EXHIBITION and Trade Fairs (ETF), an exhibition organiser based in Australia, has been forced to postpone the 2012 edition of their special events tradeshow, Melbourne’s Event Showcase.
Originally called RSVP Melbourne, the owners and organisers of the tradeshow cited residual effects of the global financial crisis, the consolidation of event suppliers, and reduced marketing budgets as having a dampening effect on the strength of the show.
Even after implementing brand, venue and dates changes during last year’s show—based on feedback from industry representatives and visitors following the 2010 edition, “the overall show format still doesn’t appear to be fully resonating with the industry,” said Jodie Richmond, general manager & CEO, ETF.
“Therefore, we have taken the decision to postpone the show for this year and focus our energies on better understanding the challenges and specific needs of Melbourne’s event industry,” she added.
Consultations with industry members are due to take place later this year to pave the direction for 2013 and beyond, while ETF will now focus on managing Sydney’s Event Showcase and the co-located Australian Business Events Expo in 2012, the company said in a statement.
