Booths and Buyers Buzz at the WSA Show

LAS VEGAS, March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Las Vegas was the place to be February 2–4, as buyers and brands from every corner of the U.S. and around the world converged on the Mandalay Bay Convention Center for the footwear industry's premier event, The WSA Show. With top brands displaying their latest product and motivated buyers eager to write business, the mood on the bustling show floor was upbeat and optimistic.

"Our exhibitor and brand efforts were focused for February 2010 WSA," said Pamela Baffo, director of The WSA Show. "We were committed to delivering the right buyers to our participating brands. We were pleasantly surprised by the retailer traffic, and exhibitors were happily understaffed at times. The buyers were optimistic about the future, and happy that the show was under one roof for ease of shopping and searching for new product and brands. We are happy with our new August 2010 dates and look forward to returning under one roof at The Venetian/Sands Expo." The summer dates for The WSA Show are August 9–11 at The Venetian and Sands Expo Center.

With every product segment of the footwear industry represented at WSA, buyers were able to cross-shop categories, while the well-merchandised format of the show floor made shopping a breeze. Best of all, trend-right product from some of the best-known names in the business was on display, including Reebok, Dansko, Red Wing, H.H. Brown, Sperry, Rockport, BBC International, Dynasty, Clarks, Skechers, Chinese Laundry, Earth and Aetrex.

"WSA was great!  Our international buyer traffic was strong and our business was significantly up for the show," said Jeffrey Campbell, president of Jeffrey Campbell Footwear.  He found that the under-one-roof convenience of the show and the upbeat mood was great for business.

"We had a really rewarding show at WSA," added Len Jacobson, director of communications for Taos Footwear. "Our booth was a hive of activity for much of the time. We had dealers not only looking for what Taos was up to but also making buying commitments to our current and upcoming seasons. There was a lot of enthusiasm for the choices we're making as far as styles and constructions."

The Box, WSA's exclusive showcase of contemporary and emerging brands, invited buyers with an elegantly casual shopping atmosphere and events such as Bubbles in the Box, Mimosas in the Morning and a DJ to set the mood. N.Y.L.A. Couture, Report and Dolce Vita were just a few of the quality brands on display.

The Collections at WSA made its main floor debut to enthusiastic response. Returning exhibitor Thomas Meister, president and CEO of Konjo Ababa said, "We enjoyed the new environment very much, as it played a large role in increasing traffic. Our experience at WSA was great!  Konjo produces the finest wearable art style handbags in the world. The Collections at WSA provides an excellent stage to show our label."

ENK International, LLC is the leading producer of fashion trade shows in New York City, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. ENK's portfolio of 29+ events include Coterie (women's contemporary and bridge clothing and accessories), ENKNewYork (men's classic to contemporary clothing, premium denim and advanced sportswear, footwear and apothecary), Circuit (women's fashion and fine jewelry, handbags, scarves, footwear and gift items), Intermezzo (women's contemporary and bridge clothing), Children's Club (children's clothing, accessories, footwear and gifts from layette to junior categories), WSA (women's, men's and children's footwear and accessories), Sole Commerce (upscale women's footwear), Brighte Los Angeles (contemporary and bridge women's ready-to-wear, footwear and accessories) and ENKVegas (men's and women's clothing, denim, footwear and accessories). ENK's shows attract 225,000 domestic and international buyers and press yearly resulting in sales of over $250 million.

For more details, please visit www.wsashow.com

SOURCE WSA