Trade fair exhibitors report 'surge' in cash payments
Exhibitors at the trade fair in Naxxar have reported a "surge" in cash payments for relatively large purchases, with many buyers producing Lm20 notes which may have been hoarded at home, GRTU director-general Vince Farrugia said."It seems it has...
Exhibitors at the trade fair in Naxxar have reported a "surge" in cash payments for relatively large purchases, with many buyers producing Lm20 notes which may have been hoarded at home, GRTU director-general Vince Farrugia said.
"It seems it has suddenly dawned on some people that they can dispose of their cash (prior to euro adoption) at the trade fair. Some people have been making Lm800 purchases in cash," he said.
He added that exhibitors had reported rather slow business in the early days of the fair (after the June 29 public holiday) but business had since picked up.
John Camilleri, general manager of the Malta Fairs and Convention Centre, said that although no formal survey had been made, business appeared to be brisk and visitor numbers were at the same level as previous years, with some 100,000 expected to visit the stands by the time doors close this Sunday evening.
He said that attendance was more evenly spread than last year's edition, which clashed with the World Cup. The peaks so far have been 10,000 who called on June 29, which was a public holiday, and 12,000 on Sunday - not bad considering that some 40,000 also visited Mater Dei Hospital that day.
Mr Farrugia said the hospital open weekend may have dented the potential number of visitors to the Naxxar fair.
"People had somewhere else to go, something new to see. We are urging exhibitors to make an extra push and it appears figures are picking up," he said.
The fair, currently in its 50th edition, has attracted almost 400 exhibitors.
It is the last to be held at Naxxar as the lease on the land expires in August. Both the international fair and specialised fairs organised by the MFCC will then move to the tension fabric structure at Ta' Qali. The first fair to be held there will be the machinery and tools fair in October. MFCC was set up last year as a joint venture between Fairs and Exhibitions Ltd and Sign It Ltd.
"It seems it has suddenly dawned on some people that they can dispose of their cash (prior to euro adoption) at the trade fair. Some people have been making Lm800 purchases in cash," he said.
He added that exhibitors had reported rather slow business in the early days of the fair (after the June 29 public holiday) but business had since picked up.
John Camilleri, general manager of the Malta Fairs and Convention Centre, said that although no formal survey had been made, business appeared to be brisk and visitor numbers were at the same level as previous years, with some 100,000 expected to visit the stands by the time doors close this Sunday evening.
He said that attendance was more evenly spread than last year's edition, which clashed with the World Cup. The peaks so far have been 10,000 who called on June 29, which was a public holiday, and 12,000 on Sunday - not bad considering that some 40,000 also visited Mater Dei Hospital that day.
Mr Farrugia said the hospital open weekend may have dented the potential number of visitors to the Naxxar fair.
"People had somewhere else to go, something new to see. We are urging exhibitors to make an extra push and it appears figures are picking up," he said.
The fair, currently in its 50th edition, has attracted almost 400 exhibitors.
It is the last to be held at Naxxar as the lease on the land expires in August. Both the international fair and specialised fairs organised by the MFCC will then move to the tension fabric structure at Ta' Qali. The first fair to be held there will be the machinery and tools fair in October. MFCC was set up last year as a joint venture between Fairs and Exhibitions Ltd and Sign It Ltd.