A HIGH profile business exhibition scheduled to take place in Coventry in November has been postponed until next year following the collapse of the company behind it.
Nationwide Publishing, the Bristol-based firm which was due to stage the Business Midlands event at the Ricoh Arena, has ceased trading and is being handled by Leicestershire insolvency specialist FA Sims & Partners.
Another events firm, London-based Easyfairs, has stepped in and bought Nationwide’s assets for an undisclosed sum.
In a statement, it said the Coventry exhibition would take place in May 2011 and it promised to honour payments exhibitors had already made to Nationwide.
Nationwide was charging £325 per square metre for exhibition space with the smallest pitch covering 9 sq mtrs – a cost of £2,925.
A sister event in Doncaster was also due to take place in November and another in Manchester was set for next month.
Easyfairs said Manchester would also be postponed until May but the Yorkshire show would only take place, “as soon as the market is ready”.
Another exhibition, Business West of England, has been postponed indefinitely.
Easyfairs managing director Matt Benyon said: “Easyfairs will, as a goodwill gesture, take into consideration deposit amounts already paid to the previous owners on all contracts for the new events in May.
“We have some clear ideas where improvements can be made to reshape the shows that will make a difference for the industries they serve.”
The event is billed as two days of “exciting and informative content” designed to help businesses build relationships, find sources of funding and hear inspirational stories from high profile figures.
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