It will be organised by dmg antiques fairs, who put together a wide range of events in Europe and the United States. They said that at least 15 per cent of the stands had been booked by the time ATG went to press.
LAPADA expect 70 to 80 members to exhibit at 6 Burlington Gardens, which is already the venue for the London Original Print Fair and The Watercolours and Drawings Fair. The LAPADA fair is the largest to date at the venue. The organisers have addressed fears that there would not be enough space to accommodate large furniture stands by using both the ground floor, including the West Room, and the first floor.
After some years at the Commonwealth Institute in Kensington, last year LAPADA staged their London fair at Claridge’s, which proved unsatisfactory as a long-term showcase.
Along with current market conditions, it prompted new LAPADA chief executive Sarah Percy-Davis to forego a London fixture this year. She has since been looking for a suitable venue and told ATG there was still enthusiasm from members for a flagship fair in the capital.
She was introduced to dmg antique fairs by Mayfair silver dealer and LAPADA member Anthony Marks of Marks Antiques, who stands at Palm Beach!, dmg’s most prestigious event.
With the attraction of a choice London location, the idea of a LAPADA London fair was reborn.
dmg’s European team will take the reins under the direction of Jason Franks, who is responsible for both the Newark and Ardingly showground events. The whole package, including selling space, is down to dmg, with LAPADA taking a small percentage of stand rental in exchange for dmg’s use of the LAPADA name.
Mrs Percy-Davis says that the new fair has a £100,000 marketing budget and stand rents will be £325 per square metre reducing to £200 after 20 square metres so as to encourage larger stands.
The first London LAPADA fair was launched by Caroline Penman at the Royal College of Art in 1991 and subsequent organisers have included Fran Foster of the NEC and Robert Bailey, but none has had the resources and influence of dmg.
The new fair will carry no datelines but will be strictly vetted. Although most observers had doubted that LAPADA would attempt another London showcase, Mrs Percy-Davis believes the association have now got the balance right.
“With our Autumn fair now established in October at Chelt-enham and this new Spring fair in London in May, we believe we are now offering our members the ideal choice of venues and dates”.
Last year dmg, whose deluxe organising arm is IFAE, were involved in a project to bring a top-drawer fine art fair to London at the Royal Academy. That fair, scheduled for this summer, was postponed but the organisers established a good relationship with the venue owners, which will have helped in establishing the LAPADA event.
LAPADA expect 70 to 80 members to exhibit at 6 Burlington Gardens, which is already the venue for the London Original Print Fair and The Watercolours and Drawings Fair. The LAPADA fair is the largest to date at the venue. The organisers have addressed fears that there would not be enough space to accommodate large furniture stands by using both the ground floor, including the West Room, and the first floor.
After some years at the Commonwealth Institute in Kensington, last year LAPADA staged their London fair at Claridge’s, which proved unsatisfactory as a long-term showcase.
Along with current market conditions, it prompted new LAPADA chief executive Sarah Percy-Davis to forego a London fixture this year. She has since been looking for a suitable venue and told ATG there was still enthusiasm from members for a flagship fair in the capital.
She was introduced to dmg antique fairs by Mayfair silver dealer and LAPADA member Anthony Marks of Marks Antiques, who stands at Palm Beach!, dmg’s most prestigious event.
With the attraction of a choice London location, the idea of a LAPADA London fair was reborn.
dmg’s European team will take the reins under the direction of Jason Franks, who is responsible for both the Newark and Ardingly showground events. The whole package, including selling space, is down to dmg, with LAPADA taking a small percentage of stand rental in exchange for dmg’s use of the LAPADA name.
Mrs Percy-Davis says that the new fair has a £100,000 marketing budget and stand rents will be £325 per square metre reducing to £200 after 20 square metres so as to encourage larger stands.
The first London LAPADA fair was launched by Caroline Penman at the Royal College of Art in 1991 and subsequent organisers have included Fran Foster of the NEC and Robert Bailey, but none has had the resources and influence of dmg.
The new fair will carry no datelines but will be strictly vetted. Although most observers had doubted that LAPADA would attempt another London showcase, Mrs Percy-Davis believes the association have now got the balance right.
“With our Autumn fair now established in October at Chelt-enham and this new Spring fair in London in May, we believe we are now offering our members the ideal choice of venues and dates”.
Last year dmg, whose deluxe organising arm is IFAE, were involved in a project to bring a top-drawer fine art fair to London at the Royal Academy. That fair, scheduled for this summer, was postponed but the organisers established a good relationship with the venue owners, which will have helped in establishing the LAPADA event.
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LAPADA unveil new Royal Academy fair for May 2006
LAPADA will launch a new London flagship fair next year when LAPADA@TheRoyalAcademy opens from May 4 to 7 at the Royal Academy.
