After careful consideration and considering the needs of the industry, the UK Game Fair, organised by Blaze Publishing, has taken the very difficult decision to call off the event at Stoneleigh scheduled for July.
It is clear that the industry wants and needs a single, large-scale event where their interests can be best served and that event will be The Game Fair, Ragley Hall, Warwickshire on 29-31 July 2016.
Blaze is in the process of agreeing terms with The Game Fair to honour all visitor tickets sold to date. In addition, exhibitors will also be offered placement at The Game Fair and terms and conditions for this are being drawn up with all due haste.
Wes Stanton said: “While I’m massively disappointed, I realise that this is the right decision. It is already a packed summer event calendar and having worked in this market for over 20 years I believe this is the best way forward for everyone.”
James Gower, MD of The Game Fair, stated: “It’s important that we do all we can to ensure as few people and businesses as possible are affected by this news. We are working with the Stoneleigh team to make sure we can welcome all ticket holders and exhibitors to The Game Fair at Ragley Hall this summer.”
The team will be in touch with all affected parties in the next 24-72 hours. If you need to get in touch with the UK Game Fair before you hear from them, please email gamefair@blazepublishing.co.uk
This is hugely disappointing news!
The PR effort into launching a revitalised replacement for last year’s desultory shambles has been significant, indeed admirable and it seemed to most of us that the proposed event at Stoneleigh was set to be the new national standard bearer.
Word has spread like wildfire this afternoon at the news of the cancellation and my friends, colleagues and fellow country sportsmen/women just cannot believe we are going to be left with what will quite possibly be the same sad fiasco we experienced in 2015.
The two news releases this afternoon bear all the hallmarks of a coordinated attempt to spin communications resulting from some sort of litigation issue. These things happen in business I guess, but what about all of us who have bought tickets, arranged cover at work and were looking forward to joining friends for a great weekend out.
Offering to honour tickets to an event we just don’t want to attend simply isn’t good enough. They couldn’t even get the car parking right last year! And most 2015 participants that I spoke to said they’d never come again.
As usual it is countryside business people and lovers of country and field sports who have been let down – again!