Organisers of the postponed National Fieldays at Mystery Creek have clarified their position over possible refunds after disquiet among some exhibitors.
The event, which attracts around 130,000 people over four days each June, is on hold due to COVID-19 regulations around crowd gatherings.
New Zealand National Fieldays Society (NZNFS) which runs the event announced on Tuesday it was moving to a digital platform until the physical event is able to take place.
However Rural News reported many exhibitors had told them it was unfair to have paid for an event that is not going to take place when it was scheduled - if at all.
NZFS CEO Peter Nation told Magic Talk's Rural Today that refunds were possible and the issue was being worked through with exhibitors.
"People have got the opportunity to go virtually if they so wish.
"They also have the option to leave their money with us until we do stage the physical event, or we can refund 80 percent of their site," said Nation.
"We have started doing that now for people who don't see those other two options as an opportunity for them," he said.
He said they had been talking individually with the Fieldays' 1100 customers.
Meanwhile the future of the event was still up in the air.
"We are keeping a watching brief on directives around mass gatherings from the Ministry of Health and the Government and reviewing it as we go."
The new digital Fieldays platform was in build phase, and it was expected to be on-line by July.
