Basic customer service at exhibitions

[stewartingram]

I'm wondering just how much longer we have to wait for this thread to end!

 

Stewart

[BoD]

I'm wondering just how much longer we have to wait for this thread to end!

 

Stewart

Join the queue.

[mezzoman253]

If, and that's a big if, as seems to happen on most forums, people actual read what was written and not what they thought was written, this thread would have died after 5 or 6 posts.

 

But hey ho, never let the facts spoil a good argument.

 

Rob

[Hobby]

They did read it as it was written (and the thread title)... That was the problem...

[hayfield]

I don't get the whole 'must get a bargin' thing. Show prices tend to be not much different from online prices.

 

In fact the last time I got something that I thought was a bargin I bought it at the end of the day.

 

The first thing I do at any show is look round the layouts.

 

One way of controlling the stampede caused by a few wanting to be the first to the secondhand stand is to do what some societies do with the members sales stands, that is to open said stands an hour after the show starts and publicise the fact. There will still be a slight stampede for the stand when it opens, but the secondhand bargain hunters will be in their own queue removed from those just wanting to go to see the layouts.

 

Another way perhaps is to keep some items in reserve and drip feed the stand with stock over time, but this will only benefit some of the late comers.

 

I have friends who run a jumble sale each month for their local church, they have found that allowing the trade first pickings the night before, but selling items at much higher prices works well and benefits the causes for which the money is being raised for, 

 

I think in the end whatever you try it will not affect the initial queuing at shows

[dasatcopthorne]

Some of the posts in this thread have truly provided me with a good laugh and some wonderment at peoples misconceptions.

 

This will be Post #156.

 

Incredible.!!!!  Haha.

 

Dave.

 

ps. Sorry Selkent what's this about exactly?  "I myself run 3 shows for our group each year and we insure like many with magnets for our exhibition insurance". Who on earth takes magnets to shows? Eats shoots and leaves.

Edited November 16, 2018 by dasatcopthorne

[bbishop]

Who on earth takes magnets to shows? Eats shoots and leaves.

 

 

 

How else does one uncouple the idiots from this thread?

 

Bill

[Pacific231G]

They did read it as it was written (and the thread title)... That was the problem...

So that was four posts discussing why this discussion should stop (Is that meta discussion?) That was followed by John's interesting observation about delaying the opening of the 2nd hand stall. I've seen that happen at a few shows but I don't think it was deliberate. 

 I think I can perhaps help all those who don't like others to continue discussions they've lost interest in. If you go to the top of the page you should find a button marked "Ignore this topic" in big friendly letters. Sorted! 

Edited November 16, 2018 by Pacific231G

[Hobby]

I'm fully aware of the button, I was purely replying to Rob's comment...  (Perhaps this is yet another sub-discussion!    )

[Pacific231G]

I'm fully aware of the button, I was purely replying to Rob's comment...  (Perhaps this is yet another sub-discussion!    )

Drat! I should have put two jesters on the end of that sentence . Yours was simply the last message in that group. I was replying to all four but for a light hearted riposte couldn't be bothered to go into BBCode mode and put all four of them together. 

[mezzoman253]

So Is that was four posts discussing why this discussion should stop (Is that meta discussion?) That was followed by John's interesting observation about delaying the opening of the 2nd hand stall. I've seen that happen at a few shows but I don't think it was deliberate. 

 I think I can perhaps help all those who don't like others to continue discussions they've lost interest in. If you go to the top of the page you should find a button marked "Ignore this topic" in big friendly letters. Sorted! 

Hi,

 

Been ignoring that button  , as there's been some background info' on exhibitions not normally talked about.

 

I tend to get to exhibitions for the opening, not because I want the " bargains" but I've got the rest of the day free for other things, assuming a local show, and it's less crowded then, by 11AM it's usually cramped. It does help if tickets are sold to the front of the queue prior to opening, especially during inclement weather. Well done Shenfield.   

 

There are 2 camps here, those that agree with the OP and those that don't, and neither camp will be persuaded otherwise. But I do think some of the comments were not addressed to the OP's posts, the gist of which was selling tickets to the queue prior to opening time, and I don't think he was meaning prior purchased tickets to major events. But only he knows.

