UNIFYING
DIFFERENTIATION

The Merchandise Mart, an Art Deco cathedral to design, sits proud in the heart of Chicago at the confluence of the river’s north and south branches. Built by Marshall Field to centralize his department store’s buying, it’s now a mecca for tech, architecture, interior and fashion design. Every so often each year, industries gather for trade shows through out the building - a place unlike any convention center.

For over 30 years, the Chicago Collective has attracted clothing stores from the around the midwest to buy next season’s offerings at the Mart. It’s a good show by most accounts. Stark white walls demised into cubbies for 200 or so brands to hang out their shingle and display their wares. The scene wasn’t much different than a souk as sellers tried to grab buyers’ attention to show them the next must-have thing. The whole experience felt a bit uninspiring. No brand story-telling? No differentiation? To grow and be sustainable, the show needed to be an immersive experience where buyers got much more than inventory to resell.

That was our charge. Let brands shine. Through the lens of brand experience, we set out to help exhibitors see the possibilities, and create an infrastructure to make it easy for them to invest in. From graphics and signage to rental and custom fixture fabrication to event logistics and storage, we’ve helped exhibitors tell their brand story. That has grown the Chicago Collective into the premier menswear show expanding to over 800 brands attracting the best retailers across America and abroad.