Freya Simms
We catch up with Freya Simms, CEO of LAPADA, on how the antiques and art industry is planning future fairs and diving into digital…
We’ve been doing lots to support members.
There has been plenty going on and members are being proactive, especially online. We’ve been helping dealers who need to sell stock and get cash flowing so we’ve accelerated the plans we had for online. We’ve held live webinars (which we’ve also shared with the whole trade) and improved our sales portal. We’ve given advice on marketing, PR, social media and even HR and fraud protection. We’ve also looked at what dealers required in order to reopen their shops with social distancing measures. Antiques shopping can be done in a way that is reassuring to the public. Anyone who feels vulnerable visiting shops can arrange a one-to- one appointment with a dealer.
Live events need more thought.
At least 50 per cent of our members’ turnover is made at fairs, so we need to think about this carefully – along with shipping logistics (buying, selling and moving stock).
We have been in talks with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport.
The museums will definitely open before any other mass gatherings, and they should provide a blueprint for fairs and events to follow. There are lots of conversations going on about how the art market will open in stages with measures put in place to keep people safe. What is quite nice about being part of a trade association is that we have DCMS and a groundswell of people behind us, which means we can listen to ideas from dealers and make suggestions based on the advice we’re being given so we can work out how to do it together. Our mission is to help the art market stay afloat and to find opportunities.
At the moment, one way we could see fairs possibly working is with social distancing measures in place: timed entrances, no previews, and fewer visitors.
Large parts of the arts and antiques sector are incredibly sociable.
People enjoy the fairs. They love getting together, seeing things, the competition of finding something before anyone else – it all adds to the desire. We think that a hangover of Covid-19 is that all fairs will have a much stronger digital arm. They will become online and physical events – we will see a cultural change.