Catering for exhibition visitors - what would you expect?

[Mike Bellamy]

Reading all of the above makes me think I'm a little odd (and my friends will agree with that) as I can go all day without the need for food or drink - a decent breakfast and an evening meal seem to satisfy me but it is obvious from the replies above that this doesn't apply to most of you

 

Mike

[trisonic]

Hydration is more important than food, Midday for me. Though if good pies are available i'll try one (or two, unfortunately).

 

Best, Pete.

[cromptonnut]

Depends on the time of year - if it's a winter show then something hot is useful, if it's summer not so.

 

Pies, pasties, sausage rolls, sandwiches, crisps, chocolate, tea/coffee and canned/bottled/carton drinks. Cakes/flapjacks etc helpful but not essential.

 

Alcohol unnecessary. Full meals unnecessary. Seating area very useful.

 

As long as there's also something that veggies can have too, all round that'd be enough as far as I'm concerned. If people need more there are almost always local shops that sell stuff (assuming you offer passout tickets).

[JeremyC]

Personally catering isn't a consideration for me if I'm visiting a show, though a coffee and a scone or similar is very acceptable! [i hate fizzy drinks]. Where families form a considerable proportion of the customer base then you might want to consider soup [strange no-one else mentions soup, is it just a Scottish thing?], burgers, bacon rolls [Cupar Show comes to mind] etc. When I used to drag my two young sons to any show for more than a couple of hours my wife always seemed to say 'they need their lunch' at some point. [Actually the only change now, on the rare occasions we all go, is they say they need lunch and a 19 year old student can eat a lot of lunch if Dads paying]

 

added as edit:

A good seating area is needed, again especially where families are involved.

 

Jeremy

[Kris]

Food is very much a take it or leave it item and normally I won't bother. On the drink side tea or coffee is good if it's cold but when it's cold I'd rather have water.

[Dukedog]

As a few others have already mentioned, I don't go to model railway exhibitions to eat, I go to see the layouts and traders.

 

Having said that it's always nice to have ample seating arrangements where you can sit and rest your feet over a decent cup of tea or coffee.and maybe chat to people you meet.

 

As for food, I wouldn't normally bother unless I have travelled a great distance, even then just a decent sandwich is enough to keep me going until

I get home.

 

Cheers!

Frank

[Coombe Barton]

At Wigan yesterday:

1. Scout round all stands seeing what was there
   
2. Go round those I'd picked out more slowly for closer examination
   
3. Back to talk to the demoinstratpors i wanted to talk to
   
4. Lunch
   
5. Back to talk to the demonstrators i wanted to talk to.
   
6. Photos
   
7. Scout round the trade seeing what I'd be buying
   
8. Buy it
   
9. Leave - 4-5 hours spent at the show
   

• Lunch - there was a queue - what do you expect (not like the guy who waited two minutes and then got annoyed and left. But it was OK for value - not a rip off.
  
• Leamington/Warwick in January is rather different - there's full NAC catering - and it's not expensive. SWMBO is coming this year.
  
• NEC is different, and we'll draw a veil
  
• RMWeb members day - it's Andy's organisation - and it's brilliant, but it's not your normal punters show.
  
• Wolverhampton a few weeks ago - coffee and snacks - took SWMBO and she was OK with it.
  
• Railex Aylesbury - Leisure centre catering - OK
  

However, what is provided for me takes second place to the possibility of sitting down to have whatever it is. If there's oly oe seating ares it's goign to be occupied by people wanting to sit. And they're not necessarily those eating.

 

 

So if chairs are provided in the hall away from the food area there's not much excuse for table hogging as has been mentioned before. I go for the railways - but take advantage of whatever food's on offer. And for that of the shows I've visited the NAC has to take the biscuit.

[MarkSG]

I agree with Coombe Barton - the NAC catering at the Leamington show is one of the best I've experienced. So, on the one occasion that I went to it, was the catering at York. But both of those, of course, are using venues which have professional catering included. At the other end of the scale, the Cheltenham show does an excellent line in home-made cakes and sandwiches served by volunteers.

 

Conversely, some of the worst catering I've experienced has been at some mid-size or larger shows where the catering is done by volunteers who simply aren't numerous enough to cope with demand and are shoved into a small corner of the venue in order to avoid taking up too much space. I appreciate that "number of layouts" is what looks good on the posters, but I've been to some shows where I'd have happily sacrificed a layout (or two) in return for some more seating and better staffed catering.

