The Institute of Groundsmanship (IoG) urged potential exhibitors to bin any letter that tried to lure them into giving company and address details for the Expo-Guide. Buried in the small print is a hefty 1,271 euro annual charge for the three-year agreement.
The two-page document, signed by Oscar Guerrero, is addressed from Mexico and follows similar correspondence used to snare exhibitors at other shows, most recently Worcester-based Gardeners Kitchen at Four Oaks (HW 23 October).
Brintex event director Jon Gibson said: "This is the bane of the exhibition industry."
"They used to be based in Austria then moved to Mexico so they are obviously making a lot of money from a global operation. Our advice is do not believe anything unless it comes from us in terms of submitting catalogue entries."
The Four Oaks Trade Show was forced to warn exhibitors this year after several companies contacted Horticulture Week following emails demanding thousands of euros from a debt collector seeking payment, expenses and legal fees.
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