The GHA (Australian Gifts and Homewares Association) has have advised that costs associated with implementing Australian trade fairs have risen to a point whereby an increase in their space rate is required.

Space is to be charged at $264 per Square meter for 2007. The GHA have been running Australian gift fairs for over 30 years now. They were initially established to offset the high costs associated with exhibiting at commercially run exhibitions. Currently they run simultaneous trade fairs with the only serious competitor, Reed Gift Fairs, with free shuttle buses between the two venues for retailers in both Sydney and Melbourne.

Still Very Cost Effective.
Since the GHA is a not for profit association of importers and wholesalers, despite the increases, the overall cost of exhibiting with them is still around half the cost of exhibiting with their competitor Reed Gift Fairs. Hence exhibition space is much in demand at GHA’s trade fairs.

Two Big Fairs at the Two Showgrounds.

The GHA advise that with increased space from the new joint venue at the Melbourne Showgrounds, there will be a lot of new exhibitors however there is still likely to be a waiting list for exhibiting there. However in Sydney (also at the showgrounds) the GHA still has some exhibition space available for the September Fair.
The Melbourne (August) and Sydney (September) trade fairs, are major events which most retailers in those respective states use to select their stock for the main Australian summer retailing season. Retailing for the summer of 2007 is expected to be solid.