The main question among exhibitors preparing for the UK’s first Autumn Coin-op Show since the demise of the old Preview, is whether it will impact on their sales at the EAG Expo in January.
Karen Cooke’s Swan Events is planning the exhibition for October 15 and 16 at the Chelsea FC stadium. Cooke also manages EAG on behalf of BACTA.
Some of the main exhibitors talked of their feelings about the Autumn show during Wednesday’s Park Avenue Open Day in London. Harry Levy, one of the main instigators of the October event, said: “We need something at that time of year for the industry to get together. In the old days if the Preview did well we did less well at the January ATEI and vice-versa. I don’t know whether that effect will be the case in today’s sales environment.”
John Stergides of Electrocoin had a generally similar attitude. A keen supporter of the October event, Stergides said: “The business is very hard right now; a show in October will help even out the sales pattern.”
Crown Direct’s Dean Harding was less convinced. “We have booked a stand, although I am really not totally committed to the idea. I will reserve judgement until after both the autumn show and the EAG so we can evaluate the impact of the one against the other.”
Karen Cooke, meanwhile, confirmed that the UK industry generally had been very positive about an autumn event and said that a large proportion of the available space at the football ground stadium concourse had been filled already.
