There was not the mass abandonment of the Trade Fair that many feared as the annual event moved to a new and smaller venue this year, but the 30 per cent decrease in attendance does set the alarm bells ringing.

This year, the Trade Fair moved from Naxxar – where it had been held for half a century – to Ta’ Qali. The smaller area meant that fewer exhibitors could take part, and this also led to smaller stalls too.

In a press conference last Wednesday, the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises said that 70,000 people turned up for the 10-day event. In the past few years, an average of 100,000 used to flock to Naxxar. A 30,000 drop is not one that should be pushed aside.

What is perhaps worse is that nearly half of the exhibitors – 48 per cent – said that they had recorded lower sales than in the past, and only 16 per cent managed to sell more than they used to. What is more encouraging is that only three per cent of the participants will “definitely” not take part next year.

Is there a future for the Trade Fair?

To be fair – excuse the pun – the Trade Fair’s importance had been slowly diminishing, even when it was still being held at Naxxar. Attendances were dropping there too, so much so that a two-week event was a few years ago reduced to 10 days.

The reasons for this are varied. For one thing, the number of specialised fairs that started to be held throughout the year had already had an impact on the June-July event.

Secondly, and this is perhaps the most obvious reason, people today no longer wait for the Trade Fair to buy the goods they want. In the past, many families used to save their money to buy new appliances or even a new car during the Trade Fair. Today, special offers are not only made during the course of the event.

Lifestyles have changed and nowadays people buy something when they need it. If their washing machine breaks down in January, they will not wait six months to buy a new one. Most establishments give special offers at different times of the year and, even if there is no special offer available, people still buy what they need when they need it.

Thirdly, today most towns have their own shopping centres, where there is a concentration of shops available where people can buy all they need, all the year round. Competition has meant that prices are kept as low as possible. The fact that practically all families have cars does not make it difficult for anyone to move around in search of the better bargain.

The various suggestions made by the exhibitors to make the fair more attractive to visitors are all worth looking into. Moving the fair to another time of the year when it is not so hot is one of them, although this might have its own negative effect because tradition would be lost. A more feasible idea is to change the opening hours – a 6pm opening time is too early for many, while closing time should be extended beyond 11pm.

Having better entertainment during the fair is possibly one of the best ideas. People enjoy any kind of entertainment, and the Trade Fair could be more attractive if concerts and shows are held daily.

Of course, the holding of the fair in a new venue was bound to create difficulties. Now that the dust has settled, the organisers should take stock of what has taken place and, together with the exhibitors, find better ways how to make the Trade Fair more attractive. Otherwise, there is a risk that it will gradually die out.