What could be done to improve the LIBS?

[Groot T]

Speaking from an exhibitors point of view, I have never been tempted with LIBS. The main reasons are cost & time. So I suppose I could argue that to be a double cost.

A 9 or 10 day show is flat-out exhausting. There are lots of people who go, yes. But in reality, do we need 20 days of boat-show across the UK every year?
The cost of exhibiting is eye-watering. Given that it is in London, the stand space becomes the smaller bill when it comes to accommodation and food.

LIBS and SIBS need to be amalgamated into one event and the geographical location changed all-together. i.e. a complete shake-up of the two events.
SIBS has been the same ever since Dad first dragged me to the show when I was single-digits. Kinda feels like the same song on repeat, just a slight remix every year.

I look forward to a big shake-up!

 

[Floating Preferably]

Speaking from an exhibitors point of view, I have never been tempted with LIBS. The main reasons are cost & time. So I suppose I could argue that to be a double cost.

A 9 or 10 day show is flat-out exhausting. There are lots of people who go, yes. But in reality, do we need 20 days of boat-show across the UK every year?
The cost of exhibiting is eye-watering. Given that it is in London, the stand space becomes the smaller bill when it comes to accommodation and food.

LIBS and SIBS need to be amalgamated into one event and the geographical location changed all-together. i.e. a complete shake-up of the two events.
SIBS has been the same ever since Dad first dragged me to the show when I was single-digits. Kinda feels like the same song on repeat, just a slight remix every year.

I look forward to a big shake-up!

OK Groot, as an exhibitor who thinks the two shows should be combined, where would you like 'the new show' and why? Obviously you would like it to be cheaper to exhibit, so that really kicks London into touch for many of the reasons already given. NEC has excellent 'geographical fairness', but it has to be a good show to attract visitors from 150 miles+ from all round the country. SIBS is one heck of a trek for those living in the North of the country, and I am amazed how many do make the trip. If SIBS were scrapped and replaced by NEC, I wonder how many of the'local to SIBS visitors' would visit?
This is not an easy one to solve, and certainly an interesting thread.

 

[Imperial One]

I have kept away from posting on this one until now but I have to agree with Groot T, one show is enough.
Probably best to make it Southampton so the boats, of all sizes, can be easily got there and can be seen afloat.
I would suggest making it in May or late April maybe.
NEC is no good as a venue because there is no way of getting the bigger boats there.
Cost of exhibiting in SIBS and LIBS is absolutely crazy, we can do 3 European shows for the same cost as one of the UK shows, it is a shame because this is our home market.........see you all in Dusseldorf!
Incidentally, the cost of food and drink in the exhibition halls at Dusseldorf is very good as are the Hotel prices when compared to London and Southampton.

 

[Floating Preferably]

I have kept away from posting on this one until now but I have to agree with Groot T, one show is enough.
Probably best to make it Southampton so the boats, of all sizes, can be easily got there and can be seen afloat.
I would suggest making it in May or late April maybe.
NEC is no good as a venue because there is no way of getting the bigger boats there.
Cost of exhibiting in SIBS and LIBS is absolutely crazy, we can do 3 European shows for the same cost as one of the UK shows, it is a shame because this is our home market.........see you all in Dusseldorf!
Incidentally, the cost of food and drink in the exhibition halls at Dusseldorf is very good as are the Hotel prices when compared to London and Southampton.

Well that response really does clarify why we have a problem, very clearly put Imperial One.:encouragement:

 

[flaming]

Since I stuck my head above the parapet on Scuttlebutt I may as well do the same here...

For 2 years I worked for NBS in marketing. I probably would still work there, except SWMBO and I decided to see the world and went travelling for a year.

There have been some exceedingly good points made in this thread, and the one over on SB, but I thought I'd throw a few facts into the mix. Please bear in mind that I'm doing this from memory, as I certainly don't have access to the figures any more, but I hope to give an impression of the situation.

As you probably know NBS carries out a lot of research at each show, and often between shows too. One of the things that I found staggering when I first joined NBS was the make up of the audience at Southampton and London. In that they are very, very similar in almost every respect except geography. And that the crossover is surprisingly small. As a regular attendee of both Shows up that point I had assumed that most boaters would be the same, and that perhaps 80%+ of the audience would do both Shows. This is a long way from the truth, and the real number is much lower, and under 50%. Sorry I can't remember the actual number.
But assume it is 50%. That means if you cancel London you are left trying to persuade circa 40-50,000 people who don't go to Southampton to make the trip. Otherwise the overall spend in the leisure marine industry is likely to reduce, as there is endless research that indicates that Boat Shows prompt spend - either at the time or later after some thought. And that's pretty logical - don't go to the Show, don't see that new widget, don't know it exists, don't buy one. Or don't go to the Show, don't see the new offering from your favourite manufacturer in the flesh, don't buy one.