 

I'm now going to try and ignore this thread, and do some modelling.

 

Rob

[Ravenser]

The OP suggest that tickets are sold before the doors open, not to be allowed in earlier. OK what does that save, a few minutes to get to the secondhand stand but he has also suggested all the good bargains have been sold to the exhibitors while he was waiting outside. So what is the point of selling tickets early. 

 If you start selling the tickets at 10:00 , at 10:02 , 12 people are in the venue and 100 are standing outside in the cold, some of them for another 10-15mins

 

If you start selling the tickets at 09:45 and admit to the hall at 10:00 , at 10:02 50 people are in the hall , 50 in the cold and the waiting time is about 5 mins 

 

This does require a "holding area" inside the building to keep them until opening time

 

Theatres have foyers and bars and admit to the auditorium about 10-15 minutes before the curtain goes up.

 

But there's no curtain to go up at an exhibition, and at many venues nowhere for the punters to wait outside the hall but inside past the ticket desk

 

The old CMRA show at the Alban Arena was a good example of the problem . The queue could be 15 mins and several hundred people long, outside in mid Jan in the cold. But nothing could be done because - although there was a full professional box office - the foyer was small and part of the show space , so there was only physically room for about a dozen people to wait beyond the box office. You turned up at 09:50, waited 20 mins in the long queue, in the cold,  to buy a ticket - then went straight from the box office into the show 

 

At least the new venue at Stevenage has holding areas inside the building , and the ticket desk is well inside , so only part of the queue gets cold

 

Warley has ticket offices in very extensive foyers and advance ticketing, at Ally Pally the queue backs out of the Palm Court because of bag searches - these are favourable conditions in professional venues and   there are still issues

Edited November 16, 2018 by Ravenser

[Pacific231G]

 If you start selling the tickets at 10:00 , at 10:02 , 12 people are in the venue and 100 are standing outside in the cold, some of them for another 10-15mins

 

If you start selling the tickets at 09:45 and admit to the hall at 10:00 , at 10:02 50 people are in the hall , 50 in the cold and the waiting time is about 5 mins 

 

This does require a "holding area" inside the building to keep them until opening time

 

Theatres have foyers and bars and admit to the auditorium about 10-15 minutes before the curtain goes up.

 

But there's no curtain to go up at an exhibition, and at many venues nowhere for the punters to wait outside the hall but inside past the ticket desk

 

The old CMRA show at the Alban Arena was a good example of the problem . The queue could be 15 mins and several hundred people long, outside in mid Jan in the cold. But nothing could be done because - although there was a full professional box office - the foyer was small and part of the show space , so there was only physically room for about a dozen people to wait beyond the box office. You turned up at 09:50, waited 20 mins in the long queue, in the cold,  to buy a ticket - then went straight from the box office into the show 

 

At least the new venue at Stevenage has holding areas inside the building , and the ticket desk is well inside , so only part of the queue gets cold

 

Warley has ticket offices in very extensive foyers and advance ticketing, at Ally Pally the queue backs out of the Palm Court because of bag searches - these are favourable conditions in professional venues and   there are still issues

If I'm not exhibting I just have an extra half hour in bed and the problem usually goes away.- at least for me it does ! I agree about the old CMRA venue in St. Albans and it wasn't made any better, even when arriving late morning, when the box office was also selling tickets to the local pantomime. I think they got round that in later years but one year I was second in the queue and it still took 10-15 minutes to get in after the person in front of me went through a long discussion about which seats she wanted to choose for her family followed by a five minute search for her credit card. (Her relatives often form a queue in front of me at Tesco or worse at Victoria Station fifteen minutes before I miss a train) .

Edited November 16, 2018 by Pacific231G

[Colin_McLeod]

Early entry; it can be done.

 

From another thread:

 

THE Christmas Model Railway Show – Manchester 2018!

 

Saturday 1^st December, 10:00 – 17:30

Sunday 2^nd December, 10:00 – 16:30

 

Doors open for advance ticket holders at 09:45 (or a bit earlier if it’s safe!)......

 

 

 

 

.

Edited November 16, 2018 by Colin_McLeod

[Geoff Endacott]

You do wonder how they cope with day to day life

 

They don't.

