The husband-and-wife duo Brian and Anna Haughton launched their global art-show empire in 1982 with the International Ceramics Fair, in London. Since then they’ve added five more events. Perhaps most notable among these is the International Fine Art and Antique Dealers Show, whose 16th edition — being held this month at New York’s Park Avenue Armory — has lost a handful of its regular participants. Here the couple talk to Sarah Douglas about the economic downturn and reminisce about their professional beginnings.

A few months ago, you completed the second edition of your newest fair, Art Antiques Design Dubai. I understand that sales and attendance weren’t great. Will there be a third edition?

AH: The population of America is, what, over 300 million people? And the population of England is nearly 70 million people. The population there — well, the indigenous population, the Emirati population — is only about a million. You are never going to get the kinds of crowds you’d get elsewhere. But the difference is that over there they hand you their business cards. We know the absolute top people came to the fair. Sadly the credit crunch has hit the area very badly in the past six weeks.

What about fairs in other parts of the world?

AH: Fairs everywhere will be down in exhibitors this year. There has been an industry-wide contraction coming for a couple of years. Things are changing every day, and none of us can see a clear path forward yet.

How does the current market downturn compare to the one in the ’90s?

AH: I don’t think there are similarities. This has hit all corners of the world at the same time. In the ’90s, if England was down, America was up, or if America was down, Europe was up.

How has business been at your ceramics gallery in London?

BH: I’m touching wood, because we’ve been lucky lately. People are coming in saying, "There’s no point in me putting money into a bank; I might as well begin to think again about putting money into art and antiques" — particularly antiques, because they’ve got a full track record.

How did you respond to dealer criticism that you used the market as an excuse to cancel the International Asian Art Fair?

AH: No remarks were made to me, so I didn’t have to respond to any of it. Of course, people were disappointed, but everybody I spoke to said they totally understood, and, in fact, I had quite a few phone calls before the fair saying, "I think you probably made the right decision." I don’t know what’s said behind my back.

Is there any chance that one of your October fairs — the International Fine Art and Antique Dealers Show or the International Design+Art Fair — will be canceled?

AH: At this moment, I couldn’t possibly say that to you. There is no question that the Fine Art and Antique Dealers will go forward. Cost is all-important in the International Design+Art Fair, which we are working on at the moment. If we can get the prices we want, prices the dealers can afford, that can make it possible.

Brian, you trained as an actor. Does this help you in organizing fairs?

BH: It’s probably the best experience one could have, because a fair is to a large extent a production. Behind the scenes a fair looks like the back stage of a play, but you’ve got to present to the public the front — life in front of the curtain is beautiful and lovely. When you build the fair to receive the art, you are building a set. It looks absolutely wonderful for a week, and then it gets torn down in a few hours. The actors are, of course, the dealers.

And Anna, is it true that in the 1970s you were the first woman to open an underwriting agency at Lloyds of London?

AH: I was the first woman elected to work on the floor of Lloyds — not, as a journalist once said, to "work the floor" of Lloyds. Yes, I could go in without being accompanied by a man. In fact, that was so new in those days that they wrote to me, "Dear Sir, you have today been elected."

How do art fairs compare to that work?

AH: My job at the agency was working with people, and I’m still luckily and happily dealing with people.