ASAP Show, where apparel and textile manufacturers showcase their contract manufacturing to buyers, wrapped up its 17th trade show in Las Vegas on September 2. ASAP’s Match Maker and Foreign Trade Sponsor services connected global ready-made garment manufacturers with North American buyers at the Las Vegas Venetian Marco Polo.

Between twice-a-year trade shows, ASAP offers Buying Trips — Trade Mission visits to evaluate factories in China, Bangladesh and Pakistan; Fashion International — an international brand licensing show; and IBMC China — an ASAP affiliate that opens international fashion franchises in China … leveraging brands, designs and marketing.

Here’s a quick scan of ASAP Show Las Vegas 2009 and ASAP global sourcing services. Below, see also

TopTen Wholesale.com and Manufacturer.com global product search and online advertising.

 ASAP SHOW Las Vegas is a one-stop marketplace for sourcing apparel overseas, featuring hundreds of global manufacturers of men’s, women’s, children’s apparel, textiles and leather.

With a total attendance of over 10,000 at the recent August 2009 Off-Price Specialist Show, and over 450 exhibitors showing off their best merchandise, there was an atmosphere of high-energy activity that resulted in the formation of intense, exciting, and fresh new buzz over the steals-and-deals in the Closeout and Off-price Industry. While many of the doomsday-types predicted a rapid cooling period for the Retail and Wholesale business that would lead to catastrophic results for anyone who dared to get involved in such a volatile and dangerous market… the people who make up the Wholesale and Retail sector know that the show must go on, and it’s really up to us to determine whether that show is going to be a comedy, a tragedy, or a gut-wrenching drama…

I’m tired of bad news. It’s all over the headlines, and it’s all there ever seems to be when I pull up a text-based search about ‘China’ in any one of the major search engines these days. However, for all the bad news that is being generated, there is a lot of good stuff buried somewhere deep within, if you’re willing to dig for it.

One of the things I have noticed is a general streamlining of things in the foreign trade business; in the area of trade fairs, a sort of cost-cutting effort to trim some fat from trade shows that were usually hosted in multiple venues… multiple cities… and required a lot of legwork on the part of the visitors to get something accomplished. This year, the reality of the CPC missing its elusive 8% GDP goal — by a mile — is pretty clear, and it means that once-headstrong wholesaler juggernaut China is responding with a more intelligent approach to the way business is done, as global market contraction steadily continues.

ASD Liquidation Expo

Against the tide of economic belt-tightening, Value Price Expo staged its New York City event in January and surpassed all expectations –- Jacob Javits Convention Center saw high attendance levels and drew both old and new buyers from all corners of the value-priced and discount merchandise marketplace.

Value Price Expos - May 2009

Now comes a May double-header: Price-conscious buyers and sellers will place orders for Summer and Fall inventory in a broad range of product categories – at the same time that they leverage new business opportunities and contacts – at two major regional Value Price events: WEST Las Vegas from May 4 to 6 and EAST Atlantic City from May 17 - 19.

VP Expo Las Vegas

Join the value-priced merchandise marketplace in Las Vegas (Tuscany Casino Ballroom) from May 4 to 6. Prepare to make discount deals across dozens of product categories, including Housewares, Consumer Electronics, Toys, Hardware, Health & Beauty, Gifts, Novelties and Sporting Goods.

ASD/AMD Show

Top Ten Wholesale went to ASD/AMD Las Vegas and, maybe, should have launched satellite cameras and Big Picture macro lenses to take in all of the huge ASD/AMD trade show from March 15 to 18. Fortunately, trade show directors (big shout out to Chris, Dell and many others!) streamlined show navigation and traffic, with special market sections across four trade shows at all three venues.

We could focus on person-to-person buyer-seller interactions.

All-Access Passes. Every registrant got an All-Access Pass to Gift, Value, Variety Merchandise, Jewelry and Military-Tactical Outdoor Shows … multiplying access to more exhibitors and more product categories. As we cruised through all the venues, ASD/AMD became all-in-one opportunities for Buyers to add complimentary products to their merchandise mix, compare price points and leverage diverse exhibitors and products.

How To Navigate ASD/AMD

Spotted in Special Show Sections

This Is Off-Price

Off Price Show Feb 2009

New buyers (from boutique, international, internet retail segments) … a 10% bump in trade show attendees … great off-price product sourcing for quality apparel (basic, branded, designer), accessories, footwear and jewelry.

