Feature
whether that’s time or budget or something
else.”
Rakhi Williams, chief strategy officer at
ITE Group: “One of the things that’s good
for us from a timing perspective is that,
while there’s uncertainty, most of the shows
that we would say are at risk happened
before the end of March, so we’re hoping
that when the shows come back next year
the impact is baked into our budgets.”
MB: “I believe the paperwork will be
doable, but if it goes wrong there will be
that transition year. Normally what happens
with EU negotiations is that at the 11th hour
a deal will be done. But with some of the
rhetoric about politicians ‘burning in hell’
for the first time I thought ‘maybe there
won’t be’. I still think there will be, but that
shouldn’t stop dialogue and planning.”
Andrew Harrison, director of ESSA: “The
EU is legally bound not to treat us unfairly
or unjustly, but they will have to treat us as
a ‘third country’ if we leave without a deal. I
think there will be a smoother process than
was thought 12 months ago.
“The key for me is understanding the
difference between taking out and bringing
in. We have control over one, but coming in
is something that has to be independently
negotiated, and we have less control over
that. That for me is where the problems will
lie – being able to communicate the change.
Also it’s about removing some of the fear
factor within that, 80 to 90 per cent of our
members are small companies and they
haven’t got people looking at this. That’s
Adam Aston, Chief Business
Officer, Creative Hire
Paul Brady, Sales and Marketing
Executive, CEVA Showfreight
Simon Farnfield, Portfolio
Director, Exhibition News
Andrew Harrison, Director, ESSA
Rodney Hoinkes, Chief Insight
and Innovation Officer, Fresh
Montgomery
Paul King, Sales Director,
Exhibition News
Nicola Macdonald, Editor,
Exhibition News
Dom Millar, Chief Executive,
Completely Group
Antonia Mitsis, Event Manager,
Bray Leino
Jason Strange, Business
Development, Protec
Michael Watton, Venue Director,
Farnborough International
Rakhi Williams, Chief Strategy
Officer, ITE Group
where they’re going to run into trouble.”
AA: “How will it affect the cost
implications?”
MB: “As soon as you start building in
flexibility and contingency, it costs. That’s
the reality. If you have a two-day build,
normally you’d plan to arrive at 8am on the
first day. If you have vehicles turning up on
the day before or even the day before that,
where are they going to be parked?”
Michael Watton, venue director at
Farnborough International: “In terms
of those additional costs that could be
applicable in this scenario, [the supplier]
can’t absorb it, so the end customer will
end up absorbing it. I’m assuming your
contracts allow for additional costs that are
unforeseen, you’re charging for a service and
you’re delivering that service but additional
unforeseen costs will have to be passed on.”
Dominic Miller, CEO of Completely
Group: “We have our own shell scheme,
which sits in Basingstoke currently. We
have to get our shell scheme on articulated
lorries to Stockholm and then normally we
would come back to the UK and then go
out to Madrid, but we’re wondering if we
just send it straight to Madrid so it’s in the
eurozone. Obviously that would have cost
implications.”
Breaking point
Rodney Hoinkes, chief insights and
innovation officer at Montgomery: “One
of our concerns on the organising side is
the costs of venues and exhibiting in the
UK are generally quite high compared to
costs on the continent, where there is local
government support.
“That’s already at a stretching point
in a number of cases and if you throw
[additional costs] on top, where do you hit
breaking point on some types of shows or
internationals coming into the UK? It’s
crossing a threshold of pain and cost – do
they feel they get enough ROI out of it?
It’s already been there as a trend and a
challenge, because of the way governments
treat venues, but this will elevate that even
March — 35