The Australian has reported.
Gregory Millar, the director of Australian Corporate Exhibitions (ACE), and the company’s national events manager, John Webb, have been found to have contravened the Trade Practices Act.
The men had suggested that Howard supported the 2006 Sydney International Mining & Engineering Expo when he had not.
The pair also suggested former West Australian premier Geoff Gallop supported the Australian Industry Expo in 2005, and the MineBox Expo the following year, both in Perth, which he had not.
The men also made unsubstantiated claims about how many visitors and exhibitors would attend industry events in which they were involved.
Proceedings against them were initiated by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in August 2007.
Both men were ordered to attend a trade practices compliance seminar and pay the ACCC’s costs.
Millar was also ordered to publish a notice regarding the court’s decision on the internet and in various newspapers.
ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel said the result was a warning to all exhibition organisers about the dangers of overpromising and underdelivering when promoting events.