by business editor Trevor Sturgess

Last summer's Kent Show made a £300,000 loss, it has been revealed.

Figures released by Kent County Agricultural Society, which organises the annual event, disclosed that the 80th show earned £1,007,639, down £122,000 on the previous year.

But total costs amounted to £1,308,420, giving an overall loss of £300,781 (2008 - £361,781). The show attracted 81,000 visitors.

However, income from other activities at the county showground throughout the year boosted turnover to £1.63million, leaving an overall loss of £91,675.

This figure was achieved after writing off £133,135, the cost of professional fees and costs associated with the controversial Detling Downs Project, which would have seen massive expansion of the showground site.

KCAS has since scaled down plans from a £26million redevelopment, including an equine training centre to host Olympic teams in 2012, to a more modest £8million proposal.

This will see the Stanley Cornwallis Pavilion refurbished and the Kent Pavilion site redeveloped as a major conference and exhibition venue over the next two years.

Society chairman George Jessel, who was re-elected at its annual meeting – along with president Lord Astor of Hever - said it had been a difficult year economically and financially.

He promised that this year's show would be more exciting and relevant to the farming community, and hoped numbers would return to the 100,000 mark. "We are going to attack 2010 with real vigour and encourage lots more people to come," he said.

Glyn Charlton, honorary finance director, said it was important to tackle the root cause of the decline in society finances, principally falling visitor numbers.

The show had got "tired" and should be "our shop window for this lovely area in which we live. Our challenge is to get across to the general public how important it all is, and to his end we are educating the people of Kent".

Meanwhile, Mr Jessel announced a coffee table book about the Society would be on sale to the public at this year’s show.

It would chronicle the history of the society and the show, from its humble beginnings 80 years ago to the biggest Kent attraction it is today. He appealed to members to help raise £10,000 towards the cost of the project.