London boat show

[Whitelighter]

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

Granted

But I was replying to a post where it was suggested they liked to travel up to London making a weekend of it and staying in a hotel. So yes, I reckon in that instance they are looking at a budget of at least £100.

 

[maby]

I have always driven to the Southampton show and parked in a car park very close for little money. Cant see the problem

Don't get me wrong - if we needed to go to the show for some reason, we would drive in. My point was that until this year, our boat was moored about 10 minutes walk from the show and we would always visit - particularly with free tickets that have always been easy enough to obtain. Now we are in Gosport, it would be a drive of half an hour - probably more during the show - plus several pounds for parking. We will not do that unless some strong reason to attend crops up between now and the show.

 

[maby]

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

Not sure about Miami, but Dusseldorf and Paris are both well within the range of people that are seriously considering paying multiple hundreds of thousands of pounds for a new boat - and the major exhibitors are looking for that kind of customer. We were regular visitors to the London show - but you have to recognise that that was primarily because we live reasonably close to Excel and it is an easy journey by car for us. We would not have travelled a long way to get there and, unfortunately, it looks like most people felt the same way. Personally, I would not travel very far to visit any boat show unless I needed to in order to research a major purchase. London to Southampton has been the limit thus far - about 70 miles and done as a day trip. We bought a new boat at the London show this January and I seriously hope that it will see us out so, in the absence of the London show, I doubt that we will be attending any more.

 

[rubberduck]

Don't get me wrong - if we needed to go to the show for some reason, we would drive in. My point was that until this year, our boat was moored about 10 minutes walk from the show and we would always visit - particularly with free tickets that have always been easy enough to obtain. Now we are in Gosport, it would be a drive of half an hour - probably more during the show - plus several pounds for parking. We will not do that unless some strong reason to attend crops up between now and the show.

Surely if you are that close its a relatively cheap day out, & keeps you up to date with new stuff.

 

[maby]

Surely if you are that close its a relatively cheap day out, & keeps you up to date with new stuff.

Actually sailing the boat we have in the Solent is an even cheaper day out and keeps my sailing skills up to date. If I know that I'm not going to buy anything more expensive than a new jacket and a pair of deck shoes, I really don't want to drive for half an hour and pay ten or twenty quid for parking - the local chandlery can meet those needs.

 

[EME]

Im going to miss London. My favourite show in that folks on here used it as a place to get together mid-winter for nearly 20 years (eek!).
Brilliant to see so many of us at BOOT last year --- but that may have just been a one off -- hope it is more than Whitelighter and I !
Southampton has always been more difficult for me because I enjoy Cannes so much and so convenient but definitely going to find time this year.

 

[Greg2]

We always enjoyed our mid-winter boaty day out, even when it got smaller. A great shame that it has gone - we will miss it.

 

[Sneds]

I must admit I have never checked out flights to Germany' may well do so now

Still miss London though, three nights at the London Ciry Airport Travelodge £117.

For the three nights, not each, bargain or what?

Live the Y Ban Chinese and the train, DLR, ride to Canary Wharf and beyond

Looking forward toxSo'ton this year, looking for a new electric loo and holding tank package, and the guy at the brokerage said it was glamorous!

To be honest I prefer the smaller exhibits to the Priness and Sunseeker stands

 

[Momac]

well within the range of people that are seriously considering paying multiple hundreds of thousands of pounds for a new boat - and the major exhibitors are looking for that kind of customer. .

I think if you excluded people from any boat show who did not fall into that category the exhibitors would out number the visitors.

 

[Bigplumbs]

Not sure about Miami, but Dusseldorf and Paris are both well within the range of people that are seriously considering paying multiple hundreds of thousands of pounds for a new boat - and the major exhibitors are looking for that kind of customer. We were regular visitors to the London show - but you have to recognise that that was primarily because we live reasonably close to Excel and it is an easy journey by car for us. We would not have travelled a long way to get there and, unfortunately, it looks like most people felt the same way. Personally, I would not travel very far to visit any boat show unless I needed to in order to research a major purchase. London to Southampton has been the limit thus far - about 70 miles and done as a day trip. We bought a new boat at the London show this January and I seriously hope that it will see us out so, in the absence of the London show, I doubt that we will be attending any more.

You seem to believe that the only reason to attend a boat show is to buy a boat.......... Not so for at least 90 % of people that attend

 

[jrudge]

But pretty much the 100% aim of the exhibitor who is paying for the privilege.

Cheaper to send prospects air tickets to Düsseldorf than attend London

 

[Bigplumbs]

But pretty much the 100% aim of the exhibitor who is paying for the privilege.

Cheaper to send prospects air tickets to Düsseldorf than attend London

There are many other things for sale not Just boats

 

[jrudge]

True. Lots of jacuzzi’s.

There is / was a lot less than there ever was. Chandlery etc is still at Southampton but I don’t recall seeing much at London.

 

[markc]

True. Lots of jacuzzi’s.

There is / was a lot less than there ever was. Chandlery etc is still at Southampton but I don’t recall seeing much at London.

Long gone are the days of going to LBS at EC to get a bunch of cheap chandlery...the internet has taken care of that. I have been to LBS for the past 2 years and all I have bought is a load of expensive unbreakable plastic glasses (they're very good). Some good advice from Raymarine and a long chat with Quick on their MC2 gyro, asked for a quote and never heard from them again. However, not a great experience. SBS is much better.