Bread & Butter drops idea of show days for the public

By

Bruno Joly

Published
Feb 25, 2014

Karl-Heinz Müller is double backtracking. The owner of the Berlin tradeshow Bread & Butter had announced with great fanfare the expansion of his event from of 3 to 5 days, including two days open to the public. Just recently he limited this new concept to the show's Urban Base section and the tarmac. Now he comes out with a black-and-white announcement that the Bread & Butter trade fair will be for professionals only and thus only a 3-day event.

In December, this big wheel in the Berlin fashion scene backed his decision by pointing to the importance of retailers and the Internet, social networks and consumer sentiment, and of the opportunity for brands to speak face-to-face with their fans. And most importantly, he talked up the fact that booth rentals would only go up from 380 to 400 euros per square meter, or 20 euros for two more days. Reactions to the announcement were varied, ranging from support to total rejection. Brands interviewed about the public days concept mentioned the costs involved — extra staff, getting collections ready, having to stage events to turn heads. So the dream of a lifestyle festival has been shelved. "The planned public days are cancelled. The Bread & Butter tradeshow for selected brands remains a professional tradeshow, for industry professionals only," he said in a press release. The next edition will take place from July 8 to 10.