Next generation of B2B events: How trade fairs are evolving into experiential hubs

The wholesale market is under pressure, and trade shows are feeling the impact. Traditional models are struggling to deliver consistent results, and brands are rethinking how they approach the season while maintaining visibility.

As a result, B2B events are evolving across the industry. Alongside mergers, downsizing, or full market withdrawals, developments that have thrown the buying calendar into flux, some fairs are taking a different approach. Rather than doubling down on transactional formats, they are repositioning themselves as immersive, experiential hubs designed to engage exhibitors, buyers, and even consumers in more meaningful ways.

A clear example of this shift can be seen at Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (CIFF). Its most recent edition, CIFF 66, which concluded January 29, demonstrated a multi-layered approach to the modern trade fair, blending commerce, culture, and community.

From transactional to experiential

CIFF 66 injected a sense of newness and creativity into the trade fair landscape. Organisers were clear that the event is no longer solely about displaying collections, but about experiences, storytelling, and enabling meaningful collections between brands, retailers, and visitors. “Our goal is to create an environment where visitors leave inspired,” fair director Sofie Dolva told FashionUnited.

That ambition closely ties to CIFF’s role within a small, yet highly international market. Despite Denmark’s size, CIFF plays a strategic role for Nordic brands seeking a global presence, and its relevance depends on an ability to adapt to changing industry needs. “We know we have to make people feel welcome here, particularly international buyers, because we are a small country. The atmosphere, the hospitality, and the way we present Danish talent make the difference,” Thomas Klausen, CEO of Dansk Mode & Textil (DM&T) said, highlighting the broader role of the organisation.

Against an uncertain industry backdrop, CIFF’s evolution is not just creative, but strategic. Beyond buying, the fair is increasingly demonstrating how trades shows can serve as inspiration for retailers and brands alike. Dolva emphasised that one of the fair’s responsibilities is to show how brands can communicate identity, heritage, and community in innovative ways, with participating exhibitors and retailers providing models for their peers.

“Most people can create a beautiful collection, but it’s the experience, the heritage, the community, the marketing, that retailers respond to. By showcasing this, retailers see what’s possible,” she noted.

Streetwear brand Woodbird, a long-standing CIFF partner, offered a clear example of this. Instead of relying on racks of clothing, the brand created a setting reminiscent of a Chinese restaurant, serving food around a communal dining table. The layout communicated the brand’s ethos and cultural roots, connecting to its collection.

Woodbird’s presentation sat alongside other experiential concepts at the fair, including Misma’s immersive caravan installation and Guess Jeans’ on-site bag personalisation. Together, these activations signalled a broader industry shift seeing trade fairs evolve into platforms for engagement idea exchange, not just order writing.

Woodbird’s stand sat alongside an immersive caravan setup from Misma and an option to personalise bags at Guess Jeans. “Visitors should leave inspired, experiencing ideas and creativity that are difficult to put into words. We created environments where Nordic designers are presented in beautiful, retail-ready concepts, not just rows of garments,” Dolva notes.

Expanding the fair’s role

This philosophy is reflective of the balancing act emerging brands face when weighing commercial viability with storytelling and community engagement. CIFF attempted to mediate this balance, recognising the support brands and retailers need beyond the fair floor. The question then is how does this evolving role of the trade fair as a 360-degree experience translate into a physical format?

For CIFF, this in part is in broadening the scope of perspectives of what a B2B entails. A new collaboration with Italian concept store 10 Corso Como displayed a dual strategy: brands could gain exposure in an inspiring retail environment, while the fair tested direct-to-consumer commerce, selling the retailer’s merchandise. Elsewhere, a collaboration with PLM system Delogue saw the introduction of TechCreate, a dedicated area connecting brands and retailers with technology providers.

Both inside and outside of the fair, across the week, CIFF went on to host brand dinners, cultural programming, and activations ranging from product personalisation to tattoo studios. Additional sponsor partnerships with platforms like multibrand site Boozt connect the physical trade fair with the realities of modern retail and brand building, a tangible effort in supporting the industry in other realms.

Making space for emerging voices

Any discussion about the future of B2B events must also include emerging and young creatives. Their perspectives, business models, and communities are increasingly shaping what the next generation of fashion looks like, and in turn the future of the fair. With this in mind, CIFF extended in partnership with emerging label Fine Chaos for CIFF 66. The Danish brand, which has gained momentum through Copenhagen Fashion Week (CPHFW), returned with The Market, a co-created cultural space designed to blur the lines between commerce and culture.

Developed in collaboration with local art gallery Portfolio X, The Market brought together around 10 emerging designers and creatives, from jewellery makers to visual artists, in a market-style setting. The space was deliberately more rugged than the rest of the fair, featuring grunge aesthetics, art installations, and interactive experiences. “We are creating more than product, We want to create experiences, that’s what the next generation of fairs should be about,” Ludvig Isaksen, co-founder and commercial director of Fine Chaos, told FashionUnited.

Rooted in Copenhagen’s underground scene, Fine Chaos has long focused on building community through events and experiences. The Market translated that ethos into a B2B context, offering a different way for buyers and visitors to engage. When walking through the techno club-like space, Dolva described working with Fine Chaos as a learning experience. “It’s very new for me because their area is so different from what we do elsewhere,” she explained. “But they have a huge community, including in Asia, and they are with us year-round. It’s beautiful to invest in them and let them help us create this space.”

Balancing creativity and business

For these young brands, particularly those grounded in conceptual or artistic approaches, balancing creativity with commercial realities remains a key challenge. Isaksen acknowledges that adapting to business demands has been part of Fine Chaos’ journey, but says the brand has retained its values through low-volume production and a focus on product longevity.

That approach appears to be resonating. Despite standing apart from the pared-back minimalism often associated with Scandinavian design, Fine Chaos has built a strong local following and has established wholesale relationships across Asia, particularly in South Korea, China, and Japan. “I hope we can inspire some new brands to go through the same journey, hopefully with less mistakes,” Isaksen said. “That’s the story we are trying to convey to new brands here. You have to figure out new ways to be different, that’s our ideology. If we can be different in a way that can attract new people, then that’s something we are doing well.”

Redefining value in B2B fashion events

CIFF 66 illustrates that the future of B2B fashion events lies in redefining what value looks like for brands and retailers alike. In a market marked by uncertainty, fairs can no longer function solely as order-writing platforms. Instead, they must offer environments that inspire, educate, and reflect how brands can succeed beyond the fair itself.

For Sofie Dolva, this means embracing commerce without losing creativity, and creating spaces that retailers can translate directly into their own businesses. “You need to be commercial to survive in the market,” she said. “But it’s also important when you come as a visitor that you leave inspired, with news ideas and a feeling that’s difficult to put into words.”

By combining retail-ready concepts, experiential brand storytelling, technology support, and space for merging talent, CIFF intends to position itself as more than a seasonal checkpoint. As Dolva notes, showing product alone is no longer enough. What really matters is creating environments where brands, retailers, and communities can imagine what comes next.