Danish Fashion Going Global - Spandet And Partners

DANISH FASHION GOING GLOBAL 41
Premium is another important player. A third fair with street wear, Bright Trade Show,
has been established with B&B having given up the specialization on street wear and
the original DNA of B&B.
Fun and Profit combined
With its “tradeshow for selected labels,” BREAD & BUTTER provides the concept of
an innovative trade fair event for the progressive, contemporary clothing culture.
As an international specialist trade fair for Street and Urban Wear, B&B represents a
marketing and communication platform for brands, labels and designers from the
areas of Denim, Sportswear, Street Fashion, Function Wear and Casual Dressed Up.
B&B has an inspiring basic principle of “Fun and Profit” combining the hype and air
with necessary business and which is very much the principle of this book also.
Over an area of more than 70,000 m², around 600 brands, labels and designers from
the B&B received more than 90,000 registrations from professional visitors in
February 2011. The registrations are truly international and included less than 35%
German visitors. 6,7% of the visitors came from Scandinavia, an increase of more
than 50%. Add to the 90,000 registrations approximately 59,000 visitors to Premium
and deduct some because they visited both fairs and you have way above 100,000
visitors to the Berlin fairs.
Competitive Strategies and Number of Visitors to the Fairs
The numbers in Berlin should be compared to some 71,000 in Copenhagen on 4 fairs
(excluding the fairly small CPH Kids) where the total likely is around 50,000 when
visitors to more than one fashion fair are deducted. Compared to Berlin with only
35% German visitors, the Danish fashion fairs have more than 70% of the visitors
being Danish reducing the international forum to a minimum compared to Berlin.
The success of B&B is a good illustration of how the theory of Michael F. Porter’s
book on the 5 forces works in real life; B&B has developed a competitive strategy
against its Danish competitors while the Danes were engaged with focusing on rivalry
with their local competitors only. The rivalry included for more than 10 years
disagreeing on common bus transportation between the various fairs in Copenhagen
or agreeing on only paying for one or maximum two entries at the 6 different fashion
fairs. During this rivalry Berlin prepared their competitive strategies and took over the
leading position.
Only as late as in 2011 free shuttle service was made available between CPH Vision,
Terminal-2, Gallery and CIFF during Copenhagen Fashion W eek followed by a
decision 6 months later to make the entry to the fairs free of charge at most fairs