The largest apparel trade show in the U.S., the "2024 Las Vegas Fall Magic Show," opened today (19th) at the Las Vegas Convention Center, kicking off a three-day event that will run until the 21st. Korean clothing companies are going all out to boost their sales during this period.

Alongside the Magic Show, the competing "Las Vegas Apparel Show" also began a day earlier on the 18th at the Las Vegas World Market Center and will continue until the 21st.

Korean apparel companies in LA's Downtown Fashion District, who have been struggling due to decreased demand from the economic downturn, the expansion of online shopping, and competition from low-cost Chinese products, are participating in at least one of these shows to seek new opportunities. Dozens of these companies plan to attend both events.

According to the Korean Apparel Manufacturers Association (KAMA, President Brian Lee), although the number of participating companies has decreased compared to pre-pandemic levels, around 100 Korean companies are expected to participate in both the Magic Show and Apparel Show this year.

A representative from KAMA noted, "While the cost of attending these events continues to rise and the influence of these shows is not as strong as it used to be, the importance of these events in terms of developing new buyers and strengthening networks with existing buyers cannot be ignored." The companies participating in the Magic Show and Apparel Show will showcase their new products for the fall and winter seasons, as well as for next spring.

Additionally, this year's Magic Show and Apparel Show will see representatives from Korean banks such as Bank of Hope, Hanmi Bank, PCB Bank, Open Bank, and CBB Bank attending to discover new clients and meet with existing ones.

According to Korean clothing companies participating in the Apparel Show, which opened on the 18th, the atmosphere on the first day was relatively quiet.

A representative from a Korean clothing company participating in the Apparel Show mentioned, "Although there was a slight increase in visitors in the afternoon, the number of visitors has decreased compared to previous years," adding, "We expect the number of visitors to increase as the Magic Show opens on the 19th."

The Fall Magic Show is a large-scale apparel trade show with 600-700 participating clothing companies. It serves as an important event for Korean clothing companies to gauge the direction of their overall sales for the year. According to MMGNET Group, the organizer of the Magic Show, major buyers such as Macy's, UGG, and TJ Maxx will also attend this year's Magic Show.

The Apparel Show, which was launched in 2021 and is in competition with the Magic Show, boasts lower participation costs as one of its strengths.

Korean apparel companies are struggling due to reduced demand for clothing products as a result of consumer spending decreases caused by inflation. A representative from a Korean company that deals in women's clothing stated, "Recently, buyers have been extremely price-sensitive," adding, "As interest in low-cost products remains high this year, we have focused our show lineup on mid- to low-priced products."

<Hwandong Cho>