Norman_E
Well-Known Member
After years of being told how successful the show was it now seems the organisers are facing the truth, as its being cut from 10 days to five! http://www.ybw.com/boat-events/london-boat-show/london-boat-show-45460
London Boat Show.
- Thread starter Norman_E
- Start date
jac
Well-Known Member
And being combined with 2 other shows that may hopefully stagger on together.
Haven't been to London for at least 10 years. I can get there for nothing and get free tickets. I still think it's overpriced. ( and crap) as there is nothing there apart from a few Mobos.
Been to Soton for all the recent ones. Have to pay fuel to get there, parking and although I can get in free, would happily pay more if I had to. generally a good day out, More boats than I need to see but great value for money. Went twice last year.
Haven't been to London for at least 10 years. I can get there for nothing and get free tickets. I still think it's overpriced. ( and crap) as there is nothing there apart from a few Mobos.
Been to Soton for all the recent ones. Have to pay fuel to get there, parking and although I can get in free, would happily pay more if I had to. generally a good day out, More boats than I need to see but great value for money. Went twice last year.
prv
Well-Known Member
"a wealth of business and networking opportunities"
"the Boating & Watersports Holiday Show "
"Featuring global and boutique brands"
"Complete with its own high profile marketing campaign"
"The shows will benefit from increased marketing activity, with a focus on promoting the event to a wider audience. The latest digital targeting techniques [...] will be used"
Literally every aspect of this announcement seems to be things I would actively avoid.
Pete
"the Boating & Watersports Holiday Show "
"Featuring global and boutique brands"
"Complete with its own high profile marketing campaign"
"The shows will benefit from increased marketing activity, with a focus on promoting the event to a wider audience. The latest digital targeting techniques [...] will be used"
Literally every aspect of this announcement seems to be things I would actively avoid.
Pete
PhilS
Active Member
It's OK if you live near. Bought a new life jacket, waterproofs, gloves and some bedding. We enjoyed a winter day out.
Bobc
Well-Known Member
LIBS is a dead man walking. The sooner they bin it and focus on SIBS the better
RichardS
N/A
I thought "that's strange .... my earlier erudite contribution to this thread seems to have vanished" 
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?475974-London-Boat-Show
Richard
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?475974-London-Boat-Show
Richard
jac
Well-Known Member
It's not dead - it's just sleeping.....
gerry99
Well-Known Member
LIBS attendance has been declining year on year since it moved to Excel (apart from the first year). It would be interesting to know what it was this year and whether attendance increased as a result of the RYA giving free tickets to their members
[70521]
Well-Known Member
Drat, that means that I an going to have to struggle through the crowds to speak to manufactures and suppliers! I us the LIBS like any other trade show it is there to talk to people about stuff that you may or may not buy at some time in the future.
flaming
Well-Known Member
A slight correction to that, it was declining well before the move to Excel, and in fact attendance figures did not drop below the final year at Earl's court for (if I recall) about 5 years at Excel. Attempts on these forums to blame Excel for the decline are simply wide of the mark. If anything the move to Excel gave it many more years of life in its current format than it would otherwise have had.
The reasons for the decline are complicated, including the rise of the internet, the decline in UK new boat sales, the increase in costs to exhibit (especially in London where most companies have to put their staff up in hotels unlike Southampton where a majority of exhibitors are based close enough for staff to commute from home) the fall in new people taking up the sport....
The new move (which I'd heard was mooted, but didn't know had been decided) is an interesting one. The cost savings on stand space and setup will I suspect be minimal, as of course the cost to the organisers covers not only the time for the show but the setup and breakdown time, which for the Boat Show is many times the length of the show. Saving 5 days off a 40 day tenancy won't save a great deal. So in terms of savings for the exhibitor this is all about staff costs and hotel costs as well as time out of the business etc.
The measure of success to this measure will not be, to my mind, in attendance figures in 2018. It will be in exhibitor numbers. And crucially, exhibitor names...
roblpm
Well-Known Member
Also crossrail will open soon making it much easier to get there.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
The new LIBS ends on Sunday 14th January and Boot 2018 starts on Saturday 20th. That's not much time to get out of London and build in Dusseldorf ...
Time Out
Well-Known Member
That's not an issue, companies have been dealing with the cross over for years, they have often clashed. that's another story!
jac
Well-Known Member
I wonder if the lack of small cheap boats is also a part of it.
I remember going with my dad in the 70's and I seem to recall a lot of small cruisers. Certainly back then - mid 20 feet was a family boat and as for a 30 footer!!! they were also much narrower. Getting a 25 footer into an exhibition hall in London of course but I suspect that almost all of those smaller boats could be brought in by pretty much any company, without police escort just using a decent towing vehicle and trailer.
Now the 35 foot "starter" boats with 13 feet beam will need police escorts and specialist ( i.e. expensive) shipping.
Add to the fact that boat sales are declining, that gawpers want to look at BIG SHINY BOATS which they will never buy and you can understand why Beneteau, Hanse, Bavaria etc may be reluctant to bring in a 31.
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
True, but now they only get five days' worth of visitors to London.
Time Out
Well-Known Member
Like most sensible shows ... just because it's five days does not mean you cut the attendance in half.
lw395
Well-Known Member
I think the world has moved on from the old days of the 'general public' paying good money to go to the London boat show.
The Southampton show still draws in a lot of non-boating public AFAIK. At least, I know some 'civilians' in the area who go.
At the London show, I've felt that being a yottie who might buy a boat doesn't cut it, the suits only want to talk to you if you might buy 20 for a charter operation.
Is this the same across all industries? Are Trade Shows a dying breed?
The RYA Dinghy Show seems to need a new sponsor. That is a much different game, but maybe has the same problems? Anyone go this year?
The Southampton show still draws in a lot of non-boating public AFAIK. At least, I know some 'civilians' in the area who go.
At the London show, I've felt that being a yottie who might buy a boat doesn't cut it, the suits only want to talk to you if you might buy 20 for a charter operation.
Is this the same across all industries? Are Trade Shows a dying breed?
The RYA Dinghy Show seems to need a new sponsor. That is a much different game, but maybe has the same problems? Anyone go this year?
JumbleDuck
Well-Known Member
Of course, but it's hard to see how or why it could increase attendance, so the key questions will be "How big is the drop in visitors?" and "Does the drop in exhibitor costs justify that?"
Resolution
Well-Known Member
That's a pretty sensible reply, which conforms to my experience as a yacht exhibitor ten years ago. Times change, business needs to keep up with the changes.
Time Out
Well-Known Member
Sensible as he used to work there, equally I have done every one there from 13 stands at one point to one.
If there are two people that are qualified to talk about excel and give the facts it's Flaming and myself. Whether you choose to believe us or not is another matter !
No comment as to why we have both moved on to very different things