by Selwyn Manning

The failure and disgust which is plaguing Auckland trade fair exhibitors is gaining no sympathy from the New Zealand Government.

In response to Parliamentary questions it distanced itself from criticisms that it had abandoned support for the trade fair.

Hon. Max Bradford told the Parliament that the trade fair was ¡°private¡±.

¡°We decided not to hold a trade fair for a number of reasons. Since formation of APEC there have been only three assisted trade fairs.¡±

Mr Bradford laid blame for the fair¡¯s demise at the feet of private organisers.

¡°The background to the decision not to endorse the fair was made clear to the fair organisers. We asked the organisers on several occasions not to use official APEC logos. The fair organisers ignored that advice,¡± Mr Bradford said.

The Government has angered trade fair exhibitors due to its failure to officially endorse it as part of the APEC programme.

The Government wished for the private sector to organise and support the fair.

This lead to a cooling of interest by New Zealand companies and others in the Asia Pacific region.
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The fair has been deemed a flop by its largest exhibitor, Rodulf Gutman. After all the effort the company put into presenting itself to APEC, the fair has proved a disaster.

A Gutman spokesperson says adamant the fair¡¯s failure is due to the host nation, New Zealand, not giving its backing.

Gutman's area export manager, Edmund Balzer, has said he was told by the organisers there would be hundreds of exhibitors from around the Asia Pacific region. Instead there were fewer than 30.

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