The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) has announced it will no longer run the UK-based CLA Game Fair, due to insufficient income generated.
In a statement issued on Monday 21 September, the CLA said the decision includes the cancellation of next year’s event, which was scheduled to be held at Ragley Hall, Warwickshire on 29-31 July 2016.
The countryside event was held at Harewood House in Leeds in July and Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire in 2014.
Director general of the CLA, Helen Woolley said it was a difficult decision for the “well loved event” that has been running since 1958, but one the CLA had to take.
“Unfortunately an increasingly crowded summer calendar of outdoor events has contributed to falling attendance. This has led to the event failing to generate enough income and has made the event financially unsustainable,” she added.
“We are extremely proud of the Game Fairs that we have put on in recent years and we are grateful to our Game Fair team that have delivered these high quality, professional, events.”
According to Farmers Weekly, CLA accounts for the year ending 30 November 2014 show that income for the 2014 Game Fair was £3.9m, but costs were £4.276m – meaning a loss of £376,000.
“Over the last three years the board made the decision to invest in the Game Fair because of our strong desire to turn the event around. We have been able to make this investment because of the otherwise robust financial position of the CLA. However we can no longer ask CLA members to allow their membership subscriptions to underwrite the losses the event makes."
A period of consultation will be held where the organiser will invite proposals from other organisations on how the Game Fair might be able to continue.
The membership organisation for owners of land, property and businesses in rural England and Wales, CLA, said it “remains committed to providing industry-leading advice and support, running a busy schedule of other national and regional events and being an effective lobbying voice for rural business”.
CLA added that those who have bought tickets for the 2016 show will have their payments refunded.
