GTWFEATURE[The Game Fair]
LTheGameFair: I
t was perhaps not such a big shock in the autumn of 2015
that the Country Land and Business Association (the CLA) decided to cancel its game fair, an event that had been running since 1958. After all, it had lostmoney
for the previous three years, had seen cancellations due to unprecedented summer rainfall and was competing against ever more alternative countryside events. And yet,within weeks of
its demise a string of potential suitors had appeared, all vying to fill the gap in the calendar that the biggest andmost prestigious of these events had left.
GAME FAIRWARS
Leaving aside the BBC’s Countryfile Live,which had already shown its hand before the CLA decided to pull the plug (although one can only wonder if this hastened the end) and does not include a shooting element, there were four others that launched events into themarket. First to throw its hat into
the ring was Blaze Publishing and its controversial publisher Wes
Stanton.Backed by his portfolio of shootingmagazines,
68
www.guntradeworld.com RagleyHall inWarwickshire hosted the 2016 Game Fair– and did a fine job.
many thoughtWesmight be the saviour, especially when he sold his business interests to publishing giant Future early in 2016. With a central location at
Stoneleigh Park inWarwickshire, England, this looked to have momentum. Ten came IanHarford,
who already runs a number of
successful regional countryside events under his Countryman Fairs
banner.Could his bold bid at Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire succeed? In truth, his bid was over
before it had begun, onceTe Game Fair had announced itself. Taking up themantle – and
many of the staff – of the CLA Game Fair, the teambehind this
IanHarford tried to host an event at Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire.
Fiona Eastman handledThe Field& Country Fair forTime Inc.
astmanstanding
Withinweeks of the CLA abandoning its famous UK game fair back in 2015, therewere five prospective heirs to the
crown.And yet,only one has survived themelee into 2017.
approach essentially took on the planned venue – RagleyHall in Warwickshire – andmany of the let down exhibitors. Ironically, the teambehind
this venture had also been the publishers of a number of show guides, including the CLAGame Fair brochure. Indeed, this history proved
crucial sinceTeGame Fair had its roots in the CLA event and sees itself as a continuation of “all of the good bits”of that event, hence using the tagline of the 58thGame Fair, continuing the tradition. Finally, there was another
publisher that entered the fray.On paper,Time Inc had arguably the best case of all to run its Field&Country Fair, since it had some heavyweight promotional vehicles in the shape of top UKmagazinesTe Field, Country Life,ShootingTimes and a portfolio of other hugely influential lifestyle titles. Te last to declare, it was the
first to actually stage an event in early June 2016.While it was well received for its atmosphere and quality, it failed to attract the desired numbers and the 2017 event has subsequently been pulled.
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