How often is a exhibition layout not 'ready to go' at 'doors open' at exhibitions?

[RedgateModels]

4 hours ago, Pete the Elaner said:

 

I have been to shows where the last hour is ridiculous. These are usually ones which stay open later.
The CMRA one at St Albans stayed open until 6pm in January. I was there a few times as an exhibitor & it was often totally dead from 5pm, with nobody other than exhibitors wandering around waiting for the show to close.
I also exhibited at the Bristol (Thornbury) show once & that stayed open until 6.30pm. Like St Albans, after 5, it was only exhibitors walking around.

Some organisers need to realise that most exhibitors are volunteers & exhibiting can be tiresome but socialising is an important part of the weekend. Staying open late when they are not getting any more visitors can put people off from exhibiting (I have refused for this reason before now).

It works differently for different shows though. I have exhibited at Warley, GETS & Modelrail Scotland, all of which do stay busy until 6.00, but most do not.

 

We used to finish at 4pm on Sunday at the Mansfield Show and as you say, the last hour was basically just exhibitors and traders walking round. We have now changed to 3pm which works well for all concerned. We remain open until 5pm on the Saturday mind.

[TEAMYAKIMA]

Returning to the setting up, there is a bigger issue for bigger layouts. By that I mean a 'big' layout like mine cannot be set up in 90 minutes on a Saturday morning, we like to be setting up from any time after 12pm (Warley) and many/most medium size shows are in schools and that often means that we can't get the boards into the hall before 5pm. Setting up takes several hours because we now have to have a lighting canopy and display boards etc etc and it all takes time. Another problem is accommodation - how far away from the hall is the hotel? And what time can we get breakfast on the Saturday?

 

Usually, on a Saturday breakfast in a hotel is 8am and if the hotel is 30 minutes door-to-door from the venue (for cheapness) then you're not going to get much time on the Saturday before doors open especially if there is early-entry for pre-paid tickets.

 

Luckily, most shows don't have the 'perfect storm' of all those issues, but I/we do take all those issues into account - we want to be in the pub by 8pm on the Friday at the very latest!!!!

[Happy Hippo]

1 hour ago, PaulRhB said:

 

 

No they’ve committed to be there for the day and are part of the attraction people pay to come in for. 
 

If you’re going to let anyone go early then  shouldn’t you offer discounted admission after the first starts to pack up? 

 

 

You could argue the same point if a layout cannot turn up, not as many to see so reduced admission?

[Happy Hippo]

I've only ever been late for an exhibition once:  The organiser had completely forgotten to ask me to go.

 

I received the email about parking arrangements for exhibitors on the Friday morning.

 

Unfortunately I was already committed to doing something else that weekend.

Edited October 3, 2023 by Happy Hippo

[PaulRhB]

Just now, Happy Hippo said:

You could argue the same point if a layout cannot turn up, not as many to see so reduced admission?

That’s unavoidable change, or if some is taken ill during the show, packing up early because you’re bored is different as it is avoidable. If it were to become acceptable to finish when you like then you could lose half the show for the last couple of hours on sunday. 
The best solution is to do what a couple of shows I’ve been to recently do and just put a proviso in the show packs sent out with invites and again before the show laying out the responsibility you’ve agreed to in being an exhibitor. Polite, fair and reasonable. 
 

[Happy Hippo]

1 minute ago, PaulRhB said:

That’s unavoidable change, or if some is taken ill during the show, packing up early because you’re bored is different as it is avoidable. If it were to become acceptable to finish when you like then you could lose half the show for the last couple of hours on sunday. 
The best solution is to do what a couple of shows I’ve been to recently do and just put a proviso in the show packs sent out with invites and again before the show laying out the responsibility you’ve agreed to in being an exhibitor. Polite, fair and reasonable. 
 

Excellent.

 

Can't fault that in the small print.  Perhaps it ought to be made mandatory for all exhibitions.

