The modern trade show business model has become incredibly cookie cutter in nature, with very little to differentiate between shows other than location, date, size, and the price of booths.
With that in mind, the people behind Surf Expo are bringing a new show to market next July, LAUNCH LA. In order to get into the show, brands must get approved by a jury, including Gotcha Founder Michael Tomson, Pirate Surf and Modern Amusement Owner/Designer Jeff Yokoyama, and the owners of Saturdays NYC, Josh Rosen, Morgan Collett, and Colin Tunstall; who will base their decisions to allow brands in overall design on product innovation.
We caught up with LAUNCH LA Head of Sales & Marketing and TransWorld Business alum Josh Hunter to learn more about this innovative model and how he hopes it will drive, well, innovation within the industry and beyond.
Josh Hunter
Congratulations on announcing the launch of LAUNCH. Where did the idea for this show and its format come from?
The concept for LAUNCH developed over the past 12-18 months. I’d say it really grew from a combination of listening to what the market has been asking for and also being aware that sometimes the wheel does indeed need to be reinvented-or at least given a serious tune up.
I’ve always liked the old Henry Ford quote: “If I’d asked customers what they wanted, they would have said ‘a faster horse.’” LAUNCH is a departure from what’s already available, which is exactly what we think the market needs.
LAUNCH LA is a juried event offering the press and key retail buyers a distilled, first look at game-changing products at the true beginning of the buy/sell cycle. It will be held in the historic Barker Hangar in Santa Monica on July 25-26 of next year.
LAUNCH LA will present those offerings in a way that’s evocative and easily digestible, enabling attendees to quickly discern apex items and brands that lead the market.
Our panel of experienced and influential experts will screen each company based on quality, design and originality in order to ensure the best product assortment from leading men’s and women’s contemporary fashion labels, footwear and accessories brands, lifestyle and action sports lines, as well as swim, apothecary, and technology collections.
To be clear, we’re not claiming to have invented the concept of a juried show. They’ve been around for years. GLM President Allen Steel launched a juried show in Europe back in 1984, which went on to be a success. Also, look at what Fashion Coterie has accomplished since it started in ’86. But there’s never been a show like LAUNCH, and it’s going to change the conversation when in comes to West Coast shows.
Give me a little background on LAUNCH‘s relationship with Surf Expo and Providence Equity Partners, which just purchased Surf Expo. Is LAUNCH its own entity within the company or a sub project of Surf Expo?
Good question. Providence Equity Partners purchased GLM Events on September 30. LAUNCH is one of the new properties GLM had already developed, and was one of the growth opportunities that appealed to Providence from an investment standpoint when they were considering the acquisition.
GLM Events also produces 15 other shows, one of which is Surf Expo. That said, LAUNCH and Surf Expo are separate, with different goals and clientele with different needs. I guess you could compare it to PPR owning Gucci, Puma, and now Volcom. Likewise, GLM owns New York International Gift Fair, Surf Expo, and LAUNCH to name a few.
LAUNCH operates autonomously from Surf Expo, but both shows benefit from having the resources that come with being part of GLM, which annually showcases more than 11,000 exhibitors in 1.8 million square feet of exhibit space, and attracts 150,000-plus attendees.
Follow the jump…
