Matex is off the show calendar for 2009.

Show organiser Exhibitions and Trade Fairs (ETF) has decided not to stage Matex this year due to the current economic climate.

"It's been very challenging," says event manager Paul Mathers, adding that many of the larger logistics and supply chain companies are "doing it tough" this year and have not had the funding to take part in the exhibition.

He tells Forkliftaction.com News that Matex may "possibly" run again in 2010.

Last year, Matex attracted some criticism, with both visitor and exhibitor numbers down from previous years. At the time, ETF, which had only recently taken it over, expressed its determination to turn it around in 2009, promising a significant marketing campaign and an expansion of the show itself (Forkliftaction.com News #357).

Touted on ETF's website as "the total package for visitors, where they can be part of an event which is designed to tie in all aspects of ... warehousing, materials handling and logistics", the event was originally scheduled to run from 23-25 July at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre.

For some show organisers though, the tough economic climate has seen clients returning to the trade show arena.

Maria Kinsella of Australian Exhibitions and Conferences, who ran Safety in Action and Melbourne Materials Handling last month, and is hosting the Queensland Safety Show in June, is confident the trade show still offers a great return on investment.

"Existing clients who are cutting back on their marketing still need to go out and find new business, and trade shows offer a great way to get new leads," she tells Forkliftaction.com News, adding that the company has not had to cancel any of its shows this year.

"While we have seen a 10-15% decline in exhibitor numbers for some shows, our visitor numbers remain strong," she says, attributing this to their understanding of the market and ability to communicate to potential visitors.