LIBS and the Boat, Caravan & Outdoors Show

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted User YDKXO
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Well, I guess I do know how you feel, as for years the Motor show was held in NEC, with no show in London. In a way that made more sense, as Birmingham was then the centre of UK car industry (when we had one), so I didn't really mind and was happy to travel. However, whilst I acknowledge there are a great many fabulous places to go boating in the north, and indeed Scotland, the majority of boating in the kind of boats sold at LIBS is South Coast based, so a London show makes sense. I know you'll say 'what about Southampton then', but up to now, the South has been able to accommodate 2 shows. If Sunfairseekerline thought there was a big untapped market for a show in the North where they would sell loads of boats, they would have one surely.
 
Sorry, nonsense!

I live 35 miles from Excel as the crow flies and the first train on a sunday gets me there for 1240.

Being an hour form London does NOT mean you are an hour from excel. STupid time, stupid place.
 
Re: LIBS and the Boat, Caravan & Outdoors Show

Boatings not just about big boats and lots of cash i would think the majority of boats in this country are sub 30ft,so why does it seem to always come down to the same argument that the south has got all the money so it should have all the
facilities southampton and london are too far for me to do in a day,the midlands are central for the whole country
it makes sense to hit as many potential customers as possible
 
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Sorry, nonsense!

I live 35 miles from Excel as the crow flies and the first train on a sunday gets me there for 1240.

Being an hour form London does NOT mean you are an hour from excel. STupid time, stupid place.

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If you are 35 miles away, just drive for 40 minutes and park in the local street for free
We are near Aylesbury and even for us its only about an hour by car on a weekend
 
The only problem with this approach is carrying capacity. I can carry one spare wheel, swmbo another. But the 4-yr old struggles with the remaning two, plus the jack...
 
Don't flame me but running or exhibiting at an indoor boat show in 2009 now seems like financial loonacy! /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Batten down the hatches methinks!
 
but then I would argue its also functional.
And SO easy to get to
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Not in my experience thanks to the vagaries of the North London line wnich seems to run as and when it pleases.
 
maybe you live somewhere unsual.. the DLR and tube run from early morning.. so the issue isnt London.Drive to another train line?
 
Re: LIBS and the Boat, Caravan & Outdoors Show

Boatings not just about big boats and lots of cash i would think the majority of boats in this country are sub 30ft
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By number? Or by new sales, in terms of £ ?
The manufacturers may be keen on brand loyalty, but they make money by selling new boats. Presumably, their approach is to show their wares in a location in which they hope to capture the optimum profitable exposure. London (as Hurricane points out) is on a river, and is the capital-seems a sesnible place to me.
I cant remember how many people commute into London each day..6 millon or so? Access cant be that hard,chaps. Maybe some peopole arent used to London Transport and the M25- welcome to the South /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
I have always lived and my work was always based in Scotland.

For years I was able to go to both EC and sibs as I was frequently in London and Portsmouth on company business. Even after I retired it was relatively easy and innexpensive to travel to London or Southampton from the Highlands of Scotland using public transport.

But try to get to the NEC. using public transport from Scotland.

I have been at Excell a couple of times. Access is easy but - What an abysmal site for an exhibition in winter. Cold uninviting and too many open spaces. I much prefered the intimacy of EC to Excell.
In my opimion Sibs is the best show although the last time I was there I was trying to find out about insurance but the people on one particular major companies stand were so much under the influence that I could get no sense from them so I just walked away.

But with the present economic climate perhaps natural selection will rationalise things a bit.
 
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The NEC isnt the place for a boat show - you need water.


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I've changed my mind on this just recently after visiting the Barcelona Boat Show which is primarily water based.
All you see is the backs of hundreds of boats (and it's interesting how similar they all look.) Very dull in my opinion except for the James Bond Sunseeker which was displayed out of the water.
 
I take your point about Boat delivery by water - I guess that is more difficult for the larger boats to get to the NEC, but in all the times I have been to Excel, I have never ventured outside as its been too cold or wet, so for me the huge boats should just continue at SIBS, but the rest could still get to the NEC.


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But try to get to the NEC. using public transport from Scotland.

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Well would you just train to Crewe and swap for Birmingham international? I train into Euston and its still a long trip by tube and DLR to Excel - its got to be quicker for you to get to the NEC than Excel? Just interested.
 
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I take your point about Boat delivery by water - I guess that is more difficult for the larger boats to get to the NEC, but in all the times I have been to Excel, I have never ventured outside as its been too cold or wet, so for me the huge boats should just continue at SIBS, but the rest could still get to the NEC.

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I think the quote about water was not necessarily for the display of the big boats, but simply to get them to the show. They come by water and are lifted into the hall like the Princess 85 last year.
 
All this stuff about big boats is missing the point. We should have one large UK premier boat and this should be SIBS. It's a great event is accessible from London. There should be a secondary show (where it's not really essential to show all the massive stuff) and this should be NEC as part of the Weekend Gipsy show (pref in diff halls). That way you've got two shows, six months apart.

Pete
 
Re: LIBS and the Boat, Caravan & Outdoors Show

By number i would say, although it would be interesting to see the sales figures by size and value, of new boats to see were the market was at
 
Re: LIBS and the Boat, Caravan & Outdoors Show

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maybe you live somewhere unsual.. the DLR and tube run from early morning.. so the issue isnt London.Drive to another train line?

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Not this year, Jubliee Line is closed first weekend!!

Yet again lack of joined up thinking on part of TFL.
 
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The NEC isnt the place for a boat show - you need water

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That's an argument I've heard before but, er, it doesn't hold water. Firstly, 2 of our major boatbuilders, Fairline and Sealine are about as landlocked as you can get. If they can manage to deliver their largest models out of their factories by truck to their customers, then they can truck those boats to the NEC. Secondly, the biggest boat show in Europe ie Dusseldorf manages to get by without water access or water exhibit space. Thirdly those exhibitors who did exhibit boats in the water at the last LIBS were generally disappointed with visitor numbers. I'm convinced that some visitors still don't know that there are boats in the water at LIBS. I wouldn't be surprised if there are fewer on water exhibits this year
 
Earls Court - which appears to be dear to the memory of many on here - didn't have on water displays either unless you count the tank in Hall 1.
 
and getting large boats there by road was even more difficult than the NEC would be
 
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