[PaulRhB]

4 minutes ago, Happy Hippo said:

Perhaps it ought to be made mandatory for all exhibitions.

Dunno about mandatory as it’s not enforceable to any real extent but it’s a nice polite contract that clearly states why it’s being asked too. 

[009 micro modeller]

1 hour ago, PaulRhB said:

No because some punters have paid to come in for the last hour as it’s all they can manage

Which is fine. The problems occur when people don’t leave on time when the show closes to the public. A ‘last entry time’ would mean that most people would have naturally left before you get to the point of making ‘the exhibition is now closed’ types of announcements.

[PaulRhB]

14 minutes ago, 009 micro modeller said:

Which is fine. The problems occur when people don’t leave on time when the show closes to the public. A ‘last entry time’ would mean that most people would have naturally left before you get to the point of making ‘the exhibition is now closed’ types of announcements.

The show is open until the end, then like many shows do politely ask people to leave the hall using a tannoy or stewards. I’ve often popped to local shows after finishing work at 2 or 3pm and it’s been nice to be entertained for that hour or two you’ve just forked out £6-10 for 😉
 

I had one of the two largest layouts at Statfold two weeks ago we still had two trains running on scene at closing time and we were the last layout out and got home to unload at 9:10. That’s what you accept exhibiting, it’s not all glamorous showing off the layout 😂

[Andy Hayter]

The talk of catering brings me to warn of what happens in France - or at least at the few exhibitions I have visited.  (Exhibitions are infrequent and even many big shows are only held once every 2 or 3 years.) 

 

Around lunchtime it seems to be common for everything to stop.  The exhibition is still open but all - or at least most - of the exhibitors go off together for lunch.  

[Gilbert]

2 minutes ago, Andy Hayter said:

Around lunchtime it seems to be common for everything to stop.  The exhibition is still open but all - or at least most - of the exhibitors go off together for lunch.  

magnifique...where's my invite...

[F-UnitMad]

1 hour ago, Andy Hayter said:

The talk of catering brings me to warn of what happens in France - or at least at the few exhibitions I have visited.  (Exhibitions are infrequent and even many big shows are only held once every 2 or 3 years.) 

 

Around lunchtime it seems to be common for everything to stop.  The exhibition is still open but all - or at least most - of the exhibitors go off together for lunch.  

Reminds me of a book I read about the B.E.F. in France during the 'Phoney War', 1940, and it implied that the French Army at the time followed pretty much the same policy. 🤣

 

[TheQ]

My club shows finish at 16:00, with half price entry after 15:00.. seems to work well.

[SM42]

We once had a layout not turn up for the worst of reasons. 

 

After loading the layout, the owner went indoors, sat down and died. 

 

Really did put things in perspective that year 

 

Amdy

Edited October 3, 2023 by SM42

[Chris M]

8 hours ago, SM42 said:

We once had a layout not turn up for the worst of reasons. 

 

After loading the layout, the owner went indoors, sat down and died. 

 

Really did put things in perspective that year 

 

Amdy

Packing up a layout and loading it into a car can be quite physical and taking your layout to a show can create a bit of pressure so as we get older this becomes more of a potential issue.

[Chris M]

17 hours ago, PaulRhB said:

 

No they’ve committed to be there for the day and are part of the attraction people pay to come in for. 
 

 

I'm not sure trade exhibitors have committed to be there for the whole day. I would say they have paid for a space at the exhibition but it is up to them what they do with it. Its costing them time and money to be there and if they aren't selling anything they are wasting precious resources. They maybe paying staff who are just sitting around doing nothing because there are no punters. In such circumstances I can understand them packing up early. Not a good look for the exhibition but understandable.

[009 micro modeller]

10 hours ago, Andy Hayter said:

The talk of catering brings me to warn of what happens in France - or at least at the few exhibitions I have visited.  (Exhibitions are infrequent and even many big shows are only held once every 2 or 3 years.) 

