Busan International Footwear & Textile Fashion Expo Kicks Off on the 29th... with a 'Hybrid' Exhibition

Passion&Fashion BUSAN 2020 October 29 - November 1 BEXCO Exhibition Hall 1
Online and Offline Business Consultation Fair and Fashion Market Dualization... 154 Companies Worldwide Participate

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] The only domestic international exhibition complex for shoes, textiles, and fashion, ‘2020 PaePae Busan (Passion&Fashion BUSAN),’ will be held at BEXCO from October 29 to November 1.

Due to the impact of COVID-19, the event will proceed differently from previous years. From October 29 to 30, there will be an online and offline business consultation meeting, and from October 31 to November 1, a fashion market (sales event) will be held, dividing the event into two parts.

This year’s change is that the event focuses on non-face-to-face economic activities in response to COVID-19.

The opening ceremony will start in a hybrid format with about 20 online participants connected via Zoom and around 10 key officials attending on-site.

At the same time, the ‘Han ASEAN Fashion Week’ held at F1963 will be broadcast live in a dual relay on the YouTube channel (BusanTV).

To reduce the participation fee burden for companies struggling due to the prolonged COVID-19 situation, the booth fee, which was 1 million KRW per booth, will be provided free of charge.

Reflecting consumer trends in the digital and non-face-to-face era, live commerce sales broadcasts will be conducted, and the event period, which was held for three days every year, will be extended to four days including the weekend to increase sales performance for participating companies.

The ‘Business Consultation Meeting’ will be held for two days in a hybrid online and offline format with six sessions. The consultation will involve 154 companies and 120 domestic and international buyers.

In the Global Shoe Buyer Online Export Fair, over 80 buyers from 11 countries including Asian countries such as Japan, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, as well as the United States, Chile, and Egypt, will participate and conduct online business consultations with Busan companies.

A ‘Large and Small Business Win-Win Growth Consultation Meeting’ will also be held inviting famous domestic shoe and fashion brand companies to promote mutual growth with local raw material companies.

To maximize the event’s effect, six live commerce sessions will be held simultaneously during the event period. Famous influencers and Chinese Wanghong active in Korea will be invited to sell local fashion and beauty products via video streaming to both domestic and Chinese markets.

Busan City will sign a business agreement with NHN Godo, a leading domestic e-commerce company, the Busan Textile Fashion Industry Association, and the Korea Shoe Industry Association to support e-commerce business for Busan’s textile, fashion, and shoe industries.

On the weekend, a fashion market will be held for citizens who have accumulated fatigue due to the prolonged COVID-19 and for the recovery of the people’s economy. About 170 companies, from local representatives such as Parkland, Treksta, and Haksan to emerging fashion designers, career redevelopers, and young entrepreneurs, will participate in promotional events.

Various cultural contents that shoe and textile workers and citizens can enjoy together are also prepared. Unique experience events such as shoe customization, making shoe keychains, and T-shirt printing, which are not usually accessible, as well as various attractions like magic shows, juggling, and cocktail shows will be held.

Byun Sung-wan, Acting Mayor of Busan, said, “I hope this will be a practical help to local shoe, textile, and fashion manufacturers who are having difficulties developing domestic and overseas sales channels due to COVID-19.”

The business consultation meeting held from October 29 to 30 is only open to officials, but the fashion market held from October 31 to November 1 is free and open to everyone.