 

Geoff Endacott

[Geoff Endacott]

However, I think I've solved it.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/139518-calne-model-rail-show-19-20-january-2019/ 

 

Geoff Endacott

[Ross34]

I attend exhibitions most weekends, sometimes two in a day

Really...is that possible? Your fuel bill must be huge!

 

If I go to an exhibition in winter to avoid being cold

..I err, take a coat.

 

Having said that, maybe cloakroom facilities at exhibitions is an idea?. Unless they do I've not noticed?

[cromptonnut]

Conversely, do you need to be at exhibition the moment it opens?

 

For shows where the famous "Bachmann stand scrum" happens, then getting there at the start is likely to get you the best pick of the bargains.  At smaller shows, the second hand stalls might get you a bargain.  That's usually why people turn up at the start.

 

Personally I prefer lunchtime as many shows are quieter around that time, and as so many shows are badly laid out with insufficient walkways, this is quite important to me.  I know things have to be crammed in so as to make the show pay for itself, however there's been a few occasions where gangways have been so tight they'd have been shut down if there had been a fire inspection.

[doilum]

I wrote origional post and was not asking to be let in way early, just a  few minutes before opening time if long queues or come down line and sell tickets so at least the first 20 through the door on opening.   I myself run 3 shows for our group each year and we insure like many with magnets for our exhibition insurance.    Had a look at policy and no where does it state the opening or closing time, only setting up from which you enter a date and breaking down time again entering a date.  Checked with the venue also and they just have it as a booking from 7.30am to 5pm on the day and a few hours the night before.  The venue we use has 36 hire venues around the UK, so I think they know what they are doing.   

 

Also out of interest I checked the insurance for the theatre I own and again, nothing about opening times and public access, in fact as a theatre we advertise the actual show start time, not the time audience allowed into the venue, so not sure if maybe some exhibition managers being a little over zelous and over reading into insurance cover rules.

 

On our Bexleytheath show we pre sale about 80 / 100 tickets before the event and have a general public opening time of 10am and a pre ticket holder entry of 9.45am and those waiting till 10am we go along line and sell tickets.   We don't have everyone turning up then, but still a good 20 or so pre ticket holders.  If places like the Warley venue have rules about no public access until the allocated time, that is a odd stipulation on their insurance as if considered a construction site, all persons will need to be in hi vis, wear steel toe boots and sign in on arrival and defo no pre trading before opening time to other exhibitors.  It would also mean that every van on arrival on the site, which brings most of the layouts and traders must have a back man positioned when reversing into or out of a space, which is a requirement for every commercial based van on any construction site.  Only time we have to stipulate an opening time is at our Sevenoaks Model Railway show and that is because we sell booze and it is a licencing requirement. 

 

I can't see also the security risk of having cash stolen going down a line, as one person stated, don't think many toerags would be up that early or be anywhere  near a model rail show and just as much chance of someone just nicking the cash box at the entry and doing a runner.

 

Totally agree that at busy times like opening times, resources should be put on the door to get people in quickly.

 

Not every show is going to have a queue, I understand that, but those that know they get queues at the start, should really make entry as easy and as quick as possible. From posts I see some already do, while others stick to the minute before anyone sets through the door.   If a layout isnt ready at 10am, it wont be ready at 2 mins past or 2 mins to the hour.  2 mins early should get about 10 at least in and a shorter queue.

 

Sadly there is a small but specialist breed of "toe rag" who target our shows and take advantage of any periods of reduced vigilance. The 5 minutes before a show can be the the most vulnerable as sole traders grab a last chance to empty bladders and refill mugs.

The queue is the difference between a professional show that has been over a year in the making and an ad hoc open day at the club rooms.

[jonhall]

 

At least the new venue at Stevenage has holding areas inside the building , and the ticket desk is well inside , so only part of the queue gets cold

 

 

But last year I had to point out to the CMRA team that the box office was letting people in (very early) and they hadn't got anyone on the doors to stop them - I was still trying to use the corridor these visitors were wandering around in, to bring my stand in from the car!

 

Jon

[Reorte]

Never been to a show for opening time. Don't feel I've missed anything by not doing so.