Woodworking Show Information

[Alf]

Ooo, good point. Forgotten about the workstation. Heck, Andy, if you're not on me floorplan you're simply not on the list of things to see. :shock: (And on your right we have the dazed figure of Mr A King - steady ladies, one at a time. On the left a new bandsaw from... etc etc) :wink:

Ah, Westcountry Woodworking. I've just noticed them advertising locally in the last couple of weeks but the ads weren't too clear as to what sort of set-up it was. Mention of Wadkin and such threw me a bit.

Cheers, Alf

 

[Anonymous]

Heck, Andy, if you're not on me floorplan you're simply not on the list of things to see.

well it could be a ploy on Axminsters part, i mean, at six quid a ticket, stick my name on it and people would walk miles to get away from it... i know i would!

Andy

 

[Alf]

Well Axminster have got their floor plan on line now, so I can tell you you're on stand #712, in the Jet Annexe (sorry, Hall 2), Andy.

Cheers, Alf

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for that Alf, you obviously know far more than we do here at GW towers!
Now if you can just tell me which end of the stand I am on...

 

[Michel]

Hello All,

after a bit of messing about I've managed to re-arrange a few things and will be able to go to the Axminster show after all . Due to other things going on i will only be able to go on the Thursday, just hope one day will be enough :?

Cheers

Michel

 

[Adam]

Hello All,

after a bit of messing about I've managed to re-arrange a few things and will be able to go to the Axminster show after all . Due to other things going on i will only be able to go on the Thursday, just hope one day will be enough :?

Cheers

Michel

Well we'll see you there....

 

[devonwoody]

Well it will cost you another £6 if one day isnt enough?
Plus I assume there is a car parking charge?

 

[Noel]

DW, no, no car parking charges, GBP or €.........

Noel.

 

[Alf]

I think there's a modest charge for putting the moths in your wallet in a creche for the duration though... :wink:

 

[Noel]

Andy,

Well, the floorplan is showing Graham Norton on stand 742........

Noel

 

[scratchy]

Anyone remember Woodcut? IIRC their show entry was free wasn't it? And lots of people went and enjoyed it too. But it, and they, died the death. Why? 'Cos, as I understand it, some suppliers cut them out from the sales they made at the show by dealing directly with the customers instead of through Woodcut. D'oh. Not likely to encourage anyone else to take on paying for a big free show and hope the sales defray the costs is it?

I wouldn't know about suppliers nicking sales - but there is a big, free woodworking show at Kempton every year run by D&M Tools. I went last year and the range on show and standard of the stands was as good as, if not better than the big paying shows such as Ally Pally and Stoneleigh and there were plenty of demos and masterclasses (which Ally Pally use as an "added value" excuse for entry charges). The deals were good and there were far more brands on show than Axminster -especially on machinery.

I guess when magazines organise shows like Ally Pally and Stoneleigh, they aren't making money on the sales so maybe have to charge. But when retailers like Axminster are charging exhibitors, taking sales (much of it for own branded stuff) and charging entry as well it is taking the proverbial. Whilst there are good free shows with more choice, I for one will vote with my feet.

Cheers

Scratchy

 

[Anonymous]

Well, the floorplan is showing Graham Norton on stand 742

If that's the case Noel, I won't be happy unless Julian Clary is on the next one!

Andy

 

[Aragorn]

Anyone remember Woodcut? ... it, and they, died the death.

Quick literally I'm sorry to say. I was emailed by them at the time to say the Managing Director became critically ill and the company went into liquidation shortly afterwards.

EDIT: Quote was from Alf not Scratchy

 

[Alf]

Anyone remember Woodcut? ... it, and they, died the death.

Quick literally I'm sorry to say. I was emailed by them at the time to say the Managing Director became critically ill and the company went into liquidation shortly afterwards.

Ach, so he did. I remember now. An unfortunate turn of phrase I picked there - sorry.

Cheers, Alf

 

[devonwoody]

To Scratchy

Well done.

You are a better writer than me and got over the point I was trying to impart to everyone including Mr. A>><?.@r

 

[devonwoody]

I'd love to tell you I got some complementary tickets :lol:

 

[Terry Smart]

Oh boy, don't get me started on exhibitions!

If you think about it, the £6 admission fee is pretty good value for money when you can spend seven hours at a show; compare that to £5 to see a film which lasts three hours if you're lucky. And don't forget it is quite possible to pay your £6 entrance fee, watch the demonstrations, talk to the exhibitors, pick the brains of the people in the masterclasses, eat the sandwiches you brought with you and drink your own flask and not spend any other money during the day!
To gripe about the travelling costs is a little churlish unless you expect to be able to walk out of your door and into the exhibition hall!

The products we sell at shows are, in general, small and inexpensive; I'm sure that if I was selling high-cost machinery I'd be willing to offer to supply complimentary tickets to prospective customers on the proviso that if they didn't buy one of my machines they would pay my expenses for being there!
And if I did provide complimentary tickets to allow someone to examine my goods, would that entitle me to insist that they came straight to my stand and after looking at the machinery I could escort them from the show ensuring they could not come back in?

There are many good free shows, Yandles being one of them, but we attended another show last year which was free, very well organised and the exhibitors and visitors were very well looked after but there were no real demonstrations or club stands there, things that the entrance fee can help to pay for.

Someone expressed surprise at the cost of floor space for the shows; and don't forget that this price only buys the space! Electricity costs extra (try running machinery without it!) and the costs can be extortionate - how much power can you burn in three days? (Top marks to Axminster who keep this extra charge under control). As for putting in a telephone line... forget it! The point has been made about the costs visitors don't see... don't forget the extra days before and after the show loading vans, unloading vans and the time needed to put the stand together. It's not laziness that causes our stand to rarely be ready on the opening day - we just run out of time!

Finally, the best way to look at spending £6 to inspect a £1500 machine? It's less than half a percent of the cost of the machine... and if you decide it's not for you you've saved £1494!