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  Agenda targeting skate

I spoke with Aaron Levant, the president of the Agenda trade show, to see how business is shaping up for its January show.

Aaron said Agenda’s revenues are up because it raised its prices. Also, larger companies are showing at Agenda this January and purchasing bigger spaces. The smaller independent brands are dropping off, however, because of the tough economy.

Agenda is also making a push to lure skate hardgoods to the show, and Aaron is quite happy Tum Yeto will bring Toy Machine to Agenda this year.

Skate hardgoods companies have come in and out at Agenda over the years, he said, but Agenda is beginning a “cohesive push” to attract more of those companies by giving them preferential pricing and space, Aaron said.

Another addition this January is surf shoe company Ocean Minded, Aaron said, which is a whole new category for Agenda.

Agenda, which started as a street wear show in 2003, requires exclusivity so brands are not at both Agenda and ASR, the much larger event and main traffic driver in San Diego during that time.

The biggest concern for the January Agenda show is that buyers will have a tough time attending because of the slowdown at retail. Aaron said Agenda is offering incentives to 80 to 100 key buyers to get them to the show.

In addition to the two San Diego shows, Agenda operates two shows a year in Tokyo. Next up, Agenda is looking to restart its New York show and possibly start a new show in Las Vegas, Aaron said.

Here’s the most recent list of confirmed Agenda exhibitors provided by Aaron:

Some of the core skate and surf brands:

KR3W
Sabre Vision
Supra
DC LIFE
Sole Tech
Grenade Gloves
Ocean Minded
JSLV
Altamont
Comune (new brand from pro skater Brayden Szafranski and Frank Delgadillo who use to do Ambiguous)
Gravis
Manik Skateboards
Incase P-Rod Collection
Lifetime Collective
G-Shock
Ambiguous
New Era
Foundation Skateboards
Toy Machine
Pig Wheels
Dekline
Nikita Clothing
adidas skateboarding
The Hundreds ( has a skate team and a snowboard team)

Some of the Lifestyle and Street brands that do Agenda:

OBEY
STUSSY
HELLZ BELLZ
Crooks & Castles
10DEEP
Freshjive
The Hundreds
Incase
ANYthing
Creative Recreation
Green Apple Tree
Goorin Brothers
ALIFE
Adidas
Puma
New Balance
Reebok
PF-Flyers
Rocksmith / Kilo Goods
Cardboard Robot
Fila
Fyasko
The 7th Letter
Imaginary Foundation
Macbeth
Royal Elastics
Timberland
WeSC