United Kingdom
August 7, 2008
The
British Crop Production Council (BCPC) has been forced to
cancel its annual Congress due to be held in Glasgow later this
year. The move follows a particularly disappointing commercial
uptake for both exhibition space and hospitality facilities
which show no signs of recovery.
Despite its best efforts, BCPC has been unable to find ways of
continuing to fund this year’s Congress and associated
commercial events. In recent years Congress has become a
loss-making activity for the charity, as industry contraction
has led to reduced numbers of delegates and sales of exhibition
space and hospitality areas.
In particular, BCPC has been unable to recoup the large losses
it incurred following the 2001 Brighton Congress, which, coming
shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, suffered a very low
attendance from overseas delegates. Meanwhile, BCPC’s funds,
which have been used to make up the shortfall, have been eroded
significantly by recent falls in its investment portfolio.
Consequently, BCPC, as a preferential creditor, has put its
commercial arm, BCPE Ltd., into receivership. BCPC is now
exploring ways of continuing as a publisher of its range of more
than 12 titles which include The Pesticide Manual, The UK
Pesticide Guide and The Manual of Bio Control Agents.
The British Crop Production Council (BCPC) is a UK registered
charity and is a non-profit making organisation. Over 50 years
it has developed an international reputation for sound science
in the fields of agriculture, food and the environment. Its
conferences, publications and working groups bring together
basic and applied scientists to share information on key issues.
Its website www.bcpc.org
attracts more than 12,000 visitors a month seeking its opinions,
products and services. Its commercial arm, BCPE, is a leading
technical publisher and events organiser. |
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