MAGIC, the world’s largest apparel trade event, is the greatest starting point which offers Sri Lanka the best opportunity to secure direct orders from a marketplace of 85,000 buyers at a crucial time when garment quotas are due to end by 2005, Maria Rajanagam, Executive Director, American Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka (AMCHAM) said last week.

“With the imminent termination of the Lanka-Us Multi Fiber Agreement, the time is ripe for Sri Lanka to think to think in terms of alternative measures to ensure the survival of the country’s garment industry. Sri Lanka has the potential for top quality apparel products to offer the world. What is required is to step into the right marketplace and get the message across,” she told a news conference at the Colombo Plaza.
MAGIC, the largest fashion business event in the globe will be held in Las Vegas, USA from August 25 – 28. An arena of 85,000 buyers from 110 countries, 7,000 exhibitors and 33,000 departmental stores representing stalls covering 800,000 square feet of floor space, this grand show boasts of an unparalleled selling power of more than US$ 64 billion.

In USA alone there is a buying power of US$ 180 billion. Of this, 120 billion is generated from 39 top corporations called the major retail clusters.

“MAGIC is all about meeting the right people and putting a face to the name and a name to face. It’s the ideal opportunity for Sri Lanka to receive exposure at a giant arena of the world’s top buyers and decision makers,” Rajanayagam noted.
With the abolition of the apparel quota system in 2005, about 50% of the factories face the threat of closure, which will inevitably result in around 500,000 direct and indirect workers being denied of employment if alternate purchase orders are not secured, warned Hiran Jayasinghe, MAGIC’s local representative and President, SUMMIT Corporation (PVT) Ltd.

MAGIC, a US$ 8 billion company launched its first event in 1933. A biannual show held in February and August each year, it attracts the world’s largest apparel purchasing community including the top 37 buying clusters in North America.
Asked whether the backing of the relevant ministry in Sri Lanka has not been sought for a global show of this magnitude, Jayasinghe said repeated attempts were made to establish contact, but it was futile.
MAGIC’s Director of International Sales Development had also written to Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe in May this year saying any assistance from him would elevate the trade show to Sri Lankan manufacturers who would benefit from such exposure.
“The Premier has not responded so far,” he said.