Margate... must be April Fools?!

When assured that this was no joke, the incredulous mouths closed, breath was drawn and then began a litany of protest...While no one spoke up for discarded venue Sun City, which everyone had long wanted to abandon, there was little support for the new choice either and old arguments resurfaced regarding the necessity for the awards to be more accessible.

Someone who has long criticised the awards, AdVantage editor John Farquhar says: "They are moving out their depth. All over the world ad awards are a cinema-seating event which lasts two hours. Winners then go off and party at a venue of their own choice. We are the only country that turns ad awards into a Hollywood Show. Even the Oscars are handed out in a cinema.

"Can the industry afford to spend this kind of money when funds are needed to bring PDIs into the ad industry? More money should be spent on training. Then there's traveling and accommodation logistics. There is only one run down hotel in Margate. Visitors will have to stay in self catering B&Bs. I say hold the event in Johannesburg where the industry is."

Bob Harrison of Mediaworx was equally surprised: "I cannot understand this decision because the beef in the past has always been that youngsters in creative departments don't get to go to the awards because of the costs involved. Now this is going to create a similar, if not worse, problem in a limited resource town."

The messageboards on Bizcommunity.com began humming yesterday with comments as the news broke. Wrote anonymous: "The idea of creating a small town festival atmosphere is great, but how many festivals are held over only two days? I feel that despite the claims of greater accessibility, the situation is in fact the opposite. How many agencies are going to pay for their staff to fly down and then rent cars? And while driving or bussing is an option, how many agencies are going to give their staff the Friday and Monday off for traveling? It will in my opinion become an awards ceremony that is accessible only to CDs and MDs."

And then there was the succinct "The industry has finally lost the plot," by another of the family 'anonymous'.

Charl Nel of 9November says he's very glad it's being held somewhere else, but Margate is much too far and inaccessible: "But hey, I've never been there - that's a reason to go I suppose."

A production house director says the costs involved will be astronomical, involving flights, car hire and accommodation and that these factors immediately exclude his small company from being there.

Another visitor to Bizcommunity.com's Forum on the issue, who goes by the moniker "Sloppywriter", says: "It's a weird place to have the awards, no mistake, but Margate does have a certain dumb charm. The fact is, if the awards were all that they should be (and I'm not blaming organisers here - the industry is to blame for the lack of great creative these days) then people would attend even if they were being held in Hillbrow..."

Gitam's Yossi Schwartz's resolute comment is: "It's great for whoever is going to participate and take the time and the trouble to drive there. I can tell you that I doubt if Y&R and its agencies will."

And of course there was the inevitable: "Sounds like an April Fool's joke!" from Adele Wapnick at Cross Colours.

Looks as if the organisers are in for another tough year...