Heighway Events, the organizer of the ‘Aquaculture Australia’ exhibition scheduled for Sydney’s Darling Harbour Conference and Exhibition Centre, December 3-5, 2003, has announced that the event will not now take place, following a low level of international stand bookings.

Heighway MD Mike Purves says: “ We launched this project to a very positive response by the Australian industry, and the New South Wales Government, and many Australian companies have taken stands. Unfortunately the continuing tough economic situation has meant that the key international participation we planned to attract – and which was important to the show’s success - has not materialized, with overseas suppliers, under pressure to cut costs, unwilling to travel so far to what is seen as a relatively small market.”

The recent announcement of a similar event, planned to run in the same venue in 2004 and supported by local associations, made the decision inevitable, said Mr Purves. “ With potential visitors now being pulled in two directions, we have reluctantly decided that we are not prepared to run a trade show that would not be likely to fulfil the expectations of both visitors and exhibitors. That said, we are enormously grateful to all those who have supported ‘Aquaculture Australia’ and we greatly value the many new friends and contacts we have made over the past months.”