 

Around lunchtime it seems to be common for everything to stop.  The exhibition is still open but all - or at least most - of the exhibitors go off together for lunch.  

And I’m guessing here but presumably the lunch ‘hour’ ends up being a bit longer than that?

[Mike Bellamy]

1 hour ago, Chris M said:

I'm not sure trade exhibitors have committed to be there for the whole day. I would say they have paid for a space at the exhibition but it is up to them what they do with it. Its costing them time and money to be there and if they aren't selling anything they are wasting precious resources. They maybe paying staff who are just sitting around doing nothing because there are no punters. In such circumstances I can understand them packing up early. Not a good look for the exhibition but understandable.

 

I have copied two quotes below from the reports of the Wakefield show last weekend - a 500 mile round trip with a big van and several staff - rather an expensive "disagreement" with no income.

 

"Squires, they are not there, having gone home last night after a disagreement."

 

"It was a shame that Squires weren't there, I had my shopping list prepared, but hey ho."

.

[TEAMYAKIMA]

4 minutes ago, Mike Bellamy said:

 

I have copied two quotes below from the reports of the Wakefield show last weekend - a 500 mile round trip with a big van and several staff - rather an expensive "disagreement" with no income.

 

"Squires, they are not there, having gone home last night after a disagreement."

 

"It was a shame that Squires weren't there, I had my shopping list prepared, but hey ho."

.

 

Wow!  That must have been some disagreement. I regret that I have to say, "Tell me more!"  (please)

[Joseph_Pestell]

12 hours ago, Andy Hayter said:

The talk of catering brings me to warn of what happens in France - or at least at the few exhibitions I have visited.  (Exhibitions are infrequent and even many big shows are only held once every 2 or 3 years.) 

 

Around lunchtime it seems to be common for everything to stop.  The exhibition is still open but all - or at least most - of the exhibitors go off together for lunch.  

 

Very true.

 

I would not leave my stand with the hall totally unattended. But my father went for lunch with the other exhibitors. He had to rest for the afternoon after being given rather too much wine. But his French was, unusually, quite fluent.

[john new]

2 hours ago, Chris M said:

Packing up a layout and loading it into a car can be quite physical and taking your layout to a show can create a bit of pressure so as we get older this becomes more of a potential issue.

Equally when an elderly or other relative dies. We’ve lost a layout mid-show at least once for that at York. Whitby folk festival, not a mod-ex, but sadly at one I was at one of the expected groups didn’t appear due to a fatal RTA on route.

[St. Simon]

32 minutes ago, Mike Bellamy said:

 

I have copied two quotes below from the reports of the Wakefield show last weekend - a 500 mile round trip with a big van and several staff - rather an expensive "disagreement" with no income.

 

"Squires, they are not there, having gone home last night after a disagreement."

 

"It was a shame that Squires weren't there, I had my shopping list prepared, but hey ho."

.

 

Hi,

 

Not the first time I have heard that sort of quote about Squires, I think the same thing happened at the Fareham Show last year!

 

Simon

[newbryford]

1 hour ago, TEAMYAKIMA said:

 

Wow!  That must have been some disagreement. I regret that I have to say, "Tell me more!"  (please)

 

Whilst waiting to enter the hall, I was witness to it, but the matter was between Wakefield RMS and Squires - so should not be discussed here.

[Jol Wilkinson]

36 minutes ago, St. Simon said:

 

Hi,

 

Not the first time I have heard that sort of quote about Squires, I think the same thing happened at the Fareham Show last year!

 

Simon

They are not the only trader that has "quit" a show for some reason. Fortunately it is very rare, although I know of a few traders who, having a poor weekend, feel that there is little point in staying but do so to retain a good relationship with the show organisers.

[St Enodoc]

23 hours ago, john new said:

I can remember with certainty Leamington, Weymouth & York. (Socials).

I was going to say how much I miss the York Saturday night socials but, like the 1960s, if you claim to remember them you probably weren't there.