MAGIC Las Vegas Trade Show 2026: Complete Guide for Fashion Pros

MAGIC Las Vegas is North America's largest apparel trade show, drawing 60,000-plus buyers, brands, and sourcing suppliers to the Las Vegas Convention Center each February and August. If you sell, buy, or source fashion goods in the USA or Canada, this event sets the commercial calendar for your entire selling season.

What Is the MAGIC Las Vegas Trade Show?

MAGIC has shaped North American fashion commerce for over 80 years. What began as a regional menswear buying event in Los Angeles in the 1930s grew, decade by decade, into the continent's most-attended apparel trade show, drawing tens of thousands of industry professionals to Las Vegas each season to buy, sell, and source.

MAGIC fashion events has become the definitive platform for apparel commerce across the continent, connecting brands, retailers, and sourcing partners under one roof.

How did MAGIC evolve into North America's leading fashion trade event?

The show launched in the 1930s as a men's apparel buying club in Los Angeles before relocating to Las Vegas in 1989 to accommodate its rapidly expanding exhibitor base. Over the following decades, Informa plc acquired and consolidated multiple shows, including Project and Coterie, under the Informa Markets umbrella. Today the event is recognised as one of North America's largest fashion trade conventions, with a track record spanning roughly 80 years and attendance regularly exceeding 60,000 buyers and brands across its February and August editions.

Key product categories covered: apparel, footwear, accessories, and beyond

The show floor spans at least six distinct segments:

• Men's apparel and tailored clothing
• Women's contemporary fashion and sportswear
• Youth, streetwear, and lifestyle apparel
• Footwear across athletic, casual, and dress categories
• Accessories, jewellery, and handbags
• Sourcing suppliers including fabrics, trims, and private-label manufacturers

Finished-goods brands share floor space with manufacturing partners, making it genuinely a full-supply-chain event. For comparison with another major Las Vegas trade event, see our guide to the CHAMPS Trade Show Las Vegas 2026.

How does MAGIC Project fit within the broader MAGIC fashion marketplace?

Magic Project is the premium and contemporary menswear section operating within the wider MAGIC event umbrella. Where the main MAGIC floor covers mass-to-mid-market apparel at scale, Project presents curated brand booths aimed at mid-to-luxury contemporary retail buyers. Both sections co-locate at the Las Vegas Convention Center, along with Sourcing at MAGIC, allowing a single badge to unlock the full buying ecosystem. Project was relaunched under its current positioning in 2013 and has grown steadily since. Exhibitor and sponsor participation in Project skews toward elevated streetwear, tailoring, and lifestyle brands. The consolidated format under Informa Magic maximises buyer efficiency across all three co-located shows.

MAGIC Las Vegas 2026 Dates, Location, and Schedule

The Las Vegas Convention Center hosts more than 22,000 events annually, but MAGIC remains among its most commercially dense, packing apparel buying decisions worth billions of dollars into a 3-day window twice a year. Getting the 2026 dates locked in your calendar early is the single most actionable step any brand or retailer can take right now.

When is MAGIC Las Vegas 2026 taking place?

The February 2026 edition is scheduled for mid-February, and the August 2026 edition falls in the late-August window typical for the show. Verify exact dates directly at magicfashionevents.com, as Informa confirms official dates on a rolling basis. Registration typically opens 4 to 6 months before each show. For a dedicated breakdown of confirmed 2026 dates, see our MAGIC Trade Show Las Vegas 2026 dates guide. Confirm schedule details against the event listing at 10times.com.

Edition	Dates	Venue
February 2026	Mid-February 2026 (confirm at magicfashionevents.com)	Las Vegas Convention Center, NV
August 2026	Late August 2026 (confirm at magicfashionevents.com)	Las Vegas Convention Center, NV

Where is the show held: Las Vegas Convention Center details

The Las Vegas Convention Center sits at 3150 Paradise Road, Las Vegas, NV 89109. Its West Hall expansion, which opened in 2021, added approximately 1.4 million square feet of usable space. MAGIC occupies specific West and Central Hall designations; confirm exact hall assignments with Informa pre-show. The venue is within walking distance of several major Strip hotels, and the Las Vegas Monorail's Convention Center station provides a quick connection for attendees staying further along the corridor. Given the intensity of demand, book your hotel 6 to 8 months ahead for the August show, as room blocks near the brand list hotel travel options fill rapidly.

Why does MAGIC run in both February and August each year?

The fashion industry operates on a two-season buying calendar. The February show aligns with Fall/Winter order-writing, while the August show drives Spring/Summer purchasing decisions. This mirrors the New York market week calendar, so many USA buyers chain both the New York and Las Vegas stops into back-to-back sourcing trips. Informa times Sourcing at MAGIC and Project to the same 3-day windows to maximise buyer efficiency. The two-season structure has been embedded in apparel commerce for decades, giving brands and retailers a predictable annual rhythm. Spring 2023 day programming at MAGIC demonstrated that brands arriving with pre-written order forms consistently close more business than those treating the show as a discovery-only exercise.

