Igedo ends CPD to make space for its new trade fair The Gallery

By

Bruno Joly

Published
Oct 5, 2011

Igedo is turning an important page in its history. 2012 will be the first time in more than 60 years that the Berlin Exhibition Centre will not host any fashion trade shows. The trade fair organiser is abandoning CPD in order to launch a new one concept: The Gallery.

The latter is going to see its first edition in January 2012 at the Café Moskau in Berlin. Spreading across 11,000 square metres, The Gallery will be dedicated to avant-garde women’s fashion, which is undoubtedly very popular in Germany. Then in July 2012, CPD will no longer take place at the Messe Düsseldorf exhibition centre in order to make space for The Gallery. It must be said that, over the last few seasons, the big names from German fashion left the exhibition centre in order to open their own showrooms. Gerry Weber, for example, is moving to Halle 30 at the end of the year in order to showcase its women’s range. It had previously been held at Halle 29, where it presented its men's line.

“The hardest thing was negotiating with the shareholders”, said someone close to the matter. In fact, Messe Düsseldorf as well as a number of local and regional authorities own Igedo. While The Gallery will launch in Düsseldorf in July 21-23, CPD will see its last edition in February 2012. “The fashion market has completely changed over the last few years. We had to react to this, which meant providing our well-targeted brands with the possibility to exhibit in Berlin at the beginning of the season, then go to Düsseldorf to showcase their products in an amazing place, while enjoying excellent working conditions and even having the possibility, if necessary, to extend the duration of the event to more than 3 days”, said Igedo’s general manager Mirjam Dietz. What remains to be revealed is what will happen to the more traditional brands.