No Big Boys Toys or Autumn Home Show this year

Two of Auckland's most popular exhibitions - Big Boys Toys and the Autumn Home Show - will not take place again this year.

Dmg world media announced yesterday that it had sold its consumer show portfolio, which includes the two shows, to Exhibition and Events New Zealand Ltd. The new owners have not cancelled these events.

But in announcing the deal, dmg world media said there would be no Big Boys Toys or Autumn Home Show in 2010. They did not take place last year either.

A spokeswoman said only the new owners could say why the shows would not be held this year.

Exhibition and Events New Zealand chief executive Jane Ford yesterday declined to comment on the reasons for the decision. However, she said she hoped Big Boys Toys would return next year.

As well as the Big Boys Toys and Autumn Home Show franchises, the company has bought the rights to stage the Auckland Home Show and the Canterbury Home Show.

Auckland City Mayor John Banks said the shows had been well supported so he presumed the reasons they were not happening were commercial ones driven by the global recession.

"For a section of the community Big Boys Toys was much loved - my boys enjoyed it very much. It was always a fixed event on the calendar."

The show pulled a crowd of 50,000 annually to the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane. He looked forward to the events returning as the country emerged from recession and they became commercially viable again.

Heart of the City Association chief executive Alex Swney said the news was not a huge surprise but was hugely disappointing.

"New Zealand is a small outpost when it comes to a large international events company. In difficult times you can see why there are commercial pressures."

Mr Swney said it was important for a modern, competitive city to attract big events and anything that damaged that was counter-productive.

Cities such as Melbourne were good examples where tourist numbers were boosted by people attracted to big events that could then lead to economic growth. Mr Swney said that with tourism now the country's second-highest earner, it was important to get it right.

Another company, XPO Exhibitions Ltd, bought dmg world media's trade portfolio consisting of eight shows.

Most New Zealand-based dmg staff have been retained by the new companies. Operations are continuing out of the existing Auckland premises.