Fabio Adami Dalla Val: The Pandemic has highlighted the importance of connection
The show manager of Denim Première Vision explains how his team has had to adapt to make sure that the vital relationships between exhibitors and buyers can flourish in difficult circumstances. He is confident that both physical and digital shows will have an important role to play, and will continue to evolve, in 2021.
How well attended was the latest digital PV Denim show?
We are satisfied with the result. After months of digital content, we tried to create a qualitative and business-oriented event and the response was positive both from the exhibitors and the visitors. We had more than 1,200 denim professionals joining talks and seminars, more than 8,000 product pages being consulted, and on the whole, 4,661 visitors using the marketplace. These are very interesting and encouraging figures for the first Digital Denim Week.
What has been the most positive adjustment for your business this year?
We have been able to stop and look with new eyes to the future and to the role of the show in the denim business.
What have you learnt as trade show organisers from the pandemic?
We have understood the importance to have a resilient and organised structure able to provide concrete services and answers even in this situation.
Our partners recognised and appreciated what we were doing, and it’s clear that trade shows are important as points of connection, to share ideas, along with the business focus.
The current period has also accelerated new business opportunities for the fashion market. The industry's digital transformation is now entering a new phase thanks to a widespread embrace of digital technologies and the implementation of new services. These have helped brands maintain and personalise their relationships with their customers, and assist their purchasing processes.
Sustainability, transparency and traceability are increasingly central to consumer expectations, just as local manufacturing and "Made in". These developments all present opportunities for brands and industry professionals to develop new knowhows, to innovate and adapt their services to new and evolving ways to source their materials.
Do you think physical shows will change in light of the digital experiences we have all had this year?
We remain convinced that this crisis has confirmed the extreme vitality of physical trade shows, which are essential to ensure creative and business interactions between fashion brands and their suppliers. We confirm our goal of holding our trade fairs and events planned for 2021, on a course that will combine physical and/or digital events.
Physical shows will have a bright future but the challenge now is to achieve higher numbers than just the physical visitors. It’s not an option, it will be a prerequisite.
The physical show will be similar to the past but the tools that we will use will change. For example, the Market Place will be increasingly integrated in the physical show and it will be a tool to improve the show experience.
What have you learnt about your business this year?
The relevant role of the trade shows in the creation processes and their real capability to enhance business opportunities as they are the point of connection between visitors and exhibitors.
What do you value most about your job?
The opportunity to relate to many people and to be a gatherer of ideas and relationships as well as the fact that we are an important tool to create business for our partners. And working with a harmonious team also makes it easier.
Fabio Adami Dalla Val has been the show manager of Denim Première Vision since January 2018. Previous roles include head of development at Freshtex International and general manager at ITACLab, where he cemented his knowledge on denim finishing, and later was part of the executive team at M&J Group. He has collaborated with partners across the industry, including academia, to implement business and marketing strategies.
