Woodworking SHows

[treeturner123]

Hi All

Just had an email through from Yandles advertising their Spring Show. Oh, thought I, yes, it would be nice to go there again. However, it is just over 100 miles there, takes approx. 2 hours. So I though, what other shows are there in the Midlands. Well there's the Midlands Show, yes, but where is it? Newark ie the North EAST Midlands. Again over 100 miles from me and more than 2 hours drive.

I remember when there were shows at the NEC, the Stoneleigh Show Ground and/or the exhibition centre off the Fosse Way outside Leamington.

I know that economics are involved, but surely there are enough interested people to warrant on show nearer Birmingham at least? Why is the West Midlands such a no go area for such shows?

Phil

 

[nick winfield]

the Newark show is a good one getting bigger every year

 

[thetyreman]

same thing in the northwest of england, I've been trying to find out about the shows, there seems very little for some reason, unless someone can point me in the right direction.

 

[Steve Maskery]

It is all to do with economics.

Shows are not free for exhibitors. In fact they cost a great deal of money. A GREAT deal of money.
Prices for everything are squeezed. Retailers know that they can sell a commodity only if it is the cheapest price, and the cheapest price does not come with a showroom and a glitzy display, it comes only with a warehouse and brown cardboard boxes that no-one can look at.

I did a trade show, just once. I was invited to buy a table for three days for £1000. I had to decide if I wanted to drive a couple of of hours, buy B&B, pay for the table and then sell my DVDs at a "Show Special" reduced price. At, say, ten quid a pop, would it be worth it? I decided it probably wouldn't.

In the event I was booked as a demonstrator. Not actually paid, but I didn't pay for the table and I could sell my wares. In three days I took about £700 in gross sales. My B&B was paid for. It was knackering (and quite fun TBH, my colleagues were hilarious company at a time when I needed a good laugh), but it was just a reasonable self-employed rate. If I had paid the 1K asked for, and funded my own B&B, it would have been an economic disaster.

I was pleased that my analysis was accurate, though disappointed that it was, if you see what I mean.

Shows are great fun if they are good, especially when we are young and learning. But the door price does not accurately reflect the cost of the event, it really doesn't. I wish it did.

 

[Alexam]

Hi Phil,
there are shows held at R S Paskin & Co - STOURPORT ROAD Kidderminster DY11 7QP, usually twice a year. Not a big as Yandles by far but I bought my bandsaw andP/T from them at show times and got a discount on the REcord equipment. Nice people to deal with and much closer. I have enjoyed a couple of visits to Yandles and the timber selectioon is huge!
Malcolm

 

[Bodgers]

same thing in the northwest of england, I've been trying to find out about the shows, there seems very little for some reason, unless someone can point me in the right direction.

Closest to you is the North England Woodworking show in Harrogate. It is fairly sizeable for a UK show, you often get Lie Neilson from the US over. Paul Sellers was demonstrating last November. Plenty of turning based stuff, if that's your bag.

http://www.skpromotions.co.uk/

 

[Glynne]

I'd check on Paskins because they had gone into voluntary liquidation in the middle of last year.
They may well have survived but I'd check before you consider a trip.
The show on the Fosse Way was the Warwick Show - a really good "local" show but that changed from a primarily woodworking show to more of a craft show and that disappeared several years ago.
As Steve says it's about economics and even as a visitor to the shows, the "show special" prices are often not as good as on-line prices especially if you take into account you're travelling etc.
Harrogate is certainly worth a visit but I think the days of going to several shows a year is unfortunately long gone.

 

[Racers]

This one is worth going to IMHO

http://www.europeanwoodworkingshow.eu/

Pete

 

[Lons]

You should try living in the North East. The only show available is Harrogate a couple of hours away but at least that is worth the effort, everything else is just too far and I'm sure you would get a similar response from Scottish members.
Bobb

 

[gregmcateer]

I'd check on Paskins because they had gone into voluntary liquidation in the middle of last year.
They may well have survived but I'd check before you consider a trip.

Sadly, they are definitely a gonna. I pass it thrice a week and once I saw the for sale board I looked into it to be certain - the liquidator confirmed all assets have been sold.

Sad

 

[CHJ]

I doubt any Trader makes a profit from show presence these days, having to absorbe the break even or loss as part of the Advertising budget, if they don't have a presence then they loose public exposure.

Re- Paskins at Stourport/Kidderminster:-

I believe the Wood turning interest folks from Paskins now have a presence at Wigley DIY whether there will ever be a similar 'show' to Paskins or even what their setup is I've no idea as I haven't got round to visiting one of my old haunts yet.

 

[bugbear]

I work in an industry where lavish trade shows used to be normal.

At my current company, we did "some" in our early days, but there came a where point where we carefully fully costed a show (including the stand, the additional attendance charges, printing up all the brochures, prepping the stand, accomodation for the staff, lost work-hours).

It came to a startlingly high number. So high, in fact, that picking a number (30 ish) of likely customers,
taking them on an all-expenses-paid golf day at a posh course, with meal in a hotel and a fully free bar was MUCH, MUCH easier and cheaper.

So that's what we did.

BugBear

 

[Lons]

I work in an industry where lavish trade shows used to be normal.

At my current company, we did "some" in our early days, but there came a where point where we carefully fully costed a show (including the stand, the additional attendance charges, printing up all the brochures, prepping the stand, accomodation for the staff, lost work-hours).

It came to a startlingly high number. So high, in fact, that picking a number (30 ish) of likely customers,
taking them on an all-expenses-paid golf day at a posh course, with meal in a hotel and a fully free bar was MUCH, MUCH easier and cheaper.

So that's what we did.

BugBear

We used to do that many years ago but there is an additional factor in those calculations or at least was in our case and that was the number of new customers we gained during the show and those we gained later due to exposure at the show. While we knew the first figure the second was a projection but it wasn't necessarily just down to revenue taken at the time but rather growing the business.

I've bought from several companies I encountered at Harrogate which I most likely wouldn't have done had I not seen their setup at the show.

Now whether that's cost effective is still the big question but as you said it was part of our marketing budget.

BTW, we did the golf days as well with some of our most important customers.
Bob

 

[treeturner123]

Hi All

Thanks for the responses. Yes, I'd love to go to the European Show, but can't justify nearly 3 hours each way especially as the shortest route is via Oxford, a well known hell hole to get round anywhere near rush hour! Ditto going up to Harrogate for the day, a really long round trip.

The problem is that, perhaps unusually, I like to see AND FEEL what I am buying. We all know that description are all very well, but it is much better to try a piece of equipment out and see how it is put together (rather than trying to interpret translated instructions!). Ditto wood, polishes etc not to mention seeing equipment being used in anger!

As I said, surely there is enough demand in the central midlands to justify an show there?

Phil

 

[pcb1962]

As I said, surely there is enough demand in the central midlands to justify an show there?

It's not a question of whether there's enough demand for a show from punters, it's whether there's enough appetite for a show from exhibitors.

 

[pollys13]

Perhaps hook up with others, do a car share, take turns driving,