BIRMINGHAM, England—Erotic Trade Only, a trade magazine that covers adult in the United Kingdom, announced it will not produce a dedicated trade event this summer.
“This is a very painful decision for us to make. We have many loyal exhibitors who have been with us since the show began but it would have been difficult to stage an event this year without the support of all the main U.K. players,” show organizer Jonathan Kirk said in an announcement on EroticTradeOnly.com. “We were aware that the cost of exhibiting at the NEC was an issue, which was one of the reasons we tried to source an alternative venue which could offer exhibitors better value for money. Reducing the show down to a single day duration would have also helped in this regard. However, it appears that the uncertainty surrounding Brexit, and the impact it has had on currency rates, has resulted in some key exhibitors being reluctant to commit to any form of U.K. show this year and without their support it would be impossible to stage an event of which the industry could be proud.”
The ETO Show, which traditionally takes place in July each year, is considered the U.K.’s premier trade-only event for the erotic market. Regularly attracting more than 1,300 visitors there is no better place to showcase your company and its product lines to the majority of active buyers in the U.K. and Europe.
The ETO Show was set to be replaced this year by an event dedicated more toward business, at a new venue—it has been at the NEC in Birmingham, England, since 2005—at a new venue in the Midlands.
“It is obviously very disappointing to cancel the U.K.’s only dedicated trade event with just a couple of months to go, and we are sorry to let down all those exhibitors who had booked space at this year’s show, as well as all the visitors who get so much from attending,” ETO Publisher Lee Schofield said in the statement. “We had to decide whether to continue with a 2017 show which would have been missing some key exhibitors, or take a sabbatical for a year and come back with a new proposition in 2018. After much discussion we have chosen the latter. We would rather have no show in 2017 than a lacklustre one.”
The ETO Awards traditionally take place during the annual show, but the announcement made no mention of whether or not the awards would still be presented this year. ETO officials were not immediately available for comment on the ETO Awards.
Since its launch in July 2003, ETO has become an essential tool and reference source for every company trading in the U.K. adult sector. ETO is an independent publication, and has no links or connections with any other adult business. It is published monthly and is available via subscription only to qualifying individuals or companies.
For more, visit EroticTradeOnly.com.
