The move comes after comments by dealers at the recent LAPADA fair at the Commonwealth Institute and a
letter to the Antiques Trade Gazette from the fair’s organiser, Fran Foster of Centrex.
While acknowledging that his announcement of the association’s new arrangements for fairs in 2004 could have been better timed, Mr Newgas explained that media reports, including one in the Antiques Trade Gazette (No 1608, October 4, Dealers’ Diary), forced him to go public as the Commonwealth Institute event launched. “We couldn’t leave a blank in the air,” he said. He did not believe the announcement would have deterred visitors from attending what he praised as a good fair, and he complimented Fran Foster on the excellence of its presentation.
Turning to the future, Mr Newgas said that his announcements had so far concerned only 2004. The proposed Claridge’s event was a well-established fair comprised largely of LAPADA dealers, he added, so it was simply a matter of building on what was already there. The October fair to be held at Cheltenham Racecourse would give members the opportunity to stand at a brand new venue, at a relatively low cost, in an existing LAPADA time slot.
On the association’s commitment to fairs in general, he concluded:
“LAPADA are here to provide members with fairs if they want them. But our job is to help members sell objects and support the trade.”
LAPADA bid to reassure members over fair dealings
LAPADA chief executive John Newgas has set out to reassure his association’s members that their interests are being looked after following criticism over the way recent developments have been handled.
