• Andrew Chen of 3sixteen and Daniel Padilla Werner from Cee Are Dee
  • Lennaert Nijgh from Benzak Denim Developers showing his collection to visitors of the Trade Union in Berlin
  • Yoshi from Star Gold Japan attending the Trade Union party
  • Buyers from Hep Cat in Sweden making a selection at the Trade Union
  • The buyer from Brund in Copenhagen talking to exhibitors at the Trade Union
  • Brands and buyers working at the Trade Union in Berlin
  • Visitors to the Trade Union in Berlin part of SEEK trade show
  • 877 Workshop engraving badges for the Trade Union in Berlin
  • Shop talk with Shangri la heritage leather jackets at the Trade Union in Berlin
  • Maren Wiebus and Daniel Padilla Werner in the main hall of SEEK trade show
  • Rob from Eat Dust, one of the exhibitors at the Trade Union
  • The guys from Red Wing Berlin visit the Trade Union
  • Marc Türkheim from Emma Opitz visits the Trade Union
  • Kyro gin and whiskey were one of exhibitors at the Trade Union and provided refreshments during the party
  • Anita Tillmann, the managing partner Premium Group visiting the Trade Union
  • Visitors to the Trade Union in Berlin talk to one of the brand representatives
  • Buyers from Faster Dog in Poland looking at the collections at Trade Union
  • Kyro gin at the Trade Union
  • Alex from Lee 101 at the Trade Union
  • Heimat wool jumpers, hats and scarves on display at the Trade Union in Berlin SEEK
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In 2018, CeeAreDee began working with Berlin-based tradeshow SEEK on the Trade Union. With the 4th edition now behind us, we take a little time to reflect on how the show has grown.

Sales season, going to market, sell in season… these are all terms for that time of year when the brands show their latest collections to their current and potential customers. These customers are not the end consumer, these are the stores who carry the brands and offer the goods to the end consumer.

There are a number of ways in which brands can get their gear in front of this audience. Some will put on a fancy catwalk show, others will pack their bags and travel. Most will opt for either a showroom or a trade show.

Big, buzzing affairs

Trade shows are big, buzzing affairs. A huge hall will be filled with all kinds of brands for a few days. Buyers, press and other industry professionals will descend on these locations and do their level best to do the business they need to in the midst of the hustle and bustle.

For brands, this buzz can be a wonderful opportunity to make a statement. They have a certain square meterage on which to create their own world. To tell people what the brand is about, show their latest collection and of course make sales as take orders.

Works for some…

For some brands, the buzz doesn’t work. The commotion and excitement can be too much of a distraction. They need to hold appointments, to lead their customers through their collection and really delve deeper into the narrative. At the same time, the buyers (the brand’s customer) need the time and the calm to decide on what pieces will work, what won’t, the size runs, budgets and so on. The kind of thing that could get messy with people wandering in and out of the booth or stopping by just to say “hi”.

The showroom solution

The solution for these brands is a showroom. A private space where the brand can organize visits by appointment. They schedule the whole thing through and basically control who is popping in and out the doors. The space can be controlled and curated to the nth degree where the buyer will be led through the entire sales process. A well-run, well-conceived showroom is a sales tool.

Berlin is big

In Berlin, the trouble with showrooms is simple geography. Berlin is big. It takes time to get around this town. Fashion Weeks are not really weeks, the trade shows usually run for 3 days and in that time the buyers have to see all the brands they need to. Time spent stuck in traffic can mean missed appointments, missed sales and missed buys.

So as a buyer, having all, or most of your brands in the one place makes your life easier… but then you run into that hustle and bustle issues we were talking about earlier. You’re kinda dammed if you do, dammed if you don’t. Well, we don’t believe in being damned and for most problems, there are solutions.

The simplest solution

The best solution to any problem is always the simplest. Make it simple for the brands, simple for the buyers and the visitors. So why not take a well-established berlin-based trade show and find a way to use the draw, logistics and support of a big trade show and incorporate a showroom.

This is how the Trade Union was born

Easy, right?… well yeah… but it takes a little more thought than that. When we came on board, the Trade Union, had one season under its belt. The concept was there, it just needed fleshing out.

From the start, it was clear that a mono-brand showroom could not work. There needed to be a collection of brands within a space. This collection of brands would reflect the ethos, augment the philosophy and support the narrative. A clear vision and curatorship of the brands showing would be essential to the concept. Together with the SEEK team, we pulled on our resources, deciding on brands that reflected the very best in quality and ethics within the industry. With this dedication to quality, Trade Union brings together a curated portfolio of contemporary menswear and womenswear, rounded out with a unique selection of shoes, accessories and lifestyle goods. The aim was to create a community of like-minded brands and individuals who share similar visions, ambitions and goals.

Timing is everything

Then there was the question of where to put all these amazing brands. And as always, timing is everything. It just so happened that the Arena (the hall in which SEEK takes place) had renovated two rooms in the hall that were perfect for our needs. The rooms were directly accessible from the main hall, but separate spaces where we could build the Trade Union world.

In January 2019, we moved into the smaller of the two rooms. By summer 2019, we were in the big one. The ball was rolling, snowballing in fact. When it came to the January 2020 edition, we needed both rooms and had maxed out the capacity.

The concept had struck a chord. It resonated with both brands and buyers. It is the simplicity of the Trade Union that makes it work. We make it simple for the brands to show. We make it simple for the buyers to see the brands they need. We put together a brand portfolio where the brands complement and support one another instead of competing. Throw in a bit of good food and great coffee… Boom! You have a concept that works.

Summer is just around the corner

Even with the last show only a few weeks behind us, we already have our eye on the summer season. The Germans have a saying which works pretty well here “why change a running system?” But evolving a running system, this makes total sense. As the concept grows, the Trade Union will evolve to meet the needs of the growing portfolio while maintaining the core values of the concept. There are exciting times ahead and we’re looking forward to meeting these challenges with the SEEK team. Watch this space.