Little change to advice regarding large outdoor gatherings has held the Royal Bathurst Show's executive back from making a definitive decision regarding this year's event.
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The Bathurst Agricultural, Horticultural and Pastoral [A,H and P] Association decided in March to postpone the show to the October long weekend in response to COVID-19.
And Bathurst A,H and P executive secretary Brett Kenworthy says the association will reconvene in two weeks time to figure out a more concrete solution.
"The main reason for our next meeting will be to strategise for a scenario where we won't be able to run the show in it's regular capacity," Mr Kenworthy said.
"We have plenty of ideas to run an amended version of the event, and now's the time to get them all down and work out a plan."
Mr Kenworthy said the A,H and P's ideas are working within the framework that the event will have to cater for 'hundreds' rather than 'thousands'.
"There's the option to run a 'fair' with limited rides, displays and sideshow attractions, but you'd have to organise it as part of a regional run to make it financially viable for visiting operators," he said.
"As for the agricultural attractions [sheep, cattle, horses etc.], we could be able to spread them out among multiple pavilions, but it would all depend on advice regarding individual venues and how we schedule each showing."
"These ideas will all depend on whether the government will allow mass gatherings of, say, up to 500 people in a controlled environment, but it remains to be seen what future developments will mean for events like ours."
NSW's current restrictions allow outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people, with little movement as of yet regarding mass outdoor gatherings.
Mr Kenworthy said the outlook of the show will depend on government advice around mass outdoor gatherings and free-flowing crowds.
"In our view, to run the show safely at the moment, we'd need to put on more volunteers to ensure visitors are complying with social distancing and create an online register for attendees to monitor crowd numbers," he said.
Despite the difficulties, Mr Kenworthy said the A,H and P is staying positive that they'll be able to put some form of event on this year.
"Whether it be the normal show or an amended version, we're hopeful something will happen," he said.
"But however the event looks, it'll have to be on the October long weekend, it's the only possible date we can run it this year."
