Great tides are rising for Karen Bennett, president and founder of COAST Tradeshow. Bennett, a native of Chicago, Illinois, has been involved in the fashion industry for more than a decade, led by her sincere passion for fashion. Her career boasts expertise in couture fashion marketing, sales and successful ownership of an exclusive designer boutique store. Bennett’s tradeshow proficiency began in 1999 when she worked as the Coordinator for the contemporary market at Stylemax in Chicago. Next, she was taken on by ENK International where she dedicated over five years as the director of client relations and eventually took on the position of Intermezzo Coordinator. It's her relationships with designers and showrooms across the globe that truly inspired Karen’s move to launch her own Tradeshow.
In January 2006, the COAST Show premiered in Miami, Florida, and since then has been produced ten times in numerous locations such as Boston and Chicago. Bennett's tradeshow has more then tripled in size and involves over 250 collections and showrooms from across the country including Milly, Tibi, robbi & nikki, Citizen of Humanity, Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent, James Jeans, Genetic Denim, etc.
Showrooms consisting of L'Atelier Group, Hotline Showroom, Simon Showroom, Joey Showroom, Lily Kate Showroom, Community Service, The Globe Showroom, Point A Showroom, and Blend Showroom. Bennett hosts the show in an intimate setting allowing exhibitors to work closely with buyers, enabling a more personalized service. Her goal is to provide a stress free buying experience for high end, specialty, and department stores that are normally rushed during the larger markets.
COAST is rapidly becoming a global tradeshow by tapping into international markets and designers from around the world. As COAST continues to offer the latest trends, Bennett's eye for fashion will serve as a gateway, bridging international designers and retailers. Fusing together shores from around the globe, COAST is becoming a permanent driving force in the world of fashion.
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