holby
New Member
Alan, Attendance figure according to boating mag is a little over 130,000, how does this compare with other years????
Which London boat show would you prefer to visit?
- Thread starter Rob_Melotti
- Start date
dulcibella
Well-Known Member
Agree with most of this. Also I work round the corner from Earl's Ct, so it's no competition.
billmacfarlane
Well-Known Member
I always visit SBS each year. I was an occasional Earl's Court visitor and always enjoyed it but I don't think you can turn the clock back and unless they can get all the usual exhibitors and scrap Excel, then I don't think it will work. As for Excel, I went twice. After the first visit I gave it the benefit of the doubt and went the next year, but no my first instinct was right. I hate the place and never will return. Maybe it's time to abandon the winter boat show.
LeonF
Well-Known Member
When is Barcelona and what makes it so special?? With Ryanair cheapies maybe we should all investigate, but their exorbitant excess baggage charges could make extended shopping a problem.
As someone else once posted, Earls Court and Southampton are/were boat shows, Excel is a boat exhibition.
Perhaps the show has changed because the face of sailing has changed??..I agree with Lemain..Excel is all gloss and glamour..where is the mystery, the dreaming, the passion?? Not at Excel.
As someone else once posted, Earls Court and Southampton are/were boat shows, Excel is a boat exhibition.
Perhaps the show has changed because the face of sailing has changed??..I agree with Lemain..Excel is all gloss and glamour..where is the mystery, the dreaming, the passion?? Not at Excel.
B
bob_tyler
Guest
I have been going to Earls Court continuously since 1967 both as an exhibitor (see my profile) and a visitor and then to Excel. As far as Excel is concerned I went to the first two but never again. Sterile and boring. I will go to the Earls Court Show at the end of the year if it has a good range of marine exhibitors and not too many "spas" and Ideal Homes style exhibitors as fillers.
Hope the pool will be in use but no need for elaborate construction round it obstructing the view.
Hope the pool will be in use but no need for elaborate construction round it obstructing the view.
Drascomber
Well-Known Member
Excel should re-name itself "Yacht show - by invitation only". Then it would work for the people it was aimed at.
It has been getting less and less like a Boat show.
Too few small low cost funky stands, no trailers, few small craft and limited access to too many of the big boats. Without a good mix of affordable and dream boats it is just
boring . . . . .
It has been getting less and less like a Boat show.
Too few small low cost funky stands, no trailers, few small craft and limited access to too many of the big boats. Without a good mix of affordable and dream boats it is just
boring . . . . .
oldgit
Well-Known Member
Its all about economics.Why would some trailor maker or small boat producer fork out a fortune to exibit at Excel in order to get a couple of possible orders which will give him a few hundred quid at most and he also cannot afford to be away from his 2 man band business anyway.The show is not a covered version of a boat jumble.The people exibiting there are trying to sell boats,not to give people who have not got a chance in hell of buying a new Sunseeker the cheap thrill of tramping dirt all over the white carpet.
If its going to upset people,cos there not allowed on a £ 1.000,000 boat why go in the first place.
Trying going into your local Ferrari showroom,but do not be suprised if they tell you to clear off unless you have shown an interest in actually buying one.
Wonder how the so and so guarding the entrance to the palace knows we are not mega rich city types who are dying to spend our bonus but have dressed down to fool the salesman ................... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
If its going to upset people,cos there not allowed on a £ 1.000,000 boat why go in the first place.
Trying going into your local Ferrari showroom,but do not be suprised if they tell you to clear off unless you have shown an interest in actually buying one.
Wonder how the so and so guarding the entrance to the palace knows we are not mega rich city types who are dying to spend our bonus but have dressed down to fool the salesman ................... /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
A
Anonymous
Guest
I'm not interested in the Sunseekers and so on but at the last but one Excel I had no trouble getting onto some very expensive yachts and I don't dress to look the part - in the slightest.
I think that others have hit the nail on the head; there are no longer the interesting little stands with bits and pieces. It is all plastic and sterile. People are voting with their feet so in due course no doubt someone will address this lucrative and established market that has not been satisfied for the last few years.
Also, don't forget that boaty people migrate up from pram dinghies to luxury yachts so it isn't good business to alienate people at the bottom of the market apart from being un-civil and unacceptable.
I think that others have hit the nail on the head; there are no longer the interesting little stands with bits and pieces. It is all plastic and sterile. People are voting with their feet so in due course no doubt someone will address this lucrative and established market that has not been satisfied for the last few years.
Also, don't forget that boaty people migrate up from pram dinghies to luxury yachts so it isn't good business to alienate people at the bottom of the market apart from being un-civil and unacceptable.
Emjaytoo
Well-Known Member
After the anti climax of Christmas what better to raise the spirits in anticipation of the forthcoming season, than a boat show?
January - Christmas is over and you start planning that Greek/Croatian Bare Boat Holiday for the summer, where to go to meet all the operators? The Boat Show?
