Recompense for last-minute cancellation of boat shows rejected

Some exhibitors at Boats 2020 have criticised the last-minute decision to cancel the Southampton event, leaving many of them out of pocket.

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Southampton City Council stopped the show, and MDL’s Ocean Village Boat Show just hours before they were due to open, citing concerns about the increase in COVID-19 infections nationally and attendees coming from different parts of the UK. Both events were due to run from 11-20 September, with Boats 2020 expected to attract 15,000 people and the Ocean Village Boat Show 5,000 people over the 10 days. These attendance figures were agreed by the city council, which worked with both events to make sure they met Public Health England COVID-19 safety requirements.