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Can somebody possibly help me?


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2 hours ago, Furness Wagon said:

I have 3 hats punter, trader and exhibitor. 

I'm missing going to shows with the layouts and walking round and looking.

But from a trading point of view I'm making more money not going to shows. Sales are down but that has been offset by the lack of expenditure of going to the shows. I'm asking myself is it worth the expense of going. And I don't have to hold as much stock as I'm manufacturing to order.

Marc

This is always going to be a tricky one.  As everyone knows, businesses can flourish very well online and taking a trade stand to a show is expensive - cost of space, transport, maybe accommodation and paying additional staff. Even if done in the most economical way you have to sell a lot of small(ish) value items to get your costs back. On the other hand, how many of the orders received in the last nine months or so were made by people who first saw your products at a show? I am much more likely to buy online from a trade exhibitor I have seen than I am from an unknown trader with a  web only site where the only thing you have to go on is a photo. It could be argued that a good presence on  social media together with advertising there might be just as effective as having a stand at an exhibition, and certainly a lot less tiring. Who knows?

 

I could very easily be wrong but I would expect trade to be very good when exhibitions do eventually restart. I've got used to buying online and love it when a parcel arrives but you just can't beat seeing things in the flesh.

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Hi Guys.....

I do sincerely believe that indeed yes, exhibitions and trade shows will recommence when able as there will be a measure of 'pent up' emotion, enthusiasm and the need for basic human social contact, once confidence is restored with the slow, step by step resumption of mixing becomes the normal once more......Human nature has always been to mix and be social, that will be the controlling factor in shows being resumed,

 

I for one cannot wait for the time when we have to queue to get into the NEC and a bacon butty and be able to grumble about guys with rucksacks that bash you in the face because you are small in stature, those were the days eh, who'd have thought you would gladly have these minor irritations back any day soon.

 

Until that day, stay safe, only a successfully rolled out vaccine program together hand in hand with the whole population sticking to the guidance rules will bring that day more quickly for all of us and a way out of this horrendous situation.

 

Regards always,

Bob

Edited by BobM
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1 hour ago, Chris M said:

This is always going to be a tricky one.  As everyone knows, businesses can flourish very well online and taking a trade stand to a show is expensive - cost of space, transport, maybe accommodation and paying additional staff. Even if done in the most economical way you have to sell a lot of small(ish) value items to get your costs back. On the other hand, how many of the orders received in the last nine months or so were made by people who first saw your products at a show? I am much more likely to buy online from a trade exhibitor I have seen than I am from an unknown trader with a  web only site where the only thing you have to go on is a photo. It could be argued that a good presence on  social media together with advertising there might be just as effective as having a stand at an exhibition, and certainly a lot less tiring. Who knows?

 

I could very easily be wrong but I would expect trade to be very good when exhibitions do eventually restart. I've got used to buying online and love it when a parcel arrives but you just can't beat seeing things in the flesh.

I'm in a slightly different position than Marc/Furness Wagon, in that I'm a brand new manufacturer (I started my business in April last year, after the start of the first lockdown).

 

This means that I am that "unknown trader with a  web only site where the only thing you have to go on is a photo" - and I can't wait to get to some physical shows so people can get 'hands on' with my stuff...

 

Jonathan

JSModels

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Dipping my toe into shark infested waters here...

 

One thing that on line shopping, wonderful though it is in many ways, cannot fully give you, is that 'spur of the moment' purchase when your eye catches something that you realise that you cannot possibly live without, whilst browsing at shows - until you get home and face the grilling by the Domestic Authorities - but that's a different story...

 

Mark

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9 hours ago, John M Upton said:

I am trying to stay positive,  I still have Ally Pally weekend booked off in March...

 

Deep down, yes I know....

So am I John .. I really am,  but I can't see any exhibitions happening in 2021. 

My jab isn't due till July at the very earliest - in reality it'll be later. 

And who's going to attend a model railway show? .. certainly not in any numbers to make it worthwhile I'd suggest. .and how would you police them? I wouldn't even entertain the notion unless things change very dramatically. 

Sorry for the downbeat post but sometimes optimism & positivity isn't enough...sadly.

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On 06/01/2021 at 01:10, MarkC said:

Dipping my toe into shark infested waters here...

 

One thing that on line shopping, wonderful though it is in many ways, cannot fully give you, is that 'spur of the moment' purchase when your eye catches something that you realise that you cannot possibly live without, whilst browsing at shows - until you get home and face the grilling by the Domestic Authorities - but that's a different story...

 

Mark

I have made a number of spur of the moment online purchases during these difficult times. The most spectacular was going online to buy a bag of ballast during the first lockdown and ending up buying a loco as well! As I saw it paying postage on a bag of ballast was a bit of a waste when the postage on the ballast and loco would still be the same. So by buying the loco I saved money - well that was my twisted logic.

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On 06/01/2021 at 01:10, MarkC said:

Dipping my toe into shark infested waters here...

 

One thing that on line shopping, wonderful though it is in many ways, cannot fully give you, is that 'spur of the moment' purchase when your eye catches something that you realise that you cannot possibly live without, whilst browsing at shows - until you get home and face the grilling by the Domestic Authorities - but that's a different story...

 

Mark


 

Ahhhh but you can buy whilst drunk :drinks:which I suspect is in the traders favour....

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1 hour ago, Jonboy said:

Ahhhh but you can buy whilst drunk :drinks:which I suspect is in the traders favour....

 

I suspect that some show visitors have probably done this often enough in the past.

 

Let's face it - it wasn't exactly unknown for RMweb (quite possibly other sites as well) to have meet-ups in bars at exhibition venues.

 

 

Huw.

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  • 1 month later...

Being a Modeller, Exhibition Manager, a Trader, and a Visitor the lack of Exhibitions has been difficult the last 12 months.  But I think that the Modelling World will be very different for sometime to come.

 

As a Modeller and Visitor I miss the social side and the browsing, but I have still been able to obtain models etc. I have found so much is nw available online, so not the same need for hard copy. I have still been able to engage with other modellers online, we even held our Club AGM via ZOOM.

 

As a Exhibition Manager I have to await the Government Trials and see what any Restrictions are put into place - before seeking a Venue let alone Stands plus advertising. We normally works a couple of years in advance, but can we just move what we planned for 2020 in 2022?. But how many will attend? But for Clubs one major income stream is Catering, which will may well cause logistic headaches.

 

As a Trader I will have to closely look at a number of factors, before I decide whether or not to accept invitations.  If I do not attend yes there will be a reduction in income, but put that against the costs and keeping safe - so I think some exhibitions may well be declined.

 

IMHO we will see swapmeets and Boot Sales restart first.  As you can more easily organise social distancing, one way systems, and limit access plus with the latter they are outside.

 

Keep Safe.

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