Trade fairs and exhibitions, in many forms, have been held around the world for decades and they enable the businesses to grow to a larger scale. They have played a great role in industrial development and, of course, in the import and export business. To make things a little clearer, we are just setting off a conversation which I am sure a lot of you are interested in.
The traditional apparel industry globally faced huge losses due to the pandemic and is once again banking on Trade fairs and Exhibitions. Export businesses are increasingly using trade fairs and exhibitions to strengthen marketing strategies, increase customer awareness and loyalty, demonstrate new products, spread the word about a new company, increase sales, and present and test the marketability of their products. Tradyl had an exciting debut at the 67th India International Garment Fair (IIGF), which was held during 20-21-22 June 2022 at India Expo Centre, Greater Noida, India.
IIGF is India’s largest apparel show, providing small and medium-sized exporters with a marketing platform to show overseas buyers the latest trends in apparel and fashion accessories, helping to leverage Indian exports around the world. As per the Economic Times article, with nearly 500 exhibitors and about 1,100 overseas buyers and buying agents, IIGF provides a direct marketing platform for established as well as new exporters nationwide.
Being the bi-annual event providing the most up-to-date information available about industry topics and an opportunity for businesses to meet potential clients and display the latest catalog, IIGF was an integral part of our business calendar. If you think that trade shows are only for market leaders, attending the biggest garment fair as a seed stage startup, Tradyl realizes that the experience was hugely beneficial.
Most of the small businesses today might find it challenging to take out time for participating in events, but they often fail to realize that it means losing out on new ideas, networking, and sales opportunities as well as understanding the on-going trends in the industry. If you’re one of those small business owners or entrepreneurs who think exhibiting is out of their league, then you might want to reconsider.
As an e-commerce marketplace that believes in the power of small and medium enterprises, Participating in IIGF was an important investment for Tradyl. It offered us the opportunity to network, learn, and understand more about the demand and trends in the industry. This edition of the garment fair was focused on Spring/Summer 2023 collections. Majority of the exhibitors were big export players from India, who showcased their collection for the upcoming season.
EXPERIENCE
Apart from being an exhibitor, it was important for us to experience the fair itself and learn from other participants and buyers. It not only gave us a view of the traditional export industry, but also helped us see where we need to focus on when engaging, capturing and selling to potential international buyers. Attending IIGF also provided us with the opportunity to analyze different market strategies and products, some of which we are sharing below.
TRENDS AND COLORS
The exhibitors showcased playful and neutral color designs. The commonly observed trend was the Bohemian style, which represents freedom, playfulness and romance. These styles generally used simple neutral colors as the base, primarily linen, georgette and cotton fabrics, and have combined it with intricate patterns. Yellow tone was observed to be the color of the season and it is often considered as a warm neutral color that complements almost all the skin tones. The prints also represented a free-spirited tropical style with a mix of colors, tropical fruits, fresh and vibrant tropical plants. The trends showcased by the participants to look forward for the next season were Schiffli, Crochet, Silk Kaftans, Mulmul Cotton Scarves, Linen-Voile dresses, Tie- strap cotton, Halter midi dresses, Sleeveless and Backless midi dresses.
If you are looking to source women’s dresses in bulk for the upcoming season, then you must take a look at Tradyl’s latest trendy dress collection !
EXHIBIT AESTHETICS
The bright backdrops, lights and the props used inside the exhibits made each brand stand out and have its own unique identity. They generated more eyeballs for the stalls and played an important role in conveying their message to potential customers. Whether small businesses or large businesses, through IIGF, they were able to increase brand exposure and could connect with customers from a wide range of geographies at an individual level without traveling.
TRADYL REPRESENTED 100+ SMEs AT THE IIGF
Tradyl was a unique addition to the IIGF fair. We are a tech enabled B2B marketplace with a network of over 100+ verified suppliers, whose manufacturing and procurement facilities are dispersed around India. These are small to medium scale enterprises, who are often constrained by resources and time to attend such international fairs. Tradyl presented apparel buyers from around the world with an opportunity to source from the SME sector of India, most of whom may otherwise not participate.
Several obstacles like lack of finance, updated technology, inability to contact potential foreign customers, ignorance of export rules, procedures and documents, difficulty in identifying foreign business opportunities, etc. have prevented small and medium-sized enterprises in India from entering or expanding their export activities to the international market. As a representative of them, Tradyl enabled their products an access to global markets by showcasing their Apparel, Accessory, and Home products at the IIGF fair. The products are available all year round for buyers to place orders, without even needing to travel!
OUR TAKE AWAY
Making connections is often to play the long haul. If you don’t receive your order right away, don’t worry, it’s just an opportunity to learn about the industry and who the key players are. Over time, these face-to-face interactions can lead to new customers and customers. IIGF offered Tradyl a chance to showcase that we offer something new and important for the industry and the people. Trade fairs bring all the different entities in an industry, like consumers, distributors, suppliers and manufacturers, everyone in one place. With such a large audience gathered in one place, you are given the opportunity to showcase your product in a room full of your target audience!
