The Showlight Committee has postponed Showlight 2023. The quadrennial networking event was due to take place on 20-23 May 2023 in Fontainebleau, France.
In a statement from Showlight, chairman John Allen explained the reasons behind the decision: “It is after lengthy consideration and with much deliberation that we have decided to postpone Showlight 2023. The plans and preparations for Showlight in Fontainebleau have been underway since 2018 and although the COVID lockdown took two years out of our work, it was always our intention to hold Showlight in 2023 following the lifting of COVID restrictions.”
“Fontainebleau is a beautiful town with an intimate theatre and a wonderful chateau as well and it is an ideal place for our quadrennial event,” Allen continued. “Plans progressed with this aim in mind. However, developments over recent weeks have raised concerns about the viability of holding Showlight next year. The major problem is that of costs for the event, which have risen considerably at a time when inflation in the UK and across Europe is rising.”
“When we first budgeted for Showlight in Fontainebleau, in 2018, the future looked good, but the combination of COVID, the current political and economic state in Europe, and more recently, uncertain final costs for the event, have put Showlight in severe jeopardy of failure, both with the standard of our unique event and also in its cost,” Allen said. “As a result, the directors of Showlight Ltd have decided that we need to postpone next May’s event. I know that this will come as a shock to many, I am also very disappointed and quite despondent that we have had to reach this decision but there is no alternative at present.”
“I would like to thank all those who have wholeheartedly supported us in our work so far and the delegates who so faithfully return to Showlight on each occasion,” Allen concluded. “In the early part of 2023 we will be holding a committee meeting to determine where Showlight goes from here and will keep you updated with all future plans. Thank you for your support and understanding.”
