London boat show canned!

[Euphonyx]

2019 London Boat Show Cancelled

Such a shame. I'll have to find another sailing related thingy to do to justify my annual January London trip! Any ideas anyone??

 

[roblpm]

Re: 2019 London Boat Show Cancelled

Just before crossrail opens and access to excel will become much easier!

 

[lw395]

Re: 2019 London Boat Show Cancelled

We should petition them to put the Guinness tent in Greenwich, next to the Maritime Museum for the week?

 

[laika]

Re: 2019 London Boat Show Cancelled

I'll have to find another sailing related thingy to do to justify my annual January London trip! Any ideas anyone??

If you're desperate for a boaty-related ride on the DLR in January, flybe fly from city to Düsseldorf

 

[Concerto]

Re: 2019 London Boat Show cancelled

The London Show did not appeal to me this year, despite having a free ticket and living just 30 miles away. The cancellation of the 2019 London show does not surprise me. The Boot show (which I have never been to) seems the place to see lots of boats.

The Southampton Show has got better and better over the years. It is far more interesting on the number of smaller company stands, many who never seem to advertise their products except online. Extra expansion to the show would be most welcome for all boaters.

 

[Tam Lin]

Re: 2019 London Boat Show Cancelled

I think that the move to Excel coincided with the decline in the boating industry. For me, it was easier to get to but after my last visit several years ago, not worth going to.

 

[jac]

The Earls Court v Excel thing always pops up whenever LIBS is discussed. I went to the former once and thought it was dingy, crowded and hard to get to. Still had a great day though and would have continued to attend if it hadn’t moved to Excel. On the other hand I found Excel to be clean, spacious and very easy to access by car. Been attending ever since and will miss the mid-winter boaty fix. Thought this year was good albeit too many non-boaty day trippers and their kids but then the show needs footfall so happy to live with it. The irony was that the only thing we ended up buying was garden furniture!

I suspect that a lot of the issue was the perception of regular tube users that excel is the arse end of nowhere. Living to west of London, EC was 25 minutes on the train to Paddington then maybe 10 mins via tube. Getting over to docklands is about an hour by tube / DLR once you've factored in walking from platform to platform, waiting for next tube. Maybe 40 minutes on a good day.

It's also ( or at least was) pretty much on it's own. EC was central, lots of other things to do near by. For the family where some want to go shopping and dad wants to go look at boats then EC is fine - have lunch - pop to do own thingm meet up for evening meal = nice day out for all.

Docklands is starting to get some life to it but it's still more of a Monday - Friday type place ( maybe westfields excluded) but I suspect that by the time that the surroundings had caught up, the show was in a vicious circle of decline - hard / unattractive to get to so numbers fall, so exhibitors less attracted / prices rise so fewer visitors.

Add in the internet, cheap flights to places like dusseldorf and it's curtains.

 

[Seven Spades]

Re: 2019 London Boat Show cancelled

We love going to Boot, it is just nice to get away for the weekend and it has more stuff than Southampton. The old town is interesting though I have never seen so many people in the same place at the same time in the evening.

 

[robertj]

Re: 2019 London Boat Show cancelled

I’ll be surprised Southampton boat show lasts another five years. When there last year it was a pleasure to go around no queues just great. But that in itself says numbers a down (paying numbers that is) and the industry is under pressure to rejuvenate it. I gathered from chatting with the exhibitors (sail makers and electronics etc) that the cost is getting so prohibitive, that sales are not paying for exhibition costs, they also mentioned the complementary school visits that will boost turnstile numbers for the official line.
We are doomed!!

 

[CLB]

I suspect that a lot of the issue was the perception of regular tube users that excel is the arse end of nowhere. Living to west of London, EC was 25 minutes on the train to Paddington then maybe 10 mins via tube. Getting over to docklands is about an hour by tube / DLR once you've factored in walking from platform to platform, waiting for next tube. Maybe 40 minutes on a good day.

It's also ( or at least was) pretty much on it's own. EC was central, lots of other things to do near by. For the family where some want to go shopping and dad wants to go look at boats then EC is fine - have lunch - pop to do own thingm meet up for evening meal = nice day out for all.

Docklands is starting to get some life to it but it's still more of a Monday - Friday type place ( maybe westfields excluded) but I suspect that by the time that the surroundings had caught up, the show was in a vicious circle of decline - hard / unattractive to get to so numbers fall, so exhibitors less attracted / prices rise so fewer visitors.

Add in the internet, cheap flights to places like dusseldorf and it's curtains.

Getting to excel from Berkshire takes 30 minutes longer than Earl's Court (From the Network rail journey planner). Is that really a big deal? I gonna bet it will take it will take an extra 3 hours to get to Dussledorf, not to mention the considerable extra expense. I've been to boot and, as huge as it is, I think it is a once only trip just to see it. I am as mad about boats as the next person, but in time and expense it is difficult to justify just for a browse.