Who Attends MAGIC Las Vegas?

Who exactly fills the 1.5 million square feet of Las Vegas Convention Center floor space during MAGIC week? The answer shapes every decision, from how you design your booth to which meetings you prioritise. Understanding the attendee mix is essential before you commit budget to exhibiting or attending as a buyer.

Buyers, retailers, and brands: the core community

Three primary segments make up the MAGIC community: independent retailers, department-store buyers, and emerging or established brands. Buyers range from boutique owners managing one to three locations to national chain buyers placing six-figure seasonal orders. Press, trend forecasters, and sponsors also attend, adding industry intelligence value beyond pure transactional activity. Canadian and international brands use the event as a primary business development platform in the USA market. For attendee information and buyer credential requirements, including how to verify retail affiliation, consult Informa's official registration page. The show draws professionals from 100-plus countries, offering strong potential for qualified connections across every major apparel category.

Is MAGIC Las Vegas relevant for Canadian fashion businesses?

Canadian apparel brands and retailers have exhibited at and attended MAGIC for decades, and Informa actively recruits Canadian exhibitors each cycle. Logistically, the show is accessible: Toronto is approximately a 4.5-hour flight from Las Vegas, and Vancouver sits roughly 2.5 hours away, making it comparable in travel time to many domestic USA trade events. Canadian retailers attending can source USA-made and international clothing lines in a single venue. Budget for USD pricing on booth fees and hotel, and factor cross-border shipping logistics into your inventory planning. Los Angeles functions as a common layover hub for eastern Canadian attendees. For broader operational context for Canadian fashion businesses, our guide to top automation companies in Canada covers supply chain and operations strategy relevant to scaling after a MAGIC buying trip.

What to Expect on the Show Floor

Walking the MAGIC show floor without a plan is like arriving at a 1.5-million-square-foot shopping mall with no map and 3 hours to buy a season's worth of inventory. The professionals who extract the most value from the convention treat every hour as a structured business meeting, not a browsing session.

Navigating the fashion marketplace and Sourcing by Informa sections

Informa divides the floor into distinct zones: the main MAGIC apparel section, Project for premium menswear, and Sourcing at MAGIC for fabric, trim, and private-label manufacturing suppliers. Sourcing at MAGIC hosts more than 200 suppliers, giving brands a direct line to production partners without a separate sourcing trip. Informa publishes a digital floor map roughly two weeks before each show; download it immediately and colour-code your target exhibitor list by section. Floor maps are segment-coded by product type, including footwear and accessories zones, so navigation is systematic rather than ad hoc.

Education experiences, keynotes, and trend programming

The education programme typically includes 30-plus sessions across the 3-day run:

• Keynote speakers from major USA retail groups and global brands
• Trend forecasting seminars covering upcoming season directions
• Panel discussions with buyers, designers, and sourcing specialists
• Buyer and brand speed-networking sessions
• Sustainability and ethical sourcing workshops
• Digital commerce and retail technology briefings

Most sessions are included with show registration at no additional cost, making the education track a high-value complement to floor time.

Booth design considerations for first-time exhibitors

Standard booth sizes start at 10x10 feet, with 10x20 inline spaces common for mid-sized brands. Position your strongest product at eye level, roughly 54 to 60 inches from the floor, to capture aisle attention without buyers breaking stride. Rent focused lighting from Informa's appointed show contractor rather than relying on ambient hall lighting. Design a defined buyer conversation zone, a small table and two chairs set back from your display wall, so discussions feel intentional rather than impromptu. Informa's apparel guild in california affiliated exhibitor manual specifies deadlines for ordering electricity, carpet, and furnishings; missing these deadlines typically means paying premium on-site rates. Ship booth materials to the convention center warehouse 5 to 7 days before show open to clear receiving backlogs. Costs for a standard 10x10 inline space start in the low thousands USD before services.

How AI-powered tools are reshaping pre-show outreach and lead qualification

Exhibitors and attending brands increasingly shift from reactive booth-waiting to proactive pre-show outreach, using AI tools to identify and contact target buyers 3 to 4 weeks before the event opens. Tools like Outport AI can automate personalised contact sequences segmented by buyer category, geography, or store type, reaching hundreds of prospects at a consistent quality level that manual outreach rarely achieves at scale. This approach yields measurably higher meeting booking rates than last-minute contact. For a detailed workflow, see our guide to AI conference lead capture. After the show closes, structured follow-up is equally critical; our post-conference email sequence guide covers timing and automation templates that keep warm leads from going cold.

How to Register and Prepare for MAGIC Las Vegas 2026

Most professionals who leave MAGIC without qualified leads made their biggest mistake weeks before the show opened, not on the floor. Registration and pre-show preparation account for a disproportionate share of trade show ROI, yet the majority of first-time attendees treat both as afterthoughts completed the week before departure.

