Earlier this month, BADA had announced that dealer Thomas Woodham-Smith and Harry Van der Hoorn, owner of Dutch stand builder Stabilo, had bought an 80% share in the fair for an undisclosed amount.
Following this move, five members of the association called for an extraordinary general meeting, questioning the manner in which the sale was completed (see issue 2409).
The members’ concerns include a lack of consultation in advance of the sale and worries over the price achieved – reflected also in some of the letters received by ATG, though others have welcomed the move (see Letters in this issue).
BADA council officers then issued a statement at the end of last week setting out reasons for the fair’s sale and the process they followed, an extensive list of benefits to members and the plans for future investment.
In the statement BADA “welcomes the opportunity to host a forum for members” and emphasises that the sale of the fair “provides the resources to invest in initiatives which will help grow membership, create commercial opportunities for members and promote their stock to global audiences”.
