Figures reveal Kent Show 2009 made £300,000 loss
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by
business editor Trevor Sturgess
Last summer's Kent Show made a £300,000 loss, it has been
revealed.
Figures released by Kent County Agricultural Society, which
organises the annual event, disclosed that the 80th show earned
£1,007,639, down £122,000 on the previous year.
But total costs amounted to £1,308,420, giving an overall loss
of £300,781 (2008 - £361,781). The show attracted 81,000
visitors.
However, income from other activities at the county showground
throughout the year boosted turnover to £1.63million, leaving
an overall loss of £91,675.
This figure was achieved after writing off £133,135, the cost of
professional fees and costs associated with the controversial
Detling Downs Project, which would have seen massive expansion of
the showground site.
KCAS has since scaled down plans from a £26million
redevelopment, including an equine training centre to host Olympic
teams in 2012, to a more modest £8million proposal.
This will see the Stanley Cornwallis Pavilion refurbished and
the Kent Pavilion site redeveloped as a major conference and
exhibition venue over the next two years.
Society chairman George Jessel, who was re-elected at its annual
meeting – along with president Lord Astor of Hever - said it had
been a difficult year economically and financially.
He promised that this year's show would be more exciting and
relevant to the farming community, and hoped numbers would
return to the 100,000 mark. "We are going to attack 2010 with real
vigour and encourage lots more people to come," he said.
Glyn Charlton, honorary finance director, said it was important
to tackle the root cause of the decline in society finances,
principally falling visitor numbers.
The show had got "tired" and should be "our shop window for this
lovely area in which we live. Our challenge is to get across to the
general public how important it all is, and to his end we are
educating the people of Kent".
Meanwhile, Mr Jessel announced a coffee table book about the
Society would be on sale to the public at this year’s show.
It would chronicle the history of the society and the show, from
its humble beginnings 80 years ago to the biggest Kent attraction
it is today. He appealed to members to help raise £10,000 towards
the cost of the project.
Wednesday, February 10 2010
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