Las Vegas’s triple-digit temperatures didn’t stop this summer’s edition of MAGIC, the world’s largest fashion trade event, and IHC was on the job producing S.L.A.T.E., MAGIC’s progressive streetwear show, for the fifth straight season! Now at the Mandalay Convention Center and directly adjacent to Pool, Project, and Street, S.L.A.T.E. is one of IHC’s largest and most multi-faceted projects each season and August 2010 was our biggest and best show yet! The action ran from August 17 - 19, though of course our team was on the job for days ahead of time prepping and perfecting MBCC for the show.

Of course, the show was filled with Vegas tradeshow hijinks as IHC provided fun and interactive points of interest for all brands and visitors. Whether a buyer, exhibitor, or guest, S.L.A.T.E. was “going OFF” this time around! The in-depth report comes courtesy of the lovely Lax, our onsite media manager…

Now housed at the state-of-the-art Mandalay Bay Convention Center, when you head in to start your S.L.A.T.E. experience you’re greeted by a breeze of  fresh cranked up AC air, a literal sense of, “come in it’s COOL in here” as you see the many international fashionistas and who’s who of the fashion industry and media. Did I mention all the Miss Universe contestants were in town?  Entering the MAGIC hub of S.L.A.T.E., Street, Project, Pool, Workroom, Mens and Premium, you hitch a left and grab an escalator up onto the S.L.A.T.E. and Street level. Greeted by rows of coffee (score!), you then approach the wide doors that opened into S.L.A.T.E. Greeted by IHC’s lovely Elle and Jamie at the concierge, hanging out in front of a frosted glass waterfall, and palm trees shooting up 20 feet. An oasis in the fashion desert? Exactly… at the concierge, VIP buyers could turn in their S.L.A.T.E.-branded poker chips (created by IHC) in exchange for the official limited-edition S.L.A.T.E. x Manhattan Portage show bags (designed and facilitated by IHC, of course), which were awesome for your laptop, your vinyl, and tradeshow goodies!

To the right, there were 6 blank canvases and walls, which IHC created for the artists we brought in with partner The Seventh Letter – Retna, Ewok and Norm – to paint and adorn throughout the 3 days of the show. If you could pull yourself away from these iconic LA street artists’ works, you’d find yourself at the S.L.A.T.E x Antenna Magazine photobooth powered by AMP (which IHC designed and created with our photographer Rony Alwin). Better yet, the photos were printed out within minutes of snapping, so you have your souvenir, your memory, a literal 4x6 photo from Rony and his “pop up” photo booth of awesomeness. Lost it somewhere in your trade-show paraphernalia? Track it down here at Ronys Photo Booth!

As you turn the corner and entered S.L.A.T.E., the mecca of what and who’s hot in progressive street and lifestyle luxury, a wealth of options lay ahead. IHC worked with Complex to host the Complex Media Network Blogger Lounge powered by AMP, which brought in top industry bloggers and offered unparalleled media access to the latest and greatest from S.L.A.T.E.’s brands. Street-fashion-forward bloggers from blogs like Hypebeast, Karmaloop, Freshness Mag, SlamXhype, NiceKicks, Sneaker News, Complex and Antenna were given an opportunity to do live blogging from the show floor. It gave them an opportunity to provide straight from the trenches access for the worldwide Internet community of fashion-forward sorts of all kind.  Brands were able to showcase some of their pieces of the current season’s line and were interviewed by these bloggers as well as filmed by S.L.A.T.E. for the AMP fashion series. Content was edited live for everyone to see from the lounge, and after editing, the content was cut and pasted into a 2-3 minute recap and given to the brands on branded jump drives. IHC created the custom branded backdrops for the interviews, brought the AMP film crew to the plate, and published all brand interviews online for brands’ use.

Once you stepped away from the blogger lounge, S.L.A.T.E. was there for the taking. Along with the Antenna and Complex partnerships, IHC coordinated the onsite brand collabs. X-LARGE created an official S.L.A.T.E. air hockey table, where it was brand on brand, boss on employee, son versus father! IMPRM decided to bring their pets out to play, bringing Leia, an 18-week-old white tiger cub who blessed S.L.A.T.E. with her cuteness, exotic growls, and just plain THERE’S A TIGER UP IN HERE! Leia started a mad assembly of people who wanted a glimpse of the baby cub. Further down the aisle Frank’s Chop Shop offered free haircuts, shape ups, and shaves. Saw Bun B. from the dirty down south group UGK getting his hair cut! One of the best skateboarders currently, Stevie Williams, graced his presence at the tradeshow while representing his S.L.A.T.E. brand, DGK.

IHC managed the onsite DJ booth for all three days by having brands sponsor the DJ’s of the day.  Tuesday, Stussy and Undefeated hosted with DJs Jamie Strong from Stones Throw, and Wednesday and Thursday Delicious Vinyl hosted the music, providing among others DJ Aaron LaCrate, the king of gutter music, and the infamous Arabian Prince! Not to mention “the world’s cutest, (I mean youngest) DJ,” DJ Baby Chino. At age 7, this little kid was jamming it up and killing it, drawing ridiculous crowds of people snapping photos and oohing at his skills… almost as big a crowd as Flavor Flav when he stopped by the show, causing a virtual Twitter frenzy from everyone in his path. The likes of Nick Diamond, Dante Ross, many pro skateboarders, and actors of all sorts provided a melting pot of creative minds that provide inspiration for the designers and influencers strolling the aisles of S.L.A.T.E.

    Speaking of Twitter… IHC held the reins on the full slate of social media we created for the show: Facebook, Twitter and blog were all constantly updated with the latest goings-on, sightings and scandals.

            Did I mention the official S.L.A.T.E. opening party at Vanity at the Hard Rock Hotel? Thrown by IHC in coordination with Antenna Magazine and AMP Energy, the official party went off on Tuesday August 17^th, in the uber-classy, tongue-in-chic club of dark and neon lights. IHC brought in DJs Skeet Skeet, Jus Ske and Ikon for a night of remixed classics and under-the-radar nouveau hits, and the dancefloor was filled with young spirits, creative minds, high fashion, and loose hips. I suppose that’s what happens where there’s an open bar provided, and Belvedere bottles provided by IHC for VIPs. Let’s just say the good times were flowing. Fun and feisty party photos can be tracked down on Ronys Photo Booth.

            Want more? Check out Ronys Photo Booth for snaps of the S.L.A.T.E. tradeshow via Rony Alwin, IHC’s official S.L.A.T.E. photographer for August 2010.