The LAPADA fair in Berkeley Square.
Despite the event being open to all dealers this year, currently all those contracted to stand are either existing members or recent joiners who have come on board while signing up to the event.
Among those who are new members and exhibitors are N&I Franklin, Alan Wheatley Art, Sandra Cronan, Karen Taylor Fine Art and John Bennett Fine Paintings.
Traditionally, access to a fair has been seen as one of the major appeals of trade body membership.
Financial incentive
There is a financial incentive for exhibitors to join.
Non-members pay £950 + VAT per square metre while
members pay £850 + VAT. An annual subscription is £550 per year, plus £50 to exhibit on the LAPADA website.
Now run in partnership with Stable Events (also the company behind The Game Fair where LAPADA has a pavilion), the fair is set to run from September 27-October 1.
Last February it pulled the plug on the fair in the face of rising costs.
However, in the autumn it announced that it would go ahead, thanks in part to the new partnership.
Freya Simms, CEO of LAPADA, told ATG that the fair is “stable not just by the name of its events company but also by nature, and has already provided dividends by attracting new partnerships and dealers.
“Berkeley Square shares its venue with PAD London, the autumn design fair, all but guaranteeing it will go ahead.”
Its stability is especially important for those dealers who have had fairs pulled out from under them during the past six months.
