Boat show - missing a big opportunity

Ex-SolentBoy said:
Is that true? "NBS is a subsidiary of the British Marine Federation (BMF), the trade association for the UK boating industry. Run by the industry, for the industry, the profits from both shows are reinvested back into the UK leisure marine industry through the services and representation provided by the BMF."



Inflation is still there, and labour costs have increased. At a time of recession it is only a brave company, or government, who decides the way out is to reduce prices/taxes to stimulate demand.

Exhibitors have access to show tickets. The process is that they are issued some and only pay for the ones they do not return. They are charged £12 each I think. So, you can always make friends with someone and then you should never p more than that for a ticket.
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I take your point but surely this is the time to promote the industry by reducing prices and stimulating growth? I'm not sure you're right with labour costs as as far as I can see wages have stagnated for the last few years now unless you're a banker?!
 
Stand costs at this expo are amongst the lowest out there in terms of public exhibitions (and I don't mean jumbles)

Exhibitions are expensive, this one is a cheapish expensive one...
 
Richard Shead said:
I bought mine in the USA a few years back but it was the Hummer branded job and slightly different although using the same principle.

I thought they were US made? maybe mine was under licence as the stickers on it suggest that.
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Bit of Googling reveals Hummer made by Montague.

Sold by "Alibaba" a cover for a chinese factory for $ in 40' containers Min order etc 40 or so units.

So it appears the same bike.
 
I am puzzled by how you think your idea would work.

Suppose you pay £20 each for tickets, which goes to NBS.

Then you spend £200k on a boat, £5k on electronics, £1k on a liferaft, £1700 on a couple of bikes and SWMBO buys some clothes.

Who is going to pay you back your £40 ??? :confused:
 
moodyNick said:
I am puzzled by how you think your idea would work.

Who is going to pay you back your £40 ??? :confused:
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Say first one where you spend say over £100. NBS refund the £20 to them. If NBS has to slightly increase their cost it still makes business sense for exhibitors that know their total take will increase by so much and it would encourage people to spend to ensure value for money.

"Look dear this would usually cost £102 but its only effectively £82 if I buy it now at SIBS, not worth waiting and seeing if its cheaper on the internet"

What I suggest is one marketing model I am sure others can come up with a better one.

When I was serious about buying a boat the sales guy met me at the gate and gave me a free ticket and escorted me straight to their stand!!

Just think something needs to be done to keep the variety of exhibitors there and increase the numbers of serious spenders.
 
Sailfree said:
Say first one where you spend say over £100. NBS refund the £20 to them. If NBS has to slightly increase their cost it still makes business sense for exhibitors that know their total take will increase by so much and it would encourage people to spend to ensure value for money.

"Look dear this would usually cost £102 but its only effectively £82 if I buy it now at SIBS, not worth waiting and seeing if its cheaper on the internet"

What I suggest is one marketing model I am sure others can come up with a better one.

When I was serious about buying a boat the sales guy met me at the gate and gave me a free ticket and escorted me straight to their stand!!

Just think something needs to be done to keep the variety of exhibitors there and increase the numbers of serious spenders.
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Ok, lets put the idea into action.

I'll give £20 towards your ticket to anyone who buys one of these within 30 days of the end of SIBS.

Providing you can prove you did buy a ticket.
 
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What a penny pinching lot of boogers some of you are, yet if you get it in your mind to change a non self tailing to a self tailing winch off you go, how many actually need a Gps - a surprising amount don't need them !! etc, etc.
My £20 was spent without any regret and a good day out was had, I just can't imagine the mayhem if it was free to enter :eek:
 
Madhatter said:
My £20 was spent without any regret and a good day out was had, I just can't imagine the mayhem if it was free to enter :eek:
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That fine you are a cert show goer but numbers of visitors and exhibitors are in decline such that many believe the LIBS will not survive.

What do you propose should be done about it?

If free to you means buying say a £20 entry ticket and then spending another £100 I would like to know what costly is!!
 
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Sailfree said:
That fine you a a cert show goer but numbers of visitors and exhibitors are in decline such that many believe the LIBS will not survive.

What do you propose should be done about it?

If free to you means buying say a £20 entry ticket and then spending another £100 I would like to know what costly is!!
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A slightly confusing response S'free, all I am stating is that I (in my case that is ) enjoyed the show and consider the £20 well spent just for the pleasure it gave us looking at the boats and doing research for future purchases something you can't do on the net. Having free entry would in my opinion would just (maybe) overcrowd the venue. I did not go to the show to see vibrating couches or hot tubs. As was suggested by myself and others a bit of reformatting would not hurt :- a used boat section, 3 day tickets,etc.
As for the LIBS not interested as the further from London I am the better:D the whole world does not revolve around that illustrious place.
 
Sailfree said:
Richard,

While you are following this thread. Hummer folding bikes in the USA are sold for same amount in $ as the equivalent named Montague bikes are in £ in UK!! So much for the current £1=$1.62 exchange rate.
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Slight Fred drift but for info I called the Hummer dealer in DC did a deal at 500 dollars and had it shipped to the house in Annapolis where I wrapped it and carried it home.

They were going for 800 sterling at the then only dealer in Manchester.

This must have been 7 years ago, maybe six.
 
Sailfree said:
Yes I think you and Jonic are correct unfortunately.

I made the post after a Saturday evening dinner at the YC when we discovered many items that we would have have been interested in but missed. Most annoying one was a folding mountain bike made by Montague. If I had tried them and liked them I would have bought 2 there. SWMBO would have gone back to buy a number of clothing items say about £100 but with cost of tickets just not worth it. Lack of an internet based boat show plan greatly assisted our ability to miss a few exhibitors that we would have seen had we been able to pre-plan.
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If I were you I would contact the company who were at the show selling them and ask for the show discount. Any company worth its salt would oblige if you didnt leave it too late. You will probably pay p&p on top, but if the deal was good enough it could be worth it.

Have a look at the moneysaving expert website as todays email had a link to a great article about haggling. I was so close to getting an extra free SD card to go with the GoPro, when HWIMBO decided to fill the silence with 'Oh dont worry, that'll be fine!! Durgh!

Di
 
Madhatter said:
A slightly confusing response S'free, all I am stating is that I (in my case that is ) enjoyed the show and consider the £20 well spent just for the pleasure it gave us looking at the boats and doing research for future purchases something you can't do on the net. Having free entry would in my opinion would just (maybe) overcrowd the venue. I did not go to the show to see vibrating couches or hot tubs. As was suggested by myself and others a bit of reformatting would not hurt :- a used boat section, 3 day tickets,etc.
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What Sailfree was suggesting was that the entry ticket that you have paid for doubles as a discount token - in this case worth £20 when you spend over £100 ...

For me, the boatshow isn't something I go to - well, not if I have to fork out for tickets too - the day out for two of us is ~ £24 tickets (if bought at the discount price) + £5 parking + food + fuel cost which will easily top £50 - and that's before we attempt to buy anything for the boat...
Given that internet prices are very competitive and the exhibitors need to cover their costs so struggle to be as competitive - especially on the lower priced items - it just becomes an expensive exercise in looking at things we don't want/need and have little interest in ...

I was intending on going this year - but gave up because of weather & traffic coupled with a cold ... I would've bought some dinghy clothing and it would've totalled over £100 - I have no doubt that I'll be able to buy the same stuff locally for the same price, but the boatshow would've given me more options of styles - but £ for £ it would've cost me much more to get it from the show.... ie ~£150 instead of £100 ... ok, I would've had a day out with it as well - but I can get the dinghy stuff quickly one evening and not spend a whole day looking at boats rather than being on one ... !

So, to me (and I suspect many others) - if they want to boost sales (small item stuff) then they obviously need some sort of incentive to attract us in - Sailfree's suggestion of a rebate against entry cost is one option and is one that would encourage buyers rather than totally free entry that would just clog up the place.
 
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