Ardingly Fair to go ahead despite
artic conditions
Despite some of the coldest weather being forecast over the coming days IACF Ltd are pleased to confirm that the Ardingly Fair is to continue as planned at the South of England Showground on the 12th and 13th January. With 4 permanent halls and almost 400 stalls already booked there will be plenty of treasures on offer.
With no permanent halls and the long term forecastpredicting the coldest winter for many years, IACF Ltd have decided to canceltheir February 2010 Swinderby Fair. IACFDirector, Robert Thomas, comments “The big advantage of Swinderby is its wideopen spaces which of course can be a ‘disadvantage' when there is a north eastwind coming straight in from the arctic!! Historically this has always been the quietestevent and our contract with Cemex allows for this situation. The next SwinderbyFair will be from Monday 5 th to Wednesday 7 th April, bywhich time the snows should have melted!! “
The Newark Fair to be held on Thursday 4 th & Friday 5 th February is unaffected due to its excellent venuefacilities - 9 permanent exhibition halls which can accommodate 1000+ stalls. Thisevent is part of IACF's Winter Season and so the Buyers' swing badge allowingaccess on both days is just £10.
It was announced today that IACF would fill the void that has arisen with Arthur Swallow Fairs vacating the RAF Swinderby site.
A surprised, but delighted, Keith Harris – Chairman of IACF – commented, “There will now be a symbiotic relationship between Swinderby and Newark rather than the parasitical one that existed in the past. Having one organiser for these two events will bring huge benefits for both exhibitors and buyers”.
To demonstrate this, he quoted some examples, “Outside pitches at Swinderby will only cost £30 if pre-paid along with an outside pitch at Newark for the October and December fairs. Visitors to Swinderby, whilst still paying £15 entry will get a discount of £10 at the following Newark… a saving of 50%”.
A baffled Alan Yourston, Senior Fairs Manager at IACF, said, “Why did they move? If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!! The rumour that gravel extraction was about to start is not true. The owners have told us that because of the downturn it is likely to be four years away and when it does start it will be on another area of the site”.
Mr Harris continued, “Our decision to run fairs at Swinderby was not taken lightly. We are well aware that some of our stallholders at Newark are not happy with the proximity and ‘nature’ of previous events on the site. But it was clear from our recent ‘preferred dates’ survey of Newark exhibitors that many more wanted the two fairs with their own very distinct ‘cheap & cheerful’ and ‘quality’ characteristics to carry on side by side. (Incidentally, the majority of respondents want Newark to stay on Thursday and Friday). Another major factor was the draw of having two large fairs close together for the buyers – particularly from overseas. With our worries over length of tenure assuaged, it became a ‘no brainer’”.
Robert Thomas, Director of IACF, continued, “Our Swinderby fairs will have most of the features that previous shows on the site have had coupled with the friendly professionalism of IACF’s Newark based team. It goes without saying that in the run up to the October fair we will stage a massive publicity campaign to ensure that ALL dealers in the UK, Europe and the USA know about this exciting new dual entry offer”.
The final comment comes again from Keith Harris. “The overwhelming reason for taking on Swinderby is the LONG TERM savings we can offer exhibitors and buyers. This is not altruistic as we are sure these offerings will bring in lots more buyers and exhibitors which, in turn, will secure the future of the Newark/Swinderby cycle as the pre-eminent European antiques event and therefore benefits us as organisers.
At International Antiques & Collectors Fairs the possibilities are endless.
Our fairs provide huge potential for journalists:
They are shopping events where the variety of goods on offer is unsurpassed.
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They attract many famous faces - not just from the world of antiques, but from the world of television, fashion and sport.
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They include the largest antiques fair in Europe in Newark, Nottinghamshire
- They are an antiques, collectors, interiors or shopping enthusiasts dream.
Quite simply they are must-do events.
Working Together
Classic Copy
In some instances the choice of goods on offer on a single stand would provide numerous feature opportunities - let alone the variety on offer at an entire fair! We can help you get the information you need.
Come to our fairs and we'll introduce you to the stallholders. Let them explain to you the allure classic and vintage products hold. You will soon want to let your audience know how easily antique items can complement modern interiors.
Convey this message through copy or images and encourage them to become creative with their interior style.
Interviewing the experts
If you'd like to support coverage of our fairs with an interview then please get in touch. We can help source the right person for you. Whether it be one of our organisers to give you an insight into how these events come together, a stallholder on what it's like to be part of the trade or maybe even a famous expert, we'll do what we can to assist.
Promotional Opportunities
Once you've been to the fair, and produced your material, why not support your coverage with a promotion? We can provide a promotional offer fitting for your work. Whether it be an entry offer, ticket giveaway of a more bespoke promotion we can work together to get it right.
Looking the Part
Many publications often detail our events within their listings pages. If you'd like an image to help communicate what our events are like, or the type of goods they offer, why not request a selection? We have a comprehensive database of images of each of our fairs and on request can provide options for your inclusion.
Press passes are available to all of our events. To request one or if there is any other way in which we can assist you please contact Kate Boughton on +44 (0)1636 702326.
