The UK Chester Group have thrown in the towel and merged their struggling Hi Fi trade show in Australia with the popular StereoNET Hi Fi show which is set to be held in Melbourne in July 2022.
StereoNET Marketing Pty Ltd (StereoNET), the organisers of the StereoNET Melbourne Hi-Fi Show, announced overnight that through acquisition, both Australian shows will now be “consolidated, promoted, and organised by StereoNET Marketing Pty Ltd indefinitely” according to StereoNet CEO Mark Rushton.
The move has been welcomed by the AV and Hi Fi industry in Australia.
The UK-based Chester Group, founded by Roy Bird, has been organising hi-fi shows globally for more than 25 years. They ran their first Australian show in 2011 with the final show in 2019 being cancelled at the last minute.
StereoNET, ran their first show in Melbourne, in 2016 and ever since that show the event has grown in size to today being the #1 AV and Hi Fi show in Australia.
ChannelNews and SoundMag is set to work with Mark Rushton in 2022 to help grow the event while also providing an information marketing capability.
Marc Rushton, Managing Director of StereoNET Marketing Pty Ltd, said: “We are very pleased to have finally reached an agreement with Chester Group, for the benefit of the Australian hi-fi industry. Roy and his team did an outstanding job reviving shows in Australia, and we recognise their achievements. “
Effective immediately, StereoNET will acquire all rights, intellectual property and assets of the Australian Hi-Fi and AV Show, consolidating both shows into the StereoNET Hi-Fi Show planned for June 3-5, 2022, at the Pullman Albert Park Hotel, Melbourne.
Future shows will alternate between Melbourne and Sydney each year.
