The Riviera by Mode City trade show seems to have attracted more Europeans

By

Lucile Deprez

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Sep 6, 2016

The fourth edition of the Eurovet-organised lingerie and beachwear trade show was held on 4th and 5th September in Cannes, hosting 130 exhibitors in a rather relaxed atmosphere. The number of exhibitors was down from last year, when 170 brands attended the show. Indeed, a section close to the show's entrance had been eliminated, after the exhibitors located there commented that there was very little visitor traffic.

Despite the decrease in participating brands, Riviera proved appealing to surf labels: only two were present in 2015, while six exhibited this year. Among the new entries, Billabong and Oxbow are trying to expand their presence on the French Riviera and showcased their new products.

Exhibitors were, as always, very happy with the show's dates, but expressed mixed feelings about the 2016 edition's visitor traffic. At Simone Pérèle, the feeling was very positive. According to Reef and the Brigitte Bardot label, both exhibiting for the second time, the number of visitors was stable and the meetings with buyers were satisfactory.

On the other hand, the representatives from Fantasie and Ipanema esteemed that there were far fewer visitors than in previous editions. All brands nevertheless agreed they made contact with the right clients, whether they were regular or new.

Show organiser Eurovet admitted that 80% of the visitors were French and highly local. Its objective is to gradually attract more international visitors, beginning with those from southern Europe, Italy and Spain in particular. The promotional efforts seem to have paid off, since a number of exhibitors remarked they met slightly more Italians this year, as well as Romanian, Russian and German buyers.

According to the majority of brands however, the Riviera show's main weakness is its lack of energy and initiatives. They lamented the absence of events, notably catwalk shows, especially since the venue would be well suited to them.