London boat show

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Sailorsam101

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Just seen that it's been cancelled. I for one am not sorry.

I went two years ago for the first time and never again. Hardly anything there...not much for sale..nobody has been paid after xmas yet so hasn't got anything to spend.

I was very disappointed with it and said i'd never go back. I went wanting to look at and maybe buy a new fridge for the boat..but with only 1 stand selling one make of fridges i came away feeling the whole thing was a waste of money.

But what i have never ever understood is why are the boat shows when they are...Jan and September..yes i know the old argument about giving the industry a boost...but...i've never an y money in jan and in september I've already bought everything i need for the year.

Why isn't there a big boat show or event at the end of April where we can all splash out on new toys for the coming summer?
 
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I thought the London Boat Show was brilliant. It became popular to run it down once it moved to Excel, but the logic to the move was obvious given the size of boats coming out of the big brands that probably did most to support the show (not to mention the fact that Earls Court no longer exists).

As to the dates, London Boat Show in January was a great kick start to the year and I'd imagine good for dealers, given that it's probably a quiet time plus a good opportunity to get orders for spring boat sales. Dusseldorf certainly seems to do okay as a January show!

So I think it's a shame, but there it is - use it or lose it. Not enough people used it so we lost it.
 
The trouble with a January show is that it will only attract those with a serious purchase to research - and there are not enough of them to keep the show running. I doubt that the majority of people going through the gate into the Southampton show are going to make a major purchase, but there are a lot of them - enough to make the show viable. Many will just go along for a day out - the weather is usually reasonably good and it's fun to just wander around window shopping. Excel in January is a rather different prospect - usually cold and wet!
 
Cannes next month! I’m going but I would love to go to the States for a Trawler Fest. But I wasn’t impressed the last time I went to the London Show, it looked like a regional show. I liked the Paris Show
 
Will miss London next year
Great location, cheap hotels, good transport links, what's not to like?
Smaller and indoors, more personal and a weekend in London to boot
Shame
 
I enjoyed it It made a welcome escape in the cold winter months....... Rather than rattle on if you don't like something just don't go
 
maby said:
. January is a rather different prospect - usually cold and wet!
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It was indoors so not affected by the weather. And yes January is cold and wet . According to your logic the show in Dusseldorf should fail too.
 
MartynG said:
It was indoors so not affected by the weather. And yes January is cold and wet . According to your logic the show in Dusseldorf should fail too.
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I can't speak for Dusseldorf, but my point was that a January show in the Docklands area is not going to attract passing trade looking for a bit of amusement on a Sunday afternoon. We did go to this year's London show - and spent more than £200k on a new boat - but we were researching a significant purchase and the London show was the most convenient platform upon which to carry out that research. While our boat was berthed in Southampton (and the RYA were giving out free tickets), we would go to the show there for a walk round even if we were not intending to buy anything. Now we are in Portsmouth and we probably will not go to the Southampton show - it would require a good half hour drive followed by a search for expensive parking, and we don't need to research anything.

We certainly would not go to Dusseldorf or Paris unless we were planning a major purchase - and there was no UK based alternative. Much too expensive and much too far. Paris is a nice enough place to visit, but I've spent a lot of time there already in my life and I really don't feel the need to go back again.
 
maby said:
Now we are in Portsmouth and we probably will not go to the Southampton show - it would require a good half hour drive followed by a search for expensive parking
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Hopeless taking a car into Southampton.

Think you are Port Solent? In which case its a 30 min walk to Portchester Station, 20 mins on train, 10 mins to boat show.
 
I’m looking forward to Boot again - there’s actually stuff there.
Last years trip was brilliant with a few of us on here meeting in galleries at T5 and doing it in a day

Think I might take swmbo this year and make a weekend of it.
 
burgundyben said:
Hopeless taking a car into Southampton.

Think you are Port Solent? In which case its a 30 min walk to Portchester Station, 20 mins on train, 10 mins to boat show.
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I have always driven to the Southampton show and parked in a car park very close for little money. Cant see the problem
 
Dare I say that it seems rather fashionable to knock London and rather "en trend" to visit Das Boot, Paris or even Miami but for the the rest of us that live in the real world London was a great, cheap weekend away and will be missed
If it doesn't do it for you, don't go but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable for those that do, or did, go
Biggest mistake I think was cutting the number of days
 
How is visiting Boot not living in the real world?

Last year the trip cost about £60 for the day including flights and tickets.
Year before we stayed over and it was only £100

Seems pretty ‘real’ to me
 
Whitelighter said:
How is visiting Boot not living in the real world?

Last year the trip cost about £60 for the day including flights and tickets.
Year before we stayed over and it was only £100

Seems pretty ‘real’ to me
Click to expand...

There are many worlds that people live in. What is real is relative. Flying to a boat show and spending the sort of money you quote suggesting it is a small amount simply is not the real world to many.

I know many people who rightly feel that £10 entrance fee is quite a lot
 
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