 

[dk]

Re: 2019 London Boat Show cancelled

Probably doesn’t help that you can’t get a hotel room anywhere near the Southampton show for under £150/nt!

 

[Grubble]

I suspect that a lot of the issue was the perception of regular tube users that excel is the arse end of nowhere. Living to west of London, EC was 25 minutes on the train to Paddington then maybe 10 mins via tube. Getting over to docklands is about an hour by tube / DLR once you've factored in walking from platform to platform, waiting for next tube. Maybe 40 minutes on a good day.

There can't be many boat shows you can go to via cable car and/or a boat. Lots of bars and restaurants nearby if you know where to go and as for those people who want to drive in London, I'm just shaking my head.

 

[Bobc]

Re: 2019 London Boat Show cancelled

London has been rubbish and soul-less ever since it moved from Earls Court. Long live SIBS!

 

[Graham_Wright]

What route were you following? It's a short hop from Excel to the M25 - why on earth would you go through London to get to Devon?

Could have been due to the rubbish signing. I remember losing an hour trying to find Excel when only a couple of miles away back in the beginning.

 

[CLB]

Re: 2019 London Boat Show cancelled

Probably doesn’t help that you can’t get a hotel room anywhere near the Southampton show for under £150/nt!

Isn't that exactly the same for every major boat show? How much is a room in Dusseldorf during boot? Or Paris in December? Come to that, how much was a room near Earl's Court back in the day? At least for many of us, Southampton or London could be done in a day.

 

[Graham_Wright]

From an exhibitors point of view, the five days was a killer. Some stands at Sibs take a week to build. Even ours which is prebuilt takes a day. Add in the day at base preparing, the drive down, and the breakdown costs and time and only half the exhibiting time and the sums don't add up.

I would like another show and have frequently suggested NEC. It's central, they do have water, the parking is excellent, it is possible to accommodate caravans and camper vans and the space is highly flexible.

The big bonus of course is that there is no room for Sunseeker and the like!

 

[AndrewfromFal]

Re: 2019 London Boat Show cancelled

I’ll be surprised Southampton boat show lasts another five years. When there last year it was a pleasure to go around no queues just great. But that in itself says numbers a down (paying numbers that is) and the industry is under pressure to rejuvenate it.

I suspect the difference between London and Southampton is that people exhibiting boats at Southampton actually close sales during the show.

I remember speaking to a guy who held the agency for a couple of big brand sailing boats at (the Guinness stand) London a few years ago who said as much; and that he only exhibited there because he had to be seen there. Also a sale at Southampton meant a boat could be delivered for the following season, but London was too late for the lead times for the builders he represented

 

[flaming]

Re: 2019 London Boat Show cancelled

they also mentioned the complementary school visits that will boost turnstile numbers for the official line.
We are doomed!!

Just to slay this particularly stubborn reoccurring dragon...

When I was at NBS one of my roles was to manage school visits to the Shows. Numbers were capped, at 1,000 over the week. So 200 a day for the 5 week days. I understand that this remains the case. I could have given tickets out for many more than that, but the board (made up of exhibitors) imposed the cap. When you compare visitor numbers year on year then School kids will be the same number every year, and account for circa 1% of the total visitor numbers.

I for one am very sad to see London go. I have some very fond memories of working at that Show, and also of visiting it before and since. The simple fact of the matter is that UK boat sales, and especially sailing boat sales, simply do not support 2 shows any more. The rise of online chandlery then removed the other great reason to visit, heavily discounted "last year's" stock.

British Marine have had something of a shakeup, and made a lot of people (good friends and former colleagues of mine) redundant earlier this year. As it happens, and as someone who knows the people concerned, the reality of promoting the Shows, and is now a member of British Marine through my family firm, I think they have got that rather wrong. They have just let go an enormous amount of experience at the time when they really need to focus on Southampton and make it fly. Tempting as the new broom approach might be under those circumstances, I think it is a mistake and tantamount to blaming some of the most hard working and dedicated people I have ever met for the cold reality of a shrinking leisure marine sector.

 

[JNKScot]

Re: 2019 London Boat Show Cancelled

I think that the move to Excel coincided with the decline in the boating industry. For me, it was easier to get to but after my last visit several years ago, not worth going to.

The other issue with Earls Court is its imminent demolition/redevelopment which was the main reason why the GBBF moved back to Olympia.

 

[zoidberg]

Re: 2019 London Boat Show Cancelled

As first mentioned 'elsewhere', many will be heading for the Paris Boat Show - 8 December - especialy if some bright entrepreneur ( that's French! ) offers an All-Inclusive Weekend Excursion, with the whole of Paris for Christmas Shopping available.....