LAURA CONWELL-O’BRIEN, executive
director, The Atlanta Shoe Market
Most excited for: “Each season, we try to implement something new for all our attendees.
This season, we are in the process of rolling out several new interactive initiatives that will take place on the show floor. We hope this will offer attendees a memorable experience, one that will make them want to continue to come back and make The Atlanta Shoe Market
a must-attend event.”
Five new brands to see: ED by Ellen DeGeneres, B Brian Atwood, Loudmouth, Macarena, Swims
Social media initiatives: “We continue to focus on keeping our attendees interactive using social media, not only during the show but throughout the entire year. This helps build stronger relationships between vendors and retailers.”
Hottest category: “Lifestyle is by far the hottest category, showing no signs of slowing down. This category is sold out months before the show’s opening.”
Biggest challenge: “Trying to keep the show fresh with new ideas and new formats. We
want to create a great shopping experience for retailers so that when they leave the show they feel they have seen the newest assortment to keep their stores fresh.”
Attendance prediction: “It’s a new year, and I am hopeful that attendance will continue to be up as long as the economy stays on an upward trend.”
Business outlook: “The economy seems to be improving and reports from the retail sector for the Christmas season were very favorable, so I hope this continues. I am keeping a cautiously positive outlook for 2017.