PARKSHOWEXPO is an exciting new business to business fashion trade show in Calgary, Alberta. The inaugural show will take place from February 25 – March 1, 2017 and seeks to reinvent the business side of the industry while celebrating Canadian design.
Megan Szanik, Kara Chomistek, and Jessie Li, the co-founders of PARKSHOWEXPO, have been involved in the Canadian fashion industry for their entire adult lives. Through running several boutiques and a thriving art and fashion non-profit organization, the trio has learned how fashion works in Canada and how it doesn’t. From overwhelmed sales reps to designers who leave fashion schools with little formal education in the complexities of running a business, the PARKSHOWEXPO team has experienced what needs to change in order to allow the unique talent in our country to thrive.
PARKSHOWEXPO seeks to redefine what a trade show in Canada can be. It incorporates several consumer-focused events, educational seminars for designers and retailers, and networking parties. On February 25 and 26, the two days preceding the trade show itself, PARKSHOWEXPO will host PARKFORUM, PARKSHOP, PARKSHOW, and TOAST – Winter Garden.
PARKFORUM is a series of seminars and classes run by industry experts and industry-adjacent professionals who will discuss everything from marketing and accounting to new manufacturing techniques. It will run concurrently to PARKSHOP, a Canadian brand pop-up shop that will allow labels to sell current and previous season designs as well as samples to the Alberta market. PARKSHOP will run for the full 5 days of events and will be overseen by Calgary retailer espy experience, allowing the designers to earn back their booth rental fees while they attend to the business of the expo.
PARKSHOW is an annual art and fashion show that will welcome 1500 attendees, showcasing the current season’s fashions to the general public. With art and decor designed by Alberta’s top artists and event planners, it previews the atmosphere of the trade show itself.