Step-by-step attendee registration process

Follow these 6 steps to register and attend:

1. Visit magicfashionevents.com and navigate to the registration portal.
2. Select your badge type: attendee (buyer) or exhibitor.
3. Provide proof of industry affiliation, such as a business license, retail buyer letter, or brand credentials.
4. Complete payment if applicable; qualified buyers may register at no cost while exhibitors pay booth fees separately.
5. Receive a confirmation email containing your badge QR code for on-site or pre-printed pick-up.
6. Download the official floor map and show app to begin planning your schedule.

Consult the official registration process page for current credential requirements and any updated terms of service or privacy policy notices from Informa.

What should you bring and do before you arrive?

Pre-show actions to complete at least two weeks out:

1. Download the MAGIC show app and review the full exhibitor list.
2. Set 3 to 5 priority meetings per day, leaving buffer time for floor discoveries.
3. Confirm hotel booking and shuttle or monorail route to the convention center.
4. Prepare 500-plus business cards; running short on day one is a common and avoidable problem.
5. Load your digital lookbook or line sheet onto a tablet with offline access.
6. Print and pack physical order forms alongside digital backup versions.
7. Confirm all pre-scheduled meeting times in writing with counterparts.
8. Pack comfortable walking shoes; the show floor covers significant distance daily.

How to build a targeted meeting schedule before the show opens

Use the official MAGIC exhibitor directory, available online before the show, to filter brands and suppliers by category, price point, and geography. Prioritise targets by buyer fit and reach out via LinkedIn or direct email 3 to 4 weeks before the event. Use templated but personalised messages referencing specific product categories or recent brand activity to improve response rates. Aim for 3 to 5 confirmed meetings per day, leaving deliberate gaps for unscheduled floor conversations, which often produce the strongest relationship-building moments. Many brands now use AI-assisted tools to scale outreach volume without sacrificing personalisation. For follow-up scheduling after meetings are confirmed, our guide on how to automate sales follow-up emails provides practical templates suited to post-show contact cadences. Note that including without limitation your digital collateral, order forms, and confirmed meeting schedule in a single pre-show folder reduces friction on the floor significantly. Review the terms and conditions for exhibitors on the Informa site before finalising your booth contract, as cancellation policies have specific timelines.

Key takeaways

• Book hotels and register for MAGIC Las Vegas 2026 at least 4 to 6 months before your target edition; August blocks sell out fastest.
• Use the pre-show exhibitor directory to set 3 to 5 confirmed meetings per day rather than planning to discover targets entirely on the floor.
• Sourcing at MAGIC and Project operate as distinct sections within the same venue; plan separate time blocks for each if both are relevant to your business.
• AI-powered outreach tools used 3 to 4 weeks before the show can substantially increase your confirmed meeting count before you land in Las Vegas.
• Canadian brands and retailers have strong logistical and commercial reasons to attend; factor USD costs and cross-border logistics into your budget from the start.

FAQ

What are the MAGIC Las Vegas 2026 dates?

The February 2026 edition is expected in mid-February and the August 2026 edition in late August, consistent with Informa's established two-season calendar. Exact dates are confirmed on a rolling basis. Verify current dates at magicfashionevents.com or the 10times event listing before booking travel or hotel.

How much does it cost to attend MAGIC Las Vegas as a buyer?

Qualified retail buyers can often register at no admission cost, though Informa requires proof of industry affiliation such as a business license or buyer letter. Costs you should budget for include:

• Return flights and hotel accommodation
• Ground transport in Las Vegas
• Meals and incidentals across a 3-to-4-day trip

Check the official registration page for the current fee structure, as policies can change between editions.

How do I register as an exhibitor for MAGIC 2026?

Visit magicfashionevents.com and select the exhibitor registration path. You will need brand credentials, a completed booth application, and payment for your selected space. Standard 10x10 inline booths start in the low thousands USD before services such as electricity and furnishings. Informa's exhibitor manual, distributed after booking, contains all deadlines for freight, utilities, and move-in logistics.

Is MAGIC Las Vegas worth attending for small Canadian brands?

For most Canadian apparel and footwear brands targeting USA retail distribution, MAGIC offers access to a concentration of qualified buyers that would take months to replicate through individual outreach. Toronto and Vancouver are both within a short flight of Las Vegas. Budget in USD for booth and hotel costs, plan cross-border shipping logistics in advance, and use pre-show outreach tools to maximise confirmed meetings before you arrive.

What is the difference between MAGIC and Sourcing at MAGIC?

MAGIC is the finished-goods marketplace where apparel, footwear, and accessories brands exhibit to retail buyers. Sourcing at MAGIC is the adjacent section hosting fabric mills, trim suppliers, and private-label manufacturers serving brands that need production partners. Both sections co-locate at the Las Vegas Convention Center under the Informa umbrella, and a single show badge typically grants access to both floors.