A showdown between two trade shows is heating up, as both parties stick to their guns in the lead up to court action.
Reed Gift Fairs, which includes a fashion and jewellery component, has issued a statement denying any wrongdoing in action brought against it by the Australian Gift & Homewares Association (AGHA).
AGHA is contesting a move by the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre (MCEC), which would force it to relocate its Home & Giving Fair to another space after 2014.
It is understood the space would be provided to Reed Exhibitions instead.
The AGHA has already engaged lawyers to raise this matter with MCEC and Reed Exhibitions, and upon raising these matters, MCEC has agreed to maintain the status quo until 2015.
AGHA has now instructed its lawyers to issue a preliminary discovery application in the Supreme Court of Victoria against both the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Trust (MCET), the body which manages the MCEC, and Reed Exhibitions Australia.
The application will come before the Court on 22nd May, 2014.
The application aims to obtain documents from those parties in order to determine whether AGHA may have a claim:
- for judicial review of any decision by MCET not to provide space in the MCEC to AGHA.
- for contravention by Reed and/or MCET of the restrictive trade practices provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act.
- for misleading and deceptive conduct in contravention of the provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act.
The parties have participated in an intial meeting and agreed to meet again on May 12.
In a statement, Reed Gift Fairs organisers said due to the "regrettable" legal action taken by AGHA, any further meetings have been rendered unlikely.
"The allegations and claims made by the AGHA are baseless and Reed Gift Fairs strenuously denies any wrongdoing in the strongest possible terms," the statement read.
"The AGHA has been advised by our lawyers that there is no foundation to their claims."