SALVO, the leading architectural salvage and garden antiques fair, is being repositioned to capitalise on the increasing popularity of reclaimed artefacts among upmarket architects, designers and decorators.
With the battlecry "Steer the fair away from Newark and into
eco-build", the event's founder and organiser, Thornton Kay, set
out new plans as the 13th Salvo Fair, held on June 25-27
at Knebworth Park in Hertfordshire, came to a close.
"We're going all out to target more dealers and invite selected
groups of construction specialists, including developers, hotels
and leisure groups, plus architects and landscape designers to
trade day," he told ATG. "If there is a market for the big-ticket
items at the fair, it will likely come from within the construction
specialists groups."
While he and the more established salvage dealers want the fair
to regain more of its edge on architectural salvage by "beefing up
the serious end", he is still keen to stress the importance of the
more generic and popular mainstays of the fair, such as doorknobs,
door furniture fittings and small decorative items.
One success pointing to the event's potential as a designer's
destination came as this year's fair saw V&V Reclamation sell
60 square metres of reclaimed bricks, cut into tiles, to Jamie
Oliver's designer to decorate the chef's new restaurant at the
Westfield Shopping Centre in West London
Mr Kay also wants to target the trade more assiduously than has
been the case.
"We had a trade morning only on the Friday, June 25, from 11am
to 1pm at £15 entry and some of the public came into that on
payment of the extra £7 on top of their £8 entry fee as well as the
trade and public afternoon on the same day.
"Next year it won't be like this. The public won't be allowed in
on trade day."
By Joan Porter
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