Royal Melbourne Show cancelled third time in history due to coronavirus
This year’s Royal Melbourne Show has been cancelled for the third time in its history due to coronavirus restrictions, with organisers saying public health is paramount.
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The Royal Melbourne Show has been cancelled this year due to ongoing coronavirus restrictions.
Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria said the decision to cancel the show was made in the best interests of public health.
“Due to the continuing coronavirus pandemic, in particular the social distancing measures and mass gathering restrictions in place, The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria has made the decision to cancel the 2020 Royal Melbourne Show in the best interests of public health,” the society said.
This is the third time in the Royal Melbourne Show’s history has been cancelled, since it began in 1855.
The first cancellation came after the Melbourne Showgrounds was requisitioned for war efforts in 1915 and again during World War II between 1940 and 1945.
Chicane Showbags director Brendan Williams said the cancellation of the Royal Melbourne Show — as well as this year’s Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane annual shows — was a blow to many exhibitors and business, including several showbag suppliers.
“It’s a bit of a fight for survival,” Mr Williams said.
“We’re not going to have a royal show until hopefully Sydney next year, and with our last event being the Royal Melbourne Show in 2019, that’s 18 months without significant revenue.”
“It’s our lifeblood. so it’s a really difficult time, however we’re fighting.”
The Australian business, which employs eight permanent staff as well as hundreds of casuals during shows, has shifted its operations online.
All its showbags — including the ever-popular Bertie Beetle and about 70 others that would have been up for grabs at the Royal Melbourne Show — are available online at showbagshop.com.au
“Receiving showbags is one of the great thrills of going to the show and there’s nothing stopping people from doing that this year – basically every showbag will be still available and it’s delivered straight to their door,” Mr Williams said.
KO Angus Stud manager Tim Lord, who won the top prize in the show’s 2019 Beef Cattle Competition, said not exhibiting his livestock was a missed marketing opportunity.
“It does impact the promotion of our cattle and stops us marketing our genetics to a broader audience,” he said.
“It’s more about lost exposure and loss of future sales.”
The regional New South Wales farmer said the Royal Melbourne Show was an opportunity to showcase your cattle interstate and to see others in the flesh.
He said most farmers were now forced to sell and buy livestock via online sales because of COVID-19.
“The main reason (you go to the show) is to compare our cattle with another stud’s cattle and market to potential buyers.
with the online marketing you miss all the face-to-face contact with potential clients.”
RASV chief executive Brad Jenkins said it had been a “difficult day” but the organisation had to make the decision quickly.
“So many of our participants, whether livestock exhibitors or horse trainers or even those who make the arts and crafts, they spend hours and months and weeks preparing their items for the show — so in fairness to all of them, we needed to make a call sooner rather than later,” he said.
“Most of the livestock owners start preparing now, and the horses go into training to try to win their show ribbons. The showbag exhibitors have to order in time and do the testing — it’s a long lead-in to an event of this size and scale, it’s not something that can be just done in a month or two.
“We also rely on hundreds of volunteers including committees, judges, stewards and more, who give their time so generously each year for the Royal Melbourne Show, many of whom take annual leave or time away from their farm.”
The Royal Melbourne Show cancellation comes after the Adelaide Royal, Brisbane Ekka and Sydney Royal Easter shows were also called off due to social distancing restrictions.
The RASV is exploring alternatives to still present some of the show’s elements online.
Mr Jenkins said this may include creating virtual experiences such as judging of the decorated cakes and art and craft competitions, or even livestock.
“Now we’ve made the decision to cancel the show we can think about how we can bring the show to life online,” Mr Jenkins said.
Mr Jenkins said the RASV would also look at holding an event at the showgrounds in the lead-up to Christmas or early next year to celebrate Victorians who had been at the frontline of this year’s coronavirus and bushfire disasters.
“Wouldn’t it be fabulous if we could bring together a Victorian celebration like no other, where the community can feel safe and celebrate and recognise the people who have done some amazing work for the community,” he said.
“Once we get a better feel when social distancing is relaxed a bit more, we can explore some of these other opportunities.”
Mr Jenkins said the RAS was looking forward to a bumper show in 2021, which for the first time will start later than usual on the Thursday before the AFL Grand Final.
“Most of it will be in the second week of the school holidays. We think that by starting on the eve of the public holiday and then having that and the weekend and second week it will make it bigger and better,” he said.
The Royal Melbourne Show is Victoria’s largest and most iconic annual community event, attracting about 450,000 visitors across 11 days each year and contributes more than $244m in value to the Victorian economy annually.
Mr Jenkins thanked the Victorian community for its support.
“It’s great to know there’s so much interest and passion for the show in these times,” he said.
The Royal Melbourne Show will return from Thursday, September 23, to Sunday, October 3, at the Melbourne Showgrounds in 2021.
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