Naxxar grounds will host fairs again

The annual trade fair, which for the past two years has been held at Ta' Qali, will face direct competition in June after a new company yesterday announced it will be organising a similar event at Naxxar, the original fairgrounds.

Members of the Trade Fair Exhibitors Association have formed a company and entered into a five-year lease agreement with Scicluna Estates, the owners of the Naxxar grounds where the trade fair used to be held.

Company president Paul Abela said their intention was to use the Naxxar grounds for various events, including a summer fair, which this year would be held between June 24 and July 4. Last year the Ta' Qali fair was held between June 25 and July 5.

The organisers are expecting to have the Naxxar grounds up and running by the end of next month. The place, which was last used as an election counting hall in June, has to be refurbished and spruced up.

Exhibitor prices, they added, would be retained at 2007 levels.

The trade fair was last organised at Naxxar in 2007.

Scicluna Estates did not renew the lease for The Trade Fair Corporation that brought together employer organisations and government.

After that, the corporation formed a partnership with the company Sign It and jointly organised the annual fair at the Malta Fairs and Convention Centre in Ta' Qali, under the large tent owned by Sign It.

Last year, after some management problems, the corporation sold its shareholding to Sign It and the new business partners, Nexos. The all-private venture also bought the rights to the International Fair of Malta.

When asked whether the Naxxar grounds were still licensed for the organisation of fairs, Mr Abela insisted no place in Malta was permanently licensed as a fair ground.

"Even in previous years, the corporation had to apply for a permit on a yearly basis to organise the trade fair. I am sure the government would not object to issuing a licence for the organisation of a fair at Naxxar," he said, pointing out that, according to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority's structure plan, the Naxxar land was still identified as a fair ground.

He insisted the market was big enough to have two fairs, adding their intention was also to create specialised events that were no longer being held.

"We are responding to what the commercial community has long been asking us to do," he said.

The company's shareholders are Paul Abela, Anthony Galea, John Camilleri, George Demajo, Effie Micallef and Darren de Domenico. All have long years of experience in the organisation of fairs and were former members of the corporation.

They said the company had enough financial backing to sustain the whole five-year lease period without financial problems.

The Trade Fairs Exhibitors Association is still part of the corporation and, according to Mr Abela, the other bodies sitting on the corporation, which include the Chamber for Small and Medium Enterprises (GRTU), the Chamber of Commerce and Industry and government representatives, approved their initiative to set up a new company.