Australia. Exhibition and Trade Fairs (ETF) have announced that their special events tradeshow, Melbourne’s Event Showcase will be postponed in 2012 to take time to reconsider the format of the show. Originally called RSVP Melbourne, the owners and organisers of the tradeshow say the residual effects of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), the consolidation of event suppliers and reduced marketing budgets continue to impact the events industry, and therefore the strength of the show. “The overall show format doesn’t appear to be fully resonating with the industry. Therefore, we have taken the decision to postpone the show for this year and focus our energies on better understanding the challenges and specific needs of Melbourne’s event industry,” said Jodie Richmond, General Manager & CEO of ETF. Consultations with industry members will occur later in the year to pave the direction for 2013 and beyond. The ETF team will now focus on managing the burgeoning success of Sydney’s Event Showcase and the co-located Australian Business Events Expo in 2012.