 

Another problem is venues that do have professional catering, but it isn't designed to cope with the volume of visitors to an exhibition. Sports and leisure halls tend to suffer from this a lot - Railex at Stoke Mandeville and Manchester at the Armitage Centre are two examples of catering that is perfectly adequate in terms of quality but falls short in capacity. Realistically, though, there's probably not a lot that the organising club can do about this, especially if there's no other suitable venue in the area.

[Coombe Barton]

So if chairs are provided in the hall away from the food area there's not much excuse for table hogging as has been mentioned before. I go for the railways - but take advantage of whatever food's on offer. And for that of the shows I've visited the NAC has to take the biscuit.

I'll reiterate - it's something I've noticed and it's come up here

 

If there's seating ONLY in the catering area people will hog it.

 

If there's seating elsewhere as well (and not just in corridors) the crush will be less

[underbank56a]

I go with my family and we like to make a day of it, so lunch at the venue is pretty much essential. But I think that "proper" hot meals is taking things a little too far. All day breakfasts are always a quick, simple and cheap option, which also facilitates sausage and/or bacon butties. Add in to the range some chips, hot sausage rolls, pies, and maybe jacket potatoes and I think you've sorted the "hot" food options. Then some decent cold sandwiches/baguettes with a range of flavours, and then something sweet, maybe scones, slices of cake, and fruit, and you've got quite a range of options for the average punter. Main criteria being quick, cheap and simple. Of course, tea/coffee is essential, as are soft drinks, crisps and choc bars (maybe from vending machines onsite normally).

 

I wouldn't worry too much about special dietary requirements. People going to small events tend to make their own arrangements and don't expect options for every requirement. In our party of 4, two of us have special needs, but that's for just a part of the meal so the majority of it can be bought mainstream - we've long been accustomed to bringing our own to substitute parts of the meal that aren't as easy to buy.

 

In my opinion, nothing worse than being "forced" into having a meal and two veg meal because that's all there is on offer. Likewise nothing worse than a coffee and kit-kat or a manky sandwich being the only options.

[newbryford]

 

Full hot meals?

Pre-packed sandwiches?

Cakes/crisps/confectionery (Kit-Kat etc)

Tea/coffee/soft drinks?

Bar?

 

 

Thanks for all the helpful answers so far. Above is my original list and my first take on what is good/not good with the relevant bits crossed out, although the sandwiches may not necessarily be pre-packed, but it sure helps on the hygiene/storage front. I appreciate the comments from those with special needs and Underbank's comments above tally with my other discussions with exhibition goers.

 

I believe the best way forward, is "you can try to please most people, most of the time"

 

The observations about seating have also been noted and all the above will be passed on to our exhibition manager.

 

If anyone feels like commenting more than, please feel free.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Coombe Barton]

Just to extend in-hall seating thinks:

• Forget tables - take up room and encourages mess.
  
• Groups of four-six chairs in 'break out' areas (not rows)
  
• Not a load of seats in one place.
  
• Maybe a note saying something like "please restrict your stay when the hall is crowded - others might want to rest their legs"
  

[Kenton]

A decent cup of coffee (though I usually bring a flask as most I have tried at shows taste of tea)

 

A sandwich that does not hark back to BR curly dried and plastic (a bacon buttie would be ideal, forget the limp green and)

 

A banana (though I usually bring my own)

 

I am not interested in sweet things drinks or food items. I am not bothered about hot meals midday.

 

A bar? Well as I drive, no thank you.

 

So, catering is about the most disregarded item on my list of importance at a show. Just get the layouts and trade balance right and I'll probably attend if it in a decent driving distance.

[asmay2002]

A cup of tea, maybe a sandwich or kitkat, somewhere to sit and no long queue - if there's a long queue I won't bother.

[newbryford]

 

So, catering is about the most disregarded item on my list of importance at a show. Just get the layouts and trade balance right and I'll probably attend if it in a decent driving distance.

 

A few posters have stated that catering is not high on the priority list, and I would believe that to be the case for all the visitors. After all, who goes to a model railway exhibition because of the catering,

Nonethe less, it still has to be considered as part of the overall package.

 

Keep 'em coming.

Cheers,

Mick

[MