London boat show canned!

[maby]

And finally, it might be a source of annoyance to many, but the centre of Gravity for the UK boating public is a long way south of Birmingham.

Not quite true! Yachting perhaps, but not narrow boats, racing Sailing dinghies, river motor cruisers, inland boat hire and canoeing. Moreover there is substantial yachting in North Wales and Scotland, particularly the Clyde. Not necessarily a coincidence that Fairline and Sealine grew up in the Midlands. It is true that many southerners think only of their part of the UK and go abroad rather than explore the delights of their own country![/QUOTE]

He did say "the centre of gravity" - of course there are people who take part in leisure sailing north of Watford, but you only have to spend an hour on the Solent in mid-summer to see where that centre of gravity is - you have to look hard to find enough empty space to capsize or fall overboard!

 

[Daydream believer]

I honestly don't remember Earls Court with any fondness - it was a pain to get to and stank of fast food - except for the car park which stank of pee. I went there for a variety of shows - not just the Boat Show - and it was always a pain. It's been demolished now, hasn't it? I will not miss it. Excel is easy to get to, plenty of parking, plenty of bright space and plenty of catering. I was there last week for the Amazon AWS Summit and it was a pleasure.

+1 Excel is a great venue. Easy to drive to, easy to park so you can get there by car. (from where I live trains are useless) No lugging of anything you have bought on the train either; just place it in the back of the car.
Earls court may have been quirky, but would never have survived, quite simply because the internet would have killed the small stands & the " boating on a budget" hall dead. Plus I got fed up trying to find anything & the squeeze to get between stands, or the hunt for stairs & escalators.
I will never go to Southampton again. Went a few years ago & it p..d with rain. The trains were a pain..
If I want anything I will go to the local chandlers (I would always support them first) & if they cannot supply it then it will be the internet.

I do not need another boat so no point in looking at new ones - just a waste of my time & the exhibitors.
I would feel like some of the dipsticks who wander around shopping centres pushing buggies whilst swearing at their bored kids in tow on a Saturday afternoon, window shopping, or touching & not buying anything, with SFA to do all day.

 

[flaming]

Not quite true! Yachting perhaps, but not narrow boats, racing Sailing dinghies, river motor cruisers, inland boat hire and canoeing. Moreover there is substantial yachting in North Wales and Scotland, particularly the Clyde. Not necessarily a coincidence that Fairline and Sealine grew up in the Midlands. It is true that many southerners think only of their part of the UK and go abroad rather than explore the delights of their own country!

British Marine do extensive annual research. As far as I recall that research always led to the conclusion that the centre of gravity was very much to the South.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

British Marine do extensive annual research. As far as I recall that research always led to the conclusion that the centre of gravity was very much to the South.

Certainly the centre of gravity of £ spent is. There may be a lot of boats in the regions, but nearly all the big money is spent south. An exhibitor is not going to make much money selling a new grip-thribley to the owner of a 40 year old Hurley 22.

 

[dom]

British Marine do extensive annual research. As far as I recall that research always led to the conclusion that the centre of gravity was very much to the South.

To the south, agreed. Though, the centre of gravity -- whether money or number of boats -- can definitionally not be at an extremity of the UK ....so it cannot be the Solent!

I'd guess the money CoG to be just south of Guildford and the boat-number CoG to be somewhere around Coventry

 

[flaming]

and the boat-number CoG to be somewhere around Coventry

Reading, if I recall correctly.

 

[Hurricane]

LIBS 2019 - Cancelled

See here
https://www.londonboatshow.com/

 

[SEARANGER ANCASTER]

Re: LIBS 2019 - Cancelled

post already about this a week or so ago

 

[lw395]

To the south, agreed. Though, the centre of gravity -- whether money or number of boats -- can definitionally not be at an extremity of the UK ....so it cannot be the Solent!

I'd guess the money CoG to be just south of Guildford and the boat-number CoG to be somewhere around Coventry

My experience of talking with equipment manufacturers at both boats shows suggests that the market they most care about is people buying and equipping fleets of charter boats in the Med. When you look at the number of Med-based people on here, I reckon the CofG might be quite near Munich.

 

[Blue Sunray]

To the south, agreed. Though, the centre of gravity -- whether money or number of boats -- can definitionally not be at an extremity of the UK ....so it cannot be the Solent!

Given the ever increasing numbers of Brits with boats in the med or who charter out there it quite well could be.

 

[Parabordi]

Just seen this: http://www.motorboatowner.co.uk/news.php

surprised and not surprised at the same time

To quote Don Mclean " they didn't listen perhaps they'll listen now"...
So many folks hated it after Earls Court, i certainly did.
Excel had as much atmoshpere as Tescos.

 

[fergie_mac66]

To quote Don Mclean " they didn't listen perhaps they'll listen now"...
So many folks hated it after Earls Court, i certainly did.
Excel had as much atmoshpere as Tescos.

Tescos?Thats really generous
Earls court was a boat show an effort was made. Large scale entertainment in the lake , boat races for kids etc

 

[KellysEye]

It will cost the charter companies and Latesail a lot of they money the London show made the biggest percentage of their annual sales there.

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

To the south, agreed. Though, the centre of gravity -- whether money or number of boats -- can definitionally not be at an extremity of the UK ....so it cannot be the Solent!

I'd guess the money CoG to be just south of Guildford and the boat-number CoG to be somewhere around Coventry

+1

 

[Kurrawong_Kid]

Reading, if I recall correctly.

if so the NEC would have been at least a good a bet as Excel. From Reading to NEC by Road is as easy or easier than to Excel. Many, but not all, trains Reading to Birmingham stop at International and the Airport is alongside. Southampton to NEC via M3,A34 and M42 is no longer than Southampton to Excel. As for the door excuse they are the same height as the motorway bridges. True the BMF might have had a job getting a spot, but they took the London option and the rest has been history! They got it wrong because they underestimated how many went to Earls Court for the atmosphere and theatre after work rather than to be genuinely interested in boats.

 

[lw395]

if so the NEC would have been at least a good a bet as Excel. From Reading to NEC by Road is as easy or easier than to Excel. Many, but not all, trains Reading to Birmingham stop at International and the Airport is alongside. Southampton to NEC via M3,A34 and M42 is no longer than Southampton to Excel. As for the door excuse they are the same height as the motorway bridges. True the BMF might have had a job getting a spot, but they took the London option and the rest has been history! They got it wrong because they underestimated how many went to Earls Court for the atmosphere and theatre after work rather than to be genuinely interested in boats.

Or how many went to Earl's Court because it was a good thing to do in a previous era?

The problem is not Excel, it is that there is much less demand for a winter boat show in the UK.
We have a smaller marine industry.
That industry has changed.
Trade shows generally are less relevant.
The general public are less interested in seeing boats they can't afford and don't aspire to.

 

[wully1]

Interesting... my experience of shows..

Earls Court was a great show, worth travelling for in its day, not so sure it would be now.( I even drove once ‘cos I knew I’d be buying kit)

Excel was crap from day 1, soul less, barren, empty feeling, awkward to get to ( for me) and far too much non boatie shyte.

Southampton was fun, lots of boats in their element with a nice vibe to the whole thing. Felt a bit light on the on shore display side first time I went but a lot better the last time I was there a few years ago. I might even go back one day.

Kip. Like a mini Southampton, getting bigger though.

BOOT. If Carlsberg did boat shows...... honestly, if you haven’t been you should go. Stay a couple of days because you’ll need the time if you want to see everything.

 

[STATUE]

No surprise at all. Its been dying on its feet since the move from Earls Court. I know all the reasons why the show had to move but the fact is that nobody, neither exhibitors nor visitors, wanted to trek to a shed in E London in the middle of winter to see an ever decreasing number of boats. And I suppose what also didnt help it was the proximity of the much larger Dusseldorf show. Like every other country in Europe, there was only ever space for one show per year in the UK. Lets hope that this allows manufacturers and dealers to put all of their resources into the Southampton Show and make that into a really good exhibition

On your own you could feel very lonely at the LBS NEC - the crush at Earls Court never left you alone.

Raymond Baxter made a whole programme, live, of getting the big boats through the London streets, traffic lights removed, lamp posts moved aside etc. -- it was great. Oh, and big boats meant those massive 32 footers, you know, the ones where the ordinary could aspire to !

Let the people, the sailing people, decide, not those focused on the oligarch market.

 

[Blue Sunray]

The smell of incontinence underpants and alzheimer's is overpowering on this thread.

 

[wully1]

The smell of incontinence underpants and alzheimer's is overpowering on this thread.

And I smell twin wheels, aft chines, fat arsed Ikea interior..:sleeping: