Earls Court Boat show, BMF reject offer.

[tome]

Quite agree ole chap

Fancy helping me celebrate my birthday Friday 7th at EC, and perhaps PoW there-efter?

Bug<span style="color:black">ger the BMF, lets go commando

 

[Twister_Ken]

Errr, yerbut may be on Sarf Coast. Will let u know.

 

[kengill]

We're in the EC already - they call it the EU nowadays

 

[Birdseye]

Much prefer Excel - nothing like so crowded and easy access via the DLR. MInd you, I dont see the need for more than one show and the Soton one is better than either of the London ones. IMHO of course /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[moondancer]

Southampton is a great show. Boats in their natural environment, everyone still flushed with the end of the sailing season. Often some great weather. The send off the cruise ships get from the collective fog horns of all the show boats. The announcer's early morning daily filthy joke before the show opens... Unfortunately it is limited by space of where it is and a big waiting list to get in. I imagine it could be filled if it were twice the size.

 

[hornblower]

I heartily agree with everything you have said and I would like to add as a regular exhibitor at exhibitions, both in this country and abroad, that there has to be an enjoyable atmosphere with plenty of variety. People of all walks of life who share an interest in the boating world must be catered for.

Neither atmosphere nor variety is experienced at Excel. The smaller chandleries are missing and I was told by several exhibitors that they will not return in 2008.

That the EC boat show has been mooted at all is proof positive that there is a general feeling abroad that Excel is rubbish.

 

[Whitelighter]

[ QUOTE ]
Southampton is a great show. Boats in their natural environment, everyone still flushed with the end of the sailing season. Often some great weather. The send off the cruise ships get from the collective fog horns of all the show boats. The announcer's early morning daily filthy joke before the show opens... Unfortunately it is limited by space of where it is and a big waiting list to get in. I imagine it could be filled if it were twice the size.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. SOuthampton would be the preference for all our boats, but the reality is we are fighting just to Exhibit the 24, leaving the 34 launch for Earls Court. As for ExCel - we have zero chance of either getting any space or justifying the cost.

 

[Major Catastrophe]

[ QUOTE ]
As for ExCel - we have zero chance of either getting any space or justifying the cost.


[/ QUOTE ]

So, you are saying that despite falling visitor numbers and the small chandlers not going, there is a space premium?

I think that the BMF have found an amazing milch cow if they can still fill the place with exhibitors in the face of falling visitors.

 

[Twister_Ken]

I think the probable fact is that the big kit manufacturers regard boat shows as part of their advertising budget, so can afford it, and the big builders/dealers only have to sell a few yachts at the show to recover their costs. The chandlers, though, are plain vanilla retailers, and they have to show a profit on stand and personnel costs to make it worth their while. It's not that they are being frozen out, simply that if the sums don't add up, they won't be there.

 

[1yppah]

I have not rubbished EC at all, I am just reporting on the facts and the facts dont look good.

Two Boat sows within weeks of each other either side of xmas in central London, just take time to really think about it, are there two car shows, are there two caravan shows?

Boating in this country is a cottage industry what ever way you look at it and it simply cannot afford two shows. I have always agreed Excel is not ideal (I have done them all) but EC was not ideal either. BUT it does have better transport links. Unless of course you try and get on to the North End Road ant 7pm...............

 

[Koeketiene]

[ QUOTE ]

Boating in this country is a cottage industry what ever way you look at it and it simply cannot afford two shows.

[/ QUOTE ]

Quite, so let's just keep Southampton /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[hornblower]

Has anyone heard any more re the EC show?

 

[BrendanS]

There have been regular updates on it on ybw forums. What info are you after?

 

[hornblower]

I was wondering if there has been an exhibitor list published yet.

 

[BrendanS]

Not officially.
The official list will be shown here
http://www.earlscourtboatshow.com/

Though a few people have posted on the forums about exhibiting