With walkup sales, they're not rare at all, most boat companies report a few per show. Most at least tell the sales people on arrival that they are serious and get the VIP treatment but one Show whilst I was working there we heard of a chap who had walked up to a large boat stand, patiently queued with the day trippers to have a look, quietly looked around on his own and then asked the salesman how much. When the salesman told him (and it was more than £1m) he said "Ok, yes please, I'll take one." Apparently it was at least 10 minutes with the chap not then leaving before the salesman twigged he wasn't joking!

I've gone into a lot more detail on other aspects of the Show on SB, and to be honest I should really be giving the time to my new job rather than writing long missives about my old one!

 

[henryf]

Flaming

I think the bulk of those 50% who attend London but not Southampton are just people there for a day out. We all know who they are, we see and hear them on the various stands and feel sorry for the exhibitors having to humour them. Yes, one of them might win the lottery one day and buy something but ultimately they aren't the people who line the pockets of the boating exhibitors. They might buy a magazine / back massage machine / all in one spanner / coat / tub of shoe polish and they pay money to get into the show so (presumably) the organisers benefit accordingly but they aren't the target audience which the exhibition organisers sell to exhibitors. I suspect the bulk of the people who actually sign on dotted lines attend both shows or would do if their diaries allowed.

Richard, you had to be at the show so you missed the first day or two then turned up. I flew back into the Uk on Jan 5th and the week after I got back to the UK was just too busy, I was also 8 hours out time-wise. The fact Princess never sent me any tickets didn't help of course

The Early season is covered for the big 3 manufacturers by the Swanwick show which was superb last year. A lovely atmosphere, easy access to boats, everyone you saw was a boat owner and virtually free for the manufacturers to attend, certainly in comparison to London or Southampton.

I like Southampton because of the fact it's on water and as such manufacturers can bring a boat for (almost) sensible money. They can sleep on the boat, don't need any stand costs - which are eye watering if you want to do the job properly. They can let the boat do the talking. You get to see a real variety of craft and in particular boats you probably wouldn't make a special effort to view but which, because they are there, you visit and are sometimes pleasantly surprised. Those are genuine long term prospects. "I'm ok for now but in the future when our needs change we might be paying you a visit" conversations.

Could Southampton be changed for the better? Undoubtedly. Does it need to change ? I'm not sure it does. Could we live without London ? Yes, particularly as we now have the British Motoryacht show in May. People looking to spec a boat for the current season will appreciate London and that is probably why it survives. The problem is the cost of attending means there may be some manufacturers on your shortlist who aren't there. If London is to carry on then could we move it to February please ?

Henry

 

[flaming]

Flaming

I think the bulk of those 50% who attend London but not Southampton are just people there for a day out. We all know who they are, we see and hear them on the various stands and feel sorry for the exhibitors having to humour them.

Without going into too much detail, no. As the simple breakdown of people who are boaters and/or already own a boat would mean that it would only be a tiny minority that are day trippers. Sorry I don't have the actual figures, but you'll just have to take it from me that there is a sizeable number of actual boaters who only do the one Show each year.

 

[jfm]

The big three might be happy although I always take stories of people rocking up out of the blue to buy boats at boat shows with a very large pinch of salt. I can't imagine that anybody goes to a boat show and makes a buying decision on a whim. If there are any contracts signed at boat shows its more likely that the signings are set up by the dealers so that the manufacturers can have a willy waving contest afterwards about numbers of sales.

At SIBS 2011 I had just finished my first season on my first Sq78 and had no intention whatsoever of buying a boat. On final sunday of the show I was chewing the fat with Fairline/Essex and we got talking. An hour letter we had agreed terms for a marketing strategy for my current boat, a price for a new Squadron78, a price for most of the big spec items plus a methodology to price the as-yet unchosen customisation items, a hull number and a delivery date. I gave them £20k on my credit card there and then to seal the deal and we signed. Just saying...!

 

[stelican]

At SIBS 2011 I had just finished my first season on my first Sq78 and had no intention whatsoever of buying a boat. On final sunday of the show I was chewing the fat with Fairline/Essex and we got talking. An hour letter we had agreed terms for a marketing strategy for my current boat, a price for a new Squadron78, a price for most of the big spec items plus a methodology to price the as-yet unchosen customisation items, a hull number and a delivery date. I gave them £20k on my credit card there and then to seal the deal and we signed. Just saying...!

They must have made you an offer you could not refuse!

 

[david_bagshaw]

Without going into too much detail, no. As the simple breakdown of people who are boaters and/or already own a boat would mean that it would only be a tiny minority that are day trippers. Sorry I don't have the actual figures, but you'll just have to take it from me that there is a sizeable number of actual boaters who only do the one Show each year.

Very true in my case. Been to boat shows since 1970. Family owned boat since then. Did libs regularly in the 70s early eighties, while new to heavyier boating. a long gap until a few in the early 90s with a change of boat. went to the first excel show and a few since. One southampton one, late 90s never done both london & southampton, in the same year. Last year missed london, weather risk, but went to Hiswa amsterdam instead. (only as was out for winter inspection) In my view if you have a boat moored anywhere away from the solent, southampton probably wastes a potential time spent on the boat! Personally I would hate a return to the packed halls and no where to sit of earles court, but then the power of the tinted specs does distort for some.