Cancelling show costs organisers €100,000

The cancellation of the Cork Summer Show last month will cost the Munster Agricultural Society about €100,000 in losses.

Initial estimates had originally put the costs at €70,000, but the MASlast night admitted the losses would be much higher.

MAS vice-chairman Gerard Murphy said: “The loss to the society of June’s event has been quantified at approxim-ately €100,000.

“The cancellation was a huge disappointment to us. There would have been almost 200 trade stands, which was a 200% increase on 2011. A lot of the exhibitors were hoping to use the Cork Summer Show as a major marketing tool, considering we were expecting more than 30,000 visitors and we recognise the cancellation was a major financial loss to them also.”

Mr Murphy, who also had to contend with the cancellation at the weekend of the show jumping element of the summer show, said all trade stand fees had been refunded.

He said the event would have given employment to 92 people over the three days and estimated that 5,000 man hours had gone into its preparation.