The 2020 Henty Machinery Field Days has officially been cancelled
The Henty Machinery Field Days have joined a long list of events to be called off during the COVID-19 pandemic, with organisers announcing they could no longer find a way forward.
Held annually in the southern New South Wales town, the Henty Machinery Field Days lays claim to being the nation’s largest, with an economic value of more than $92 million.
Check out images from last year’s Henty Machinery Field Days here.
Organisers had hoped the event, which was scheduled for September 22-24 this year, could be held again this year, and had been monitoring the situation since March.
But HMFD chief executive officer Belinda Anderson announced yesterday that it was not to be, saying the unknowns for large mass gatherings made organising and planning the event difficult. is year due to COVID-19.
“Without a clear path to the end of this pandemic and the full easing of social restrictions, the obstacles to running a successful, and more importantly safe Field Days, were insurmountable,” she says.
“We are a national event and with state borders closed we would disappoint all our exhibitors from interstate along with the many visitors we have who attend from around the nation and overseas.”
“This has been a difficult decision for organisers knowing it would disappoint all of our stakeholders, including members, staff, sponsors, exhibitors community groups and visitors,” she added.
Anderson says the HMFD Co-operative will use the time provided to improve assets to ensure a better experience at the 2021 event, due to be held on September 21-23.
The HMFD team is also now investigating options for a virtual format of the event this year, more information to be released at a later date.
The announcement follows news that the Mallee Machinery Field Days, held in Speed Victoria, and Casino Beef Week have both also been cancelled for 2020.