Mind you it needs to be some where you can easily drive to and park when you get there.
Each year we go to Excel LIBS, we meet old friends (exhibitors we have got to know over the years) and have a great time. We always go on a week day, that way it is quiet and not full of non-boaty peeps out for a different sort of day out.
Go to Earls Court in November? What on earth for?
Excel in January - every time!
January - Christmas is over and you start planning that Greek/Croatian Bare Boat Holiday for the summer, where to go to meet all the operators? The Boat Show?
Mind you it needs to be some where you can easily drive to and park when you get there.
Each year we go to Excel LIBS, we meet old friends (exhibitors we have got to know over the years) and have a great time. We always go on a week day, that way it is quiet and not full of non-boaty peeps out for a different sort of day out.
Go to Earls Court in November? What on earth for?
Excel in January - every time!
holby
New Member
Hi Oldgit
You dont get charged to go into a ferrari show room, but you do get charged to go to the boat show, so visitors should be allowed a bit more access to the boats, if the exhibitors do not want people as you say tramping all over them, the easy answer is not to bring them. If the paying visitors dont have access then the show is not doing its job, like wise if this restricts the boats on display, then nobody wins, There has got to be a happy medium. BUT your analogy is a bit screwy and not correct, hmmm car show room walk in visitor, boat show paying visitor, hmm were is the parallelism, I dont think so.
You dont get charged to go into a ferrari show room, but you do get charged to go to the boat show, so visitors should be allowed a bit more access to the boats, if the exhibitors do not want people as you say tramping all over them, the easy answer is not to bring them. If the paying visitors dont have access then the show is not doing its job, like wise if this restricts the boats on display, then nobody wins, There has got to be a happy medium. BUT your analogy is a bit screwy and not correct, hmmm car show room walk in visitor, boat show paying visitor, hmm were is the parallelism, I dont think so.
castaway
Well-Known Member
Excell too much or a pain to get to..been twice but will not go again. I also enjoy the SIBs most, but the Jan London venue is a nice break in the winter.
I just hate the attidtude of some of the stand holders..boat ownership is all about dreaming of what the future may bring, but many of the sales types may as well be selling washing machines or time shares.
Nick
I just hate the attidtude of some of the stand holders..boat ownership is all about dreaming of what the future may bring, but many of the sales types may as well be selling washing machines or time shares.
Nick
smth448
Well-Known Member
I have been to all three and Southampton is the best by far. Earls Court was absolutley dreadful. Dark dingy cramped and smelly. Had to park in Outer Mongolia and pay a fortune for the privilege. Excel was much better. Shame there was no headroom for masts though. The place is just soulless as its new and miles from anywhere.
Go to SIBS and pray it doesn't rain.
Go to SIBS and pray it doesn't rain.
bilbobaggins
N/A
[ QUOTE ]
many of the sales types may as well be selling washing machines or time shares.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yougotit! What d'you think they do for a day job?
As for which one.... the nearest! I've been to ExCel twice; although both occasions benefited from a free ticket, the tasking journey and the limited pleasure of the event itself mean to me that I shan't be going there again.
I note with interest, in the YBW News section, someone in the hierarchy explaining how important the big exhibitors are to the decision-making process. At the risk of tedium, he's got it wholly and irredeemably wrong - as every schoolboy knows, it's the paying customer wot counts!
Avoid or evade giving 'em what they want, and you get declining footfall. And declining business. It's not us who've got it wrong...
QED.
/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
ps Dhtml experts - how do I re-code this 'smiley' as a pint of Guinness?
pps Uh-oh! The witching hour - 2330'ish!!
many of the sales types may as well be selling washing machines or time shares.
[/ QUOTE ]
Yougotit! What d'you think they do for a day job?
As for which one.... the nearest! I've been to ExCel twice; although both occasions benefited from a free ticket, the tasking journey and the limited pleasure of the event itself mean to me that I shan't be going there again.
I note with interest, in the YBW News section, someone in the hierarchy explaining how important the big exhibitors are to the decision-making process. At the risk of tedium, he's got it wholly and irredeemably wrong - as every schoolboy knows, it's the paying customer wot counts!
Avoid or evade giving 'em what they want, and you get declining footfall. And declining business. It's not us who've got it wrong...
QED.
/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
ps Dhtml experts - how do I re-code this 'smiley' as a pint of Guinness?
pps Uh-oh! The witching hour - 2330'ish!!
diva636
New Member
Holby,
Excel started off with around 210,000 visitors.. a fantastic figure given that Earls Court managed 145,000 in it's final year... although I suspect that Excel can now only dream of achieving 145,000... maybe in 2012 after the Olympics... only 5 years to go then.
Excel started off with around 210,000 visitors.. a fantastic figure given that Earls Court managed 145,000 in it's final year... although I suspect that Excel can now only dream of achieving 145,000... maybe in 2012 after the Olympics... only 5 years to go then.