With Covid-19 still creating havoc across Australia, Expertise Events has decided to move the Spring fair back four weeks to ensure all businesses can participate.
Now being held from 10 to 13 October at the ICC in Sydney, managing director Gary Fitz-Roy says the move will buy them some extra time and will allow Victoria to hopefully gain control of the situation and also re-open for business.
“It provides more time for state border restrictions to be reviewed, especially given most states have resumed near normal business operations,” says Fitz-Roy in a statement.
“It will also allow buyers a little more time to gauge their stock levels in time for Christmas and although we do know this could mean some suppliers will need to review their own supply levels and timing, we believe it’s for the ‘greater good’.
“If we have all learned one thing from Covid it’s that we need to challenge and review how we have previously done things and to adjust to the new normal.
“Further, the opportunity to move to mid-October has only just become possible because the ICC made the new dates available. Until recently the later dates were not an option.”
Fitz-Roy has always said the existing fairs would go ahead until such times it couldn’t or things dramatically changed and encouraged everyone to remain calm and patient.
“At the time, the Sydney trade show was many months away and therefore nothing would be gained from kneejerk actions given that information was changing on a daily basis.
“I recently had the opportunity to meet with Prime Minister Scott Morrison to not only discuss the industry but also gain an insight into the plans and thoughts of the Federal Government. Both Morrison and NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian have indicated that the country must push through and we cannot keep closing and opening businesses.”
In additional news, following Reed Gift Fairs’ recent announcement it was cancelling its Retail Quarter Melbourne (RQM), Expertise Events will launch and run the Melbourne Gift & Lifestyle Fair in February 2021, which will be co-located with FAB Event.
“We look forward to working with Frontline who have a national operation and network of relationships in the independent retail sector, particularly in the gift and homewares category, for next February’s new event, running from 6 to 8 February,” enthuses Fitz-Roy.
The Gold Coast Gift & Lifestyle Fair remains on schedule for the end of September.
