July 16. 2010
"CPH Fashion Week Partnership"
Historic Copenhagen Fashion Week Partnership
Historic Copenhagen Fashion
Week partnership
The four fashion fairs in Copenhagen - CIFF, CPH
Vision, Terminal-2 and Gallery - have in collaboration with the
trade association Dansk Mode & Textil for first time ever
reached a formal agreement on the operation and development of
Copenhagen Fashion Week
The partnership has culminated in the establishment of a joint body
that is to manage and coordinate the marketing of Copenhagen
Fashion Week, which today can boast a yearly attraction of more
than 100.00 buyers and press to the fashion fairs.
One of the first decisions of the newly established partnership
between these players has been to bring forward Copenhagen Fashion
Week February 2011 by one week - now rescheduled from week 6 to
week 5. The autumn fair will follow accordingly, by rescheduling
from week 32 to week 31.
"The Scandinavian brands in particular have long wanted
an earlier start and we are now very proud - on behalf of the
industry and thanks to the new partnership - to be able to meet
their wishes," says Peter Fenger Selchau, CEO of CPH
Vision & Terminal-2.
The key players behind this initiative have invited Danish, as well
as Swedish and Norwegian organisations and brands, to become part
of the initiative under the same terms as its founders, with the
goal of placing Copenhagen on the top of the fashion agenda and
developing the city into the 'fashion capital of Scandinavia'. The
founders are having fruitful discussions with the Danish Fashion
Institute with the aim of incorporating the organisation into the
newly established partnership.
"Copenhagen Fashion Week is not only a Danish industry
event. It is also a networking venue and above all an order
platform for most of the Scandinavian fashion brands. The success
of Copenhagen Fashion Week so far is a direct result of many years'
continuous work and dedication by the original fair organisers and
trade organisations and recently, of course, the efforts of the
Danish Fashion Institute to contribute to the professionalism of
Copenhagen Fashion Week," says Christian Gregersen of
Gallery.
All the founders of the new partnership are unanimous in their
understanding of the challenges that Copenhagen faces as a fashion
and trade destination as a result of international recession and
competition from the Berlin Fashion Week in particular. To maintain
and further develop Copenhagen's status and legitimacy, it is very
important to pool resources and focus on fellowship, shared values,
and highlight the Scandinavian element.
In line with the new initiative the partnership will also be
presenting a fashion week stand at Copenhagen Airport and, for the
first time ever, a shuttle service for press and buyers will be up
and running between all fairs this coming August.
Through an already existing collaboration between the fashion
fairs of Copenhagen, Dansk Mode & Textil and Danish Fashion
Institute, preparations are already underway to invite and fly in
international press and buyers, establish a joint website and work
on a common marketing plan - all due to the immediate efforts of
the partnership and to resources provided by M-Fonden, the Danish
Finance Ministry's commercial fund, to promote and market Danish
fashion internationally.
This is the first time a partnership of this magnitude has been set
up between the key players of Copenhagen Fashion Week and it has so
far had been extremely positive. In collaboration they will be
responsible for general commercial activities during fashion week,
including advertising, website, liaison with buyers, travel and
accommodation services, shuttle services, airport stand, joint
ticket services for all fairs, etc etc.
"It is time for us to admit that we've reached a point
where we need to develop the success Copenhagen has experienced for
the past 10 years even further, and this is only possible through
commitment and collaboration between the main forces in
Scandinavia," says Peter Fenger Selchau, CEO of CPH Vision and
Terminal-2. He continues: "Unlike Paris Fashion Week, the
success of Copenhagen - the number of visiting buyers and press -
is based on its commercial platform from the Scandinavian brands
and the fairs in Copenhagen. Without this aspect we would have a
fashion week resembling Oslo or Stockholm."
The new partnership is non-profit. This means that any
profit will not be shared by the participating organisations, but
be dedicated exclusively to the onward development of Copenhagen
Fashion Week.
"We need to focus on and nurture the unique advantages
and differences that Copenhagen and Copenhagen Fashion Week have
instead of putting so much effort into constantly comparing
ourselves to Paris or London", says Sales- and marketing
director Jesper Åndahl from Bella Center/CIFF. He adds:
" I am very proud of this newly established partnership and the
opportunities it will bring."
"The primary area we need to focus on in this
partnership is how to bring more buyers to Copenhagen Fashion Week
- and to ensure that they have a professional and memorable
experience here. The international buyer should not only be subject
to greater marketing pressures, but should also have a
user-friendly website at their disposal to guide and support them
in their decision about whether to go to Copenhagen - and which
brands to visit. Finally, buyers should be ensured the best
possible support and service in Denmark during Copenhagen Fashion
Week so that time at the fairs is spent productively - and so
buyers go home and recommend Copenhagen Fashion Week to their
colleagues," states Executive Director Kasper Eis of Dansk
Mode & Textil.
For further information please
contact:
Jesper Åndahl, Sales- and
Marketing Director, Bella Center (CIFF), jesper.andahl@bellacenter.dk
Ph: +45 32472101
Christian Gregersen, CEO, Gallery, christian@gregersen.cc
Ph: +45 40330930
Peter Fenger, CEO, CPH Vision/Terminal 2, pfs@cphvision.dk
Ph: +45 39648586
Kasper Eis, Executive Director, Dansk Mode & Textil,
ke@danskmodeogtextil.dk
Ph: +45 22220400
