Global Sourcing Expo Australia gets Sydney edition for 2023 line-up

The Sydney Expo kicks off on July 11-13 at the International Convention Centre Sydney, followed by the Global Sourcing Expo Melbourne, which will take place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from November 21-23. Visitors to the Melbourne Expo will also have the opportunity to attend the co-located Footwear and Accessories Show Australia, which will be held on the same dates at the venue, event organiser International Exhibition and Conference Group Pty Ltd said in a press release.

Speaking on the motivation for adding a Sydney edition to the Global Sourcing Expo Australia portfolio, global exhibitions director at the International Exhibition and Conference Group Julie Holt said that having the show in two leading cities in Australia will be of significant benefit to exhibitors and attendees.

“Companies are now able to directly target more than 3,000 trade buyers and industry professionals in the thriving Sydney and Melbourne markets. We have had a number of requests from exhibitors and visitors to take the show to Sydney to service this vibrant and ever-growing market. We are expecting a very positive uptake for this new event,” added Julie.

The Expo is a free trade-only event, attended by importers, wholesalers, speciality retailers, fashion, design and retail brands, sourcing and fashion agents, and trade buyers from Australia, New Zealand, and beyond.

Other exciting changes to the 2023 line-up include an expanded focus on the new sourcing categories of homeware and gifts, to add to the traditional product categories of apparel, accessories, and textiles.

Marie Kinsella, CEO, International Exhibitions and Conference Group, said: “We look forward to introducing our returning and first-time visitors to exceptional new products and exhibitors, and this expanded focus further entrenches our position as Australia’s premier sourcing event.

“The Global Sourcing Expo is the first and only truly global wholesale sourcing show of its type in Australia. Visitors have come to expect the best exhibitors from around the world, valuable networking opportunities, and a wide range of high-quality and unique products to explore. In Sydney we are expecting over 300 exhibitors from over ten countries, enabling Australian buyers to literally ‘source on their doorstep.’”

As one of the only shows in Australia to directly target wholesale and retail buying groups, the Global Sourcing Expo offers exhibitors an ideal opportunity to enter the Australian market, and access leading trade buyers from around the country—with 72 per cent of visitors saying that they discovered new manufacturers or suppliers at the 2022 Expo.

While there is a common remit of product categories in both the Sydney and Melbourne shows, there are distinctive education, feature, and focus areas to differentiate the two events, such as the speaker line-up for the highly anticipated Global Sourcing Seminars. “The Sourcing Seminar programme equips exhibitors and buyers with the latest insights and knowledge across fashion, colour, and design trends, sustainability, marketing, sourcing, and supply chain, all delivered by experts in their field,” noted Marie.

She concluded by emphasising that the purpose of the Global Sourcing Expo is to ‘connect the world.’ “We’re proud to give local buyers and designers access to new global supply chains that they had never thought possible and remove the need to board an international flight to find the best products and suppliers because we bring the world to you.”

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)