The February Off-Price Specialist Show – part of Las Vegas Fashion Week — ran from February 15-18 in the Venetian Grand Ballrooms. This show ensured that buyers, retailers, exhibitors, sellers and industry professionals all brought it home, drawing more than 10,000 value-seeking fashion buyers and exhibitors … an increase of 10% over last year’s show.

The view from Buyers and Sellers –

· Even seasoned off-price show buyers, like Penny Rosenberger of The Merchandise Network New York, increased their buying: “I spent more money at this show than any other Off-Price Show and it’s amazing that this is happening in this economy. But my stores need more value items.”

Off Price Specialist Show

ASD/AMD – one of the largest merchandise trade shows in the U.S. — clusters discount and designer lines of Apparel, Fashion Accessories, Jewelry, Gifts and Military Outdoor/Surplus Goods into comprehensive product sourcing opportunities.

Buyers and Sellers can leverage the sheer scale of a major trade show marketplace, using face-to-face contacts with over 3,500 companies who exhibit thousands of products in 150 leading product categories.

Pick a season – Winter/March or Summer/August or Autumn/September in 2009. Pick a region – ASD/AMD Las Vegas in Winter and Summer. ASD/AMD New York City in September, with Eastern vendors, sellers and warehouse shippers. ASD/AMD has a trade show to meet every Buyer’s and Seller’s needs.

Here are highlights:

ASD/AMD Show

WINTER :: March 15 to 18, 2009 Las Vegas Nevada

Here is a quick-scan list – by calendar season and product – for major wholesale trade shows in 2009 in the U.S. But, wait, there’s more!

Let’s say you want to know about the China International Gold Jewelry & Gem Fair in Shenzhen … the Hong Kong International Jewelry Exhibition … or the must-be-seen and must-be-seen-at luxury trade show event in Milan Italy (About J … who knew)? Below you’ll find a link to International Trade Shows, from Amsterdam to Taipei, in dozens of product/industry categories.

SPRING 2009 :: FEBRUARY – MAY
Apparel, All Merchandise, Discount Suppliers, Global Sourcing

Off-Price Specialist Show

Off-Price Show: February 15—18, 2009, Venetian Grand Ballrooms Las Vegas, Nevada
Premiere show for men’s, women’s and children’s apparel and accessories … at 20-to-70% below original manufacturer’s wholesale price. Forget government bailouts: “The Off-Price Show and its vendors are my stimulus package. They’ve helped me open a new business and make a profit without beating up the consumer.” (Edward Goldbaum, owner of All Pro Basics Sporting Goods)

ASD/AMD Show Logo

As soon as the books close on 2008 holiday sales reports, Value Price kicks off its first New York City Expo (January 11-13, 2009 at Jacob Javits Convention Center). Then, in early May, Value Price returns to Las Vegas (May 4-6, 2009 at the Las Vegas Convention Center); followed by a pre-Summer Season expo in Atlantic City (May 17-19, 2009 at Atlantic City Convention Center).

Seasonal Scheduling and Regional Trade Shows are Value Price Expo opportunities to enter the extreme value marketplace … leveraging off-price buying, staying competitive through a rougher economic climate, and meeting regional preferences.

1.   Leverage Off-Price Product Sourcing

Exhibitors at VPExpo NYC represent major manufacturers/distributors across 30 product categories — housewares, consumer electronics, toys, hardware, health and beauty merchandise, sporting goods, apparel, luggage and gifts/novelties.  Sellers include Mazel Company, Leon Korol, CWC Inventories, Wisconsin Toys, Consolidated International, X-S Merchandise and Liss Global … among many wholesalers, importers and manufacturers.

Here are five tips for tapping into Buyer and Seller markets. Includes: Get listed in Product and Local Directories; Scan new prospects from Trade Show Calendar sites; Get free guidance from Import/Export sites assisting small business. Also, see a mini-case study from the Toy Industry on regaining markets with the right Crisis Management.

1.         Put New Business Development into the Plan and Budget

You have business health trackers in place – Marketing Plans; metrics and measures of return on investment, pricing strategies, revenue/cost margins; P & L statement pulse checks.

Ensure that developing new business, accounts and product lines is an item in the budget, too. Instead of assuming that all marketing and advertising expenses are the sum total of your New Business Development strategy, earmark resources and time towards the goal of finding and building new product lines or customer segments.