Gunwharf Boat show a shambles ...

fireball

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We were promised a prestigious event which would rival the Southampton Boat Show with more than 130,000 visitors

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Eh? What planet are these ppl on ... how on earth did they think they'd get anything the size of Southampton Boat Show in Gunwharf??!!

Everyone knows that Gunwharf is a shopping center with a little bit on the side to park boats ... what were they expecting?!
 
The advertising was minimal to non-existent. They were charging £5 pp to go on the pontoons, so everyone stayed up top to look for free. The exhibitors 'mutinied' on Sat night and forced the organisers to give free admission on Sunday. And there was certain sporting event on Sat afternoon.
 
the whole Gunwharf thing is very depresing really.

They seem to have granted long term berths to a lot of bigger boats, and seem not much interested at all in having day visitors. In the season before last with boat in we tried lots and lots of times to go for lunch, or for lunch or overnight at some point in the future. No dice. Poor.
 
We wandered around on Sat PM (trying to avoid the football). It was fairly peaceful, and, to be honest, looked a little uninspired, with some tents along the waterfront and a gathering of yachts on the pontoon. We didn't feel £5 was worth spending to walk down the pontoon and back again, so we went to the Old Customs House instead, and spent it on beer /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif. Even the pub was quiet, and thankfully devoid of TV screens! It was probably smaller than the RIB show at Ocean Village a few months ago. The website, www.portsmouthboatshow.co.uk, is still live (or was at 1550 today).
 
OOps - someone has bent the tower ...

Waterfront1.jpg


Hmm ... the image is hosted at home.btconnect.com ... professional event then ... !!
 
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There will also be a direct ferry from Gosport to Gunwharf Quays Marina during the three days of the Portsmouth Boat Show.

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Was there? We didn't see it ...
 
Yes, sorry, Probably a result of parking my beer gut in the Customs House for a few hours. I'll sit on the harbour station platform for a bit and see if I can even it out. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
Ah well ... glad I didn't miss that then !!

It really didn't look too good with 1/2 dozen or so boats tied to the pontoons and a couple of shabby tents for the "exhibitors" ...

Mind u - not difficult to improve on it for next year either !! they've already earmarked a date ...
 
We exhibited at this event and were deeply upset with the way it was organised, in the end I sent my staff home. We had no sales what so ever. Some exhibitors have considered legal action and no doubt the story will hit next months yachting press. A great disappointment at what could potentially be a great event.
 
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