities in Maryland agreed, “It’s always great to catch up with everyone in the industry, from the manufacturers, friends, and of course all the fabulously creative brands, but what I love about SwimShow is the convenience of having everything under one roof. I can discover new trends, see my regular accounts, network with a new business contact, and complete my entire buy for the season all at this one trade show.”

“The importance of this trade show to the swimwear industry is immeasurable, says Merrill Levin, owner of Shirley and Co. in Pennsylvania. I have been coming for the last 20 years and I don’t know how they do it, but each year the show gets better and better.”

In addition to the 4-day exhibit, special events and amenities surrounding SWIMSHOW included a GIF Photobooth, Cyber Cafes, Ride Freebee Scooters, Swim Lounge Happy Hour, a daily breakfast bar, High Tea service every afternoon allowing for networking, free WiFi and a Zen Lounge with mini treatments that included a dry and braid bar, Henna tattoo, nail bar, makeup studio, massage services and a Reiki Healer.

The SwimShow also featured a Fashion Law seminar for exhibitors presented by Greenberg Traurig that focused on the legal issues fashion brands are facing in the age of social media. Topics discussed included the challenges involved from protecting your brand and designs, regulations governing the use of interns and requirements for disclosures of social media endorsements.

The Eveden Fit School seminar for buyers was a unique opportunity to learn the art of fitting with Frederika Zappe, Eveden’s National Fit Specialist, and the Eveden Fit Team. The one-hour seminar and hands-on fitting boot camp are designed for everyone from novices to seasoned professionals to hone attentive personal instruction in advanced fitting techniques and receive an Eveden fit certificate.

Recognized as the most important swimwear tradeshow in the world, SwimShow is the premier resource for buyers from all swimwear categories and caters to designer boutiques, resort shops, specialty stores, surf shops, department stores, mass merchants and more. This global trade show includes buyers, manufacturers, designers, corporate personnel, press, bloggers, influencers, fashion consultants, stylists and other fashion industry leaders.

SWIMSHOW 2016

Founded in 1982, the Swimwear Association of Florida produces and organizes SwimShow, the longest-running, and largest annual swimwear trade show. Located at the Miami Beach Convention Center, the event features over 350 exhibitor booth showcasing 2,500 swimwear brands, attracts thousands of attendees and is recognized as a global industry leader in trends, news, and business transactions. For more information, please visit www.swimshow.com

All event images by World Red Eye – worldredeye.com and courtesy of SwimShow