04/12: Earls Court - The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

[Koeketiene]

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Sad truth is the BMF is there on behalf of the trade, not the consumer.

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You might critisise the BMF for being inefficient, incompetent, or not serving its members but you can hardly blame it for being there on behalf of the trade - its the trade organisation. It's job is to promote, support and protect its members who are the boating industry

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True - its is a trade organisation first & foremost. Yet, in the yachting press it's somehow portrayed as being "good for everyone" (which it clearly isn't).
Remember all the noise when EC first appeared on the scene - it was going to be bad for the BMF, so bad for us all?

And according to a trade poster earlier in this thread - they're not chuffed with the BMF either.

 

[jamesjermain]

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Quite. So who is going to organise a boatshow for the public?

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That's a very good point, Ken, and reminds me that, actually, there is already a successful third boat in this country. It concentrates entirely on small boats, is run by consumers for consumers, there is hardly a commercial stand in sight, and by and large, it seems to be wel received and successful.

It is the RYA Dinghy SHow at Alexandra Palace where stands are taken by class associations

 

[Searush]

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Sad truth is the BMF is there on behalf of the trade, not the consumer.


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OK, so how does the "Trade" hope to stay in business if it doesn't put customers first?

I work in retail, selling used bikes direct to the public. We are dearer than most used cycles for sale (Car Boot, ads in paper, newsagent etc) yet we can still sell by offering a better service, by looking after our customers & making sure that they are always happy with our products and services.

When everyone is selling similar products, you can differentiate by price or service or both, but it has to be seen to be a consistent approach.

BMIF must see the need to develop/ expand the market (reach more customers!) - and a growing market will support more traders which will in turn better fund the BMIF!

 

[jbweston]

I was stopped and asked to answer a questionnaire after I came out of Earl's Court. I was pleased to do so and to give the woman my frank views about the show.

She gave me two free tickets. I have had free tickets for Excel for the last few years from various exhibitors from whom I buy (or who are trying to sell to me!), so I don't think the free tickets from the Excel woman corrupted me too much. Anyway the cost of the tickets is only a small fraction of the cost of my travel etc. I would probably have answered her questions without the offer of tickets as if I have time I'm happy to help with genuine market research into services I buy.

What better way for the Excel guys to (a) find out what the customers think of the rival show and (b) target people who are highly likely to visit boat shows and who can tell them what they want in a show.

As far as I'm concerned it shows them in a good light - interested in what their customers and potential customers are looking for, and apparently keen to get my business.

 

[Rivendell]

Therefore now when exhibitors ask excell for free tickets for clients they are I presume going to get them ? After all encouragement to go to the show must now be in the forefront of their minds ? Or maybe a change of advertising needs to be addressed really quick if hopefully excel is not going to suffer crippling numbers this show ? after all numbers unfortunatly have been in decline . If they are not concerned prehaps they need to be ? If people are not spending money in the marine industry prior to xmas are they going to in this harsh climate at the moment after christmas ? Just a thought ...