Momad delivers steady footfall despite transition

By

Triana Alonso

Translated by
Barbara Santamaria

Published
Feb 21, 2019

The first edition of the Madrid trade fashion show under a new name and with a revamped format welcomed 15,250 visitors, with international guests representing 25% of the total. With over 800 exhibiting brands, footfall numbers grew slightly from the previous edition held in September 2018, when Ifema reported 15,120 visitors. This season also included footwear and accessories, incorporating Momad Shoes.

Since appointing Charo Izquierdo, director of the MBFW Madrid, as the woman in charge of Ifema’s fashion fairs in April last year, Momad has been undertaking a transformation to bring together local designers and the industry under one roof. These are long-term plans that will take time to show results, but the strategy has managed to keep footfall levels high, even when compared with record results in previous editions (the February show hit the 15,000 mark). At the same time, show organisers highlighted that coinciding with other trade shows including Bisutex, Madrid Joya and Intergift, resulted in a number of synergies.

Izquierdo’s strategy has placed particular emphasis on reviewing the fair’s concepts. It has diversified the offer by progressively adding more men’s fashion brands, swimwear labels and high-profile designers; and expanded its sustainability credentials with over 30 eco-conscious brands in the line-up and a comprehensive content programme. Further, it has opened up to consumers, welcoming key players from the Millennial generation which continues to look for representation in the busy trade fair world. As part of this effort, the fair opened a TV set where it held interviews with the event’s stars, and launched a collaboration with four influencers, taking the first steps towards attracting this key generation.  

Organisers also highlighted the progress made towards its goal of “helping expand the presence of Spanish fashion abroad”. This season, it organised a programme for international buyers which included representatives from 36 companies coming from Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Dominican Republic, China, Hong Kong, Slovakia, Greece, Ireland, Czech Republic, Russia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar and Turkey.

As the fashion world prepares for the next edition in the fall, the footwear sector gears up for the first ShoesRoom by Momad - the new event dedicated to footwear. Also organised by Ifema, ShoesRoom by Momad will feature 80 brands in its inaugural edition, taking place in Madrid’s La N@ave on 1-3 March.