Do you miss the London Boat Show

I do miss it, especially Earls Court. It was a family day out and marked a turning point of the year. Kids still remember the italian meal in West end on way home.
I think the internet was the death knell. I recall talking to a chandler friend indicating a potential customer inspecting a bit of kit.
"I've openned the box and demonstrated it, let him play with it and answered all his questions. Said we would match any price and deliver it free. He will still order it on line!" Why do we come here"!
 
Unboxing is apparently such a thrill that normal buying cannot compete…….of the Earls Court show Irecall a completion to name in order of importance features you would like to see on a yacht….
 
Speaking purely for myself, I'm not all that interested in the high-priced boats that mainly seem to be designed for med-moorings and marinas but in the plethora of small stands giving demos and good advice across the huge range of sailing-related topics. That was always a strength of Earls Court, Southampton and to a lesser extent the boat jumbles. Southampton seems be recovering slowly after the panicdemic but I understand that the cost of exhibiting there is becoming prohibitive for many small traders. At least Southampton is a pleasant venue, but Excel was a soulless entity with less charm than Pwllheli marina on a very rainy day. I do hope that Southampton will continue at least.
 
flaming said:
So, the industry's trade body, not a for profit organisation. There was (is) a full board of industry people monitoring everything. Those guys aren't approving costs that they have to pay for giggles... Stand costs are what they are because that's what exhibitions cost.
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I think that British Marine is part of the problem. It's a trade organization formed to help maximize the profits of it's members. It wasn't formed to maximize the benefit of it's customers.
I think back to the "squeeze them until the pips squeak" comment made some time ago about increasing berthing rates in Marina's.
I essence pricing at a market rate, not on a cost plus model.
If your objective is to maximize profit you price at market rate, plus a bit if you can.
If your motivation is to provide affordable marina berths and facilities, you'd price at your costs plus a reasonable profit, or if the organization is a cooperative or club, then you ensure that the marina rates cover the running and maintenance costs plus a contingency fund, and there's no reason to charge the cooperative members more.
The customers of marinas don't have a representative body, a union or whatever you'd want to call it.
And market forces don't work when there a shortage of marina berths, as there is in the UK. If you want to keep a boat in the UK you just have to pay, and think your self lucky that you have some where to keep your boat.
What I see is a destructive spiral, where companies seek high profit margins, ultimately pricing their customers out of the market.
The demise of UK boat shows, is just collateral damage.
 
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Greg2 said:
We are in Norfolk and thought that Excel was a very easy drive to get to. Straight down the A11 / M11 and then round in the North Circular and no problem parking. Also think that Southampton is well worth the trip. To be fair we are south side of the City and I don’t think the NDR was there when Excel was still on.
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Yeah pre NDR, it could take 3/4 to an hour from my place to the A11. Now it's about 1/2 hour.
Southampton is 215 ish miles
Farnborough is 175, ish
NEC is also about 175. Ish
It makes for a very long day to drive there, attend a show then drive back..
 
dunedin said:
Not big on travel then! But not everybody lives in Norfolk. :)

We used to do Edinburgh Weymouth and back for weekend junior training events. And some did the same but from 3 hrs further north.
Depends on motivation
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Used to...
I've driven from the outer Hebridies, to a ferry, from oban to Letchworth to Norwich in a day, can't do that now.
Today I drive from Norfolk to Bo'ness in 10 hours due to needing breaks, even with the A1M instead of A1, the M74 instead of A74, and the dual carriageways / motorways past Cumbernauld instead of an A road, in days gone by I did that in less than 8.
 
Yes I used to travel on the sleeper train and have a great day with no rush and stay a night in hotel or get sleeper home I hope it comes back
 
awol said:
Packed my pith helmet and headed to London for some missionary work after the new year (bringing culture and comprehensible pronounciation to the masses) and went to Earl's Court for the BBC Earth Experience (kept grand sprogs and me amused while the Yellow Warning rain pissed down ourside). Passing the derelict site memories came flooding back including decent Guiness and prawn cocktails while meeting long missed acquaintances. The travesty out near the docks never compared.
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pronounciation perhaps, but not spelling! (Announce/annunciation etc etc)
 
I went to Earls court with my dad several times, seem to remember it seemed huge to a small boy. Excel was too impersonal & i never liked Guiness!
The best boat show for me was the Wooden Boat Show at the National Maritime museum, I exhibited there for ten years & for the exhibitors it was like a holiday with the bonus you might sell something.
Best bits were straight after the show when all the boatbuilders would repair to the Plume of Feathers before eventually going for dinner somewhere, camping on the stand & many hilarious yarns from some of the finest characters i have ever met.
Boatbuilders coracle racing on a pool, also hilarious especially after beer had been consumed.
 
I can't say I miss the Earl's Court Boatshow but it used to be an enjoyable day out, especially as I could get there easily on public transport.

See the show, have a few drinks and a good lunch - very pleasant.
 
I used to go to Earls Court every year. A really good mix of smaller cruisers, dinghies, chandlery. Went to Excel once, never again. I still go every few years to Southampton, but only if I can fit it in to another trip out of Cornwall. Nearly 20 years ago went specifically with wife to look at new boats. Decided and bought one, though a less than year old S/H example of the same design.
 
NO!
Excel (I went twice) was boring and Earls Court always gave me a splitting headache. I've no idea what my problem with the place was - not beer, I tried avoiding that in the hope of relief - but in perhaps a dozen visits to boat, motorbike and construction exhibitions there, I never once left without a bad headache.
 
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