SailorFrank
Well-Known Member
On the 1st April James Brooke wrote the following letter to Boating Business
From James Brooke, The Earls Court Boat Show
Dear Sir,
Since we announced that the Whyte and Mackay Earls Court Boat Show will be held in December 2007, there has been much debate within the industry.
There have been some questions around the rationale of holding a second boat show in London and we want to address the concerns raised.
Despite many London Boat Show tickets being given free to people this year, visitor numbers fell again. Visitation figures have declined 40% over 4 boat shows (from 210,000 in 2004 to 130,000 in 2007).
The Whyte & Mackay Earls Court Boat Show is a boat show that has been created in response to independent research showing a gap in the market coupled with an overwhelming demand. This Show has been created with the express intentions of delivering the core heartland of the boating community to exhibitors, as well as providing a warm welcome to those entering the boating world for the first time. It is of real commercial benefit to the industry to have a show that entices genuine boating enthusiasts with a high propensity to purchase.
Our visitor forecast for the 50th boat show at Earls Court is 220,000. We believe that this is a feasible target taking into account initial Excel figures at the 2004 show, the number of boat owners in the UK, the number of people involved in water based activities, the pre-Christmas timing, the iconic location and the overwhelming amount of interest and support we have received from the boating community.
Earls Court has invested many millions of pounds in recent years on upgrades and improvements to its facilities since the boat show left in 2003. Both visitors and exhibitors will benefit from these improvements which include an upgraded air-conditioning system, fashionable restaurants on-site and a new ceiling grid with rigging facilities.
Despite recent comments made public on behalf of the BMF and National Boat Shows in a clear attempt to discourage independent companies from exhibiting at the Whyte & Mackay Earls Court Boat Show, we remain supportive of the BMF and the work it does on behalf of its members. Since 15th January we have initiated several conversations with the BMF and continue to offer them our support. The most recent conversation included an offer to sponsor a BMF stand at Earls Court. We believe the two shows can complement each other and are willing to maintain an open dialogue with the BMF in order to work together to facilitate this. We have no doubt that the Excel show will find its place alongside the Whyte & Mackay Earls Court Boat Show and wish them every success in doing so.
In conclusion, the Whyte & Mackay Earls Court Boat Show will deliver revenue to the industry, and will allow exhibitors and visitors to freely exchange information. With forecast visitor numbers of 220,000 in 2007, the show is very much in the interests of the industry.
With best wishes,
James Brooke
Managing Director
Earls Court Boat Show
I see today he has changed his tune
Founder of the 2007 Earls Court Boat Show, James Brooke, has taken a Stalinesque approach to the low attendance figures: he's ignoring them! He told YM: 'Numbers don't mean anything to me, they are just a black and white thing. I haven't got a clue how many people came and I don't want to know.'
He maintains that shows have been judged by figures for too long and that statistics don't tell potential visitors anything. Instead he is collating exhibitors' and visitors' responses.
'What is importnat is to marry up the right sort of visitors with the exhibitors they want to see. That is what makes a successful show.' Next year's Earls Court Boat Show dates are already booked: Press Day is Friday 28 November and the show opens the following day on 29 November and runs until Saturday 7 December.
For the only sailing magazine analysis of the new show see Yachting Monthly's three-page special report in the January issue on sale 13 December.
Yachting Monthly, 10 December 2007
I wonder why???
From James Brooke, The Earls Court Boat Show
Dear Sir,
Since we announced that the Whyte and Mackay Earls Court Boat Show will be held in December 2007, there has been much debate within the industry.
There have been some questions around the rationale of holding a second boat show in London and we want to address the concerns raised.
Despite many London Boat Show tickets being given free to people this year, visitor numbers fell again. Visitation figures have declined 40% over 4 boat shows (from 210,000 in 2004 to 130,000 in 2007).
The Whyte & Mackay Earls Court Boat Show is a boat show that has been created in response to independent research showing a gap in the market coupled with an overwhelming demand. This Show has been created with the express intentions of delivering the core heartland of the boating community to exhibitors, as well as providing a warm welcome to those entering the boating world for the first time. It is of real commercial benefit to the industry to have a show that entices genuine boating enthusiasts with a high propensity to purchase.
Our visitor forecast for the 50th boat show at Earls Court is 220,000. We believe that this is a feasible target taking into account initial Excel figures at the 2004 show, the number of boat owners in the UK, the number of people involved in water based activities, the pre-Christmas timing, the iconic location and the overwhelming amount of interest and support we have received from the boating community.
Earls Court has invested many millions of pounds in recent years on upgrades and improvements to its facilities since the boat show left in 2003. Both visitors and exhibitors will benefit from these improvements which include an upgraded air-conditioning system, fashionable restaurants on-site and a new ceiling grid with rigging facilities.
Despite recent comments made public on behalf of the BMF and National Boat Shows in a clear attempt to discourage independent companies from exhibiting at the Whyte & Mackay Earls Court Boat Show, we remain supportive of the BMF and the work it does on behalf of its members. Since 15th January we have initiated several conversations with the BMF and continue to offer them our support. The most recent conversation included an offer to sponsor a BMF stand at Earls Court. We believe the two shows can complement each other and are willing to maintain an open dialogue with the BMF in order to work together to facilitate this. We have no doubt that the Excel show will find its place alongside the Whyte & Mackay Earls Court Boat Show and wish them every success in doing so.
In conclusion, the Whyte & Mackay Earls Court Boat Show will deliver revenue to the industry, and will allow exhibitors and visitors to freely exchange information. With forecast visitor numbers of 220,000 in 2007, the show is very much in the interests of the industry.
With best wishes,
James Brooke
Managing Director
Earls Court Boat Show
I see today he has changed his tune
Founder of the 2007 Earls Court Boat Show, James Brooke, has taken a Stalinesque approach to the low attendance figures: he's ignoring them! He told YM: 'Numbers don't mean anything to me, they are just a black and white thing. I haven't got a clue how many people came and I don't want to know.'
He maintains that shows have been judged by figures for too long and that statistics don't tell potential visitors anything. Instead he is collating exhibitors' and visitors' responses.
'What is importnat is to marry up the right sort of visitors with the exhibitors they want to see. That is what makes a successful show.' Next year's Earls Court Boat Show dates are already booked: Press Day is Friday 28 November and the show opens the following day on 29 November and runs until Saturday 7 December.
For the only sailing magazine analysis of the new show see Yachting Monthly's three-page special report in the January issue on sale 13 December.
Yachting Monthly, 10 December 2007
I wonder why???
