Bendigo Leisurefest 2020 cancelled
The Caravan Industry Victoria (CIV) has announced that this year’s Bendigo Leisurefest will not go ahead.
Originally scheduled for 20-22 November, 2020, the regional Victorian caravan and camping show was cancelled on 16 October, with the CIV citing a lack of clarity from the Victorian State Government over events and travel of event staff and exhibitors from metropolitan Melbourne as the reason for the decision not to hold this year’s Leisurefest.
CIV Chief Executive Rob Lucas says that while this year’s Bendigo Leisurefest won’t go ahead, the industry is working hard to ensure future events can.
“Exhibitors, Members and Consumers can rest assured we are, and will continue to lobby the Victorian Government to ease restrictions for outdoor caravan and camping shows,” Lucas said.
“Ensuring that businesses in the industry can showcase and sell their products - with COVID safe plans in place - is important to the future of the industry.”
To ensure new products, services, developments and innovations in the industry are still available to consumers, the Victorian Caravan & Camping Virtual Show opened in September and has recently been extended until 5 November, 2020.
To register for entry to the virtual show and find out more details, go to: https://victoriancaravanandcampingvirtualshow.com.au/ as well as the CIV’s social media channels @gomakesomememories
The full statement from the CIV concerning the Bendigo Leisurefest 2020 cancellation is below.
Caravan Industry Victoria Confirms the Cancellation of the Bendigo Leisurefest for 2020.
As we see no significant changes to the current restrictions in place for Victoria - for both Regional Victoria and Metropolitan Melbourne, tied in with the limited commitment from the Victorian State Government to provide any insight to events, and how they may operate, plus the recent advice to us the concern is Metropolitan people including business staff travelling to regional Victoria - Caravan Industry Victoria has made the only decision possible, which is to cancel the Bendigo Leisurefest for 2020.
The Association’s last meeting Council Meeting (Association's Board) held on 16 September 2020, discussed the matter of conducting the Bendigo Leisurefest in 2020. With the Premiers Roadmap to Recovery as a guide, the extended period for current restrictions, the extension of the State of Emergency, and the Associations Participation Victorian Stage Government Round Table meetings providing no further information, the Association’s board had no other option than to cancel Bendigo Leisurefest for 2020.
Chief Executive Rob Lucas said “We must comply with the current Victorian Government restrictions to keep everyone safe, no matter the effect it has on consumers, business and livelihoods. There are obligations for us, including the need to provide as much advance notice as possible to members and exhibitors on such a decision”
The current restrictions have led to challenges across the industry, Lucas continued “Exhibitors, Members and Consumers can rest assured we are, and will continue to lobby the Victorian Government to ease restrictions for outdoor caravan and camping shows to allow the Association, Members and Exhibitors to operate in a COVID-19 safe manner, ensuring that businesses in the industry can showcase and sell their products (with COVID safe plans in place) is important to the future of the industry”.
With limited and restricted international travel for consumers, members and exhibitors alike are seeing strong sales and inquiries which is fantastic, the challenge now for the industry is keeping up with inquiries and meeting demand due to the restrictions and requirements for busines to operate, even with COVID safe plans there are significant challenges to get business back to full capacity.
The Association continues to work on these issues.
For anyone wishing to explore options in one place, the Victorian Caravan & Camping Virtual Show has been extended until November 5 to provide some assistance to those looking for products and services.
