Earls Court

The BMF stranglehold makes it virtually impossible for many foreign manufacturers to have a presence at SIBS or LIBS so I think it will be a good thing.
 
May be a good thing as far as choice is concerned in the short term, but may dilute the market making it more difficult to stage such events in the future. Bit like having a good market & opening another next door. This can sometimes result in two very poor markets followed by no market at all.
 
I think EC is a great idea, as with the big boys out we will get more chance to look at smaller/quirky boats. I am actually going to look at the Westline 34 and Absolute 52Ht (if they are there!)

Cheers

Paul /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Last years was useful for me as we had just ordered a new boat after SIBS & wanted lots of bits for it. At the show we were able to compare different bits like against like & hence make what would appear to have been the right choices. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I think it's excellent.

firstly Excel is such a dreadful place to get to if you live too much West of London.

Secondly so what if the really really big boys don't go - I thought it was noticeable how 'some' manufacturers almost seem to own the Southampton show - I know it needs support, however it would be nice to let some of the smaller guys in with a chance - hopefully at a sensible price.
 
Could not agree more Paulburton - my memories of Earls Courts are dismal, Excel offers so much more, simple parking, ease of access and plenty of space to walk around.

You can keep Earls Court as far as I am concerned.
 
Well horses for courses i say...
I always enjoyed Earls Court even more so than Southampton for some reason..
If this shows emphasis is slightly lower down the 'food chain' than excel then it will appeal to me.
I enjoy looking at £1m plus Sunseekers/Princesses etc but its all way out of my budget and slightly pipe-dreamy.
Move things down a notch or two then i'll be looking at the boats in a more serious fashion and im likely to get more out the show....

As i say its all a matter of preference but to me Earls Court, atleast in theory right now, sounds a good thing...

regards,

Nick
 
I will definately go, if only because I want it to succeed.

London INTERNATIONAL boat show at Excel. HA HA HA.
It should be called the Kent and Essex boat show, because from anywhere else it's too flippin difficult to get to.

I'll go to Earl's court by tube. If it is as I fantasise, there'll be so many chandlery bargains that I'll have to get a cab home.

If Earl's court really is too small for the big boats, then the boat show should be at the NEC. I know where Birmingham is, and if I didn't a sign would tell me where it is. Not true of Excel.......

Oh and I work in London, yet I can get to Birmingham from my house (or Southampton for that matter) much faster than I can get to Excel.

And in Excel, if you want to sit down and eat or find somewhere (other than a sunseeker) to have a poo then you'll struggle to find anywhere to do so.

And the final reason is the bully boy marketing tactics being used to try and get people to go to Excel instead of Earl's court. I will not go to Excel again, but the tactics will make me go to Earl's court.

Does it sound like I don't like Excel much? Yes please to Earl's Court.
 
Easy to drive to from North, and I used to drive there from Berks when I lived there quite easily, though used to driving to London, so no real pain to find the quick way through.

If the two shows can build their own niches, then it could be a postive thing. Many new exhibitors complain about not being able to get space for boats at SIBS and LIBS, so if the established traders show at Excel, and the smaller, new, and quirky or interesting show at Earls Court, many people could win.
 
Yes I agree with your second statement but not the first. I don't think there's anywhere in Berkshire where you can't get you Birmingham quicker than Excel, especially if you don't know the way. If it must be in East London then at least put some signs up - it's just too difficult. And you can go to the NEC on the train if you wish.
 
I can get from Wokingham area to Excel just as quickly as to NEC. Just depends how well you know London driving. Would never takes trains anywhere unless I wanted to spend hours going nowhere.
 
Brendan, I have the same view of trains as you, which is why I never go on them. But the train to Excel is good from Surrey. I hadn't been on a train for 15 years when I first went to Excel with a friend that knows how they work.

One Car to & Woking and park. Woking - Waterloo 20 mins. Tube to forgot where 15 mins. LLR special wobbly train to excel 10 mins. Waiting at each change less that 5 mins.! As I said, I don't like trains but this worked very well.

As to original post, I liked Earls Court, fond memories. I bought a new boat there from Sailcraft in 1979. I do remember it being very crowded and hot though.

No doubt in my mind that Excel is a better venue for all, once you're there, but E.C. has rubbish parking and congestion charges, so they're probably similar. As I don't bother to look at £1m Sunseekers and Marlows, I don't think I'll miss them.

Birmingham NEC would be the best single venue in my book. I don't believe you can fill up a large venue with niche market products.

Also if EC gets off again, the Big Boys would still be able to bully their way in as their spend is so much more. Exhibition space has always been allocated on space over loyalty as the 'big' names have more pulling power.

Having rambled my tuppnce worth, I will probably go to both anyway just to see. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
The place might be fine however what is importsnt is what it exhibits and how it dos it and the figures for year 1 2 3 at Excel speak for themselves.

By year three some of the points had been dealt with but by that time much of the damage had been done.

The complaints here may seem insignificant to you however as others have said and even before looking at the boats Excel needs to do somenting about seating for visitors and places for those too humble to be able to afford The Excel cuisine to eat their own humble pies. The food supplied at excell the first two years certainly left a lot to be desired and reminded me much of Ridley road market or someother exotic destination. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Bit like the school dinners Jamie Oliver was trying to get rid of!!!!!!!!!! Fine if you liked chips and Pizza.

The complaints about exhibits were that Excel seemed to have a cut off point at 31 feet below which it didn t sem to attract vendors but then maybe the peeps couldn t see too much anyway for being dazzled by all the reflections from those brass buttoned peeps looking at the big boats.

The big advantage of Earls Court was that there were so many chandlers there that competition was rife and a trip to the smoke to see the boats was rewarded by good deals and also the ability to arrive home with all sorts of goodies that might sit in a box till the next boat jumble as well as a bottle of Mir which would no doubt find its way into SWIMBO's cleaning draw.

Earls Court might have had its environmental problems and maybe large amounts of spilt beer had to be negotiated in certain corners however one soon found where to stand under cool air inlets between forays to the first floor and bargains and countless holiday offers for all the family and there were always the dolly birds on the sports boat stands and Judy on the Trader stand to eye up.... Oh dear.....shows my age.... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
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