The four August events — Apparel & Accessories Market, KidsWorld, American Equestrian Trade Association (AETA) and Western & English Sales Association (WESA), all held concurrently August 18-21 — delivered their best combined attendance in five years, with new buyers making up close to a third of total attendance.
DMC’s national reach has also expanded, with every region posting positive year-over-year growth and an especially big surge from international attendees, underscoring a buyer base that now reaches well beyond US borders. "Our market is where top retailers from coast to coast are choosing to do business," said Cindy Morris, president and CEO of Dallas Market Center. "Four markets under one roof, all hitting new highs in the same week — that's buyers and exhibitors telling us that Dallas is where they can get more done and get inspired."
Each of the four markets showed impressive results:
• Apparel & Accessories: Attendance climbed steadily, posting its best new-company count in years.
• KidsWorld:. The show turned in its strongest performance on record, with retailer attendance up roughly 40 percent year-over-year.
• AETA: Attendance nearly doubled its retailer turnout year-over-year.
• WESA: Since relocating to Dallas, WESA has grown into the single biggest driver of the market's overall expansion, now representing roughly a quarter of all buyers across August markets.
Exhibitors felt the momentum, too. "New clients. Real B2B relationships. A hundred small conversations that added up to something real by the end of the fourth day,” said Navneet Singh, founder of leather bag brand Hyna. “Every person I spoke with treated a first-time exhibitor from India like he already belonged there." And of course, the show calendar never stops in Dallas. Up next is Dallas Design Week, Gift & Home Market, and KidsWorld happening September 15-17 while ArchLIGHT Summit takes place September 15-16. The final 2026 Apparel and Accessories Market is October 20-23.
More information, including complete registration information, is always available on the Dallas Market Center website and don’t forget to download the new, completely redesigned Dallas Market Center mobile app. And stay current by visiting Dallas Market Center on Facebook, Instagram and the DMC Daily Dose blog.