New broom sweeps through the Summer Olympia

The Summer Olympia Fine Art & Antiques Fair goes up-market with a new team at the helm.

After 37 years as a quality collectors and trade show the summer Olympia fair is changing direction and moving more upmarket. Florida based fairs impresario David Lester and his wife Lee Ann are taking a 50% stake and controlling interest in the large London summer exhibition. With a view to making the country’s flagship large fair more into a cross between Grosvenor House and Maastricht.

Gone will be the large introverted “self-build” stands where dealers with the cash could concoct a large effigies to their own vanity rather than to the exhibits contained within. In comes a uniform stand build with a layout similar to that of TEFAF in Maastricht and more importantly an emphasis on quality goods within that new environment.

The London International Fine Art Fair will be for some be a welcome departure from the normal Olympia Summer format, whether the new look event will produce more visitors and the necessary increased business to pay for the higher costs for exhibitors will only be seen after the event. Mr Lester certainly seems very enthusiastic and is very hands on, watch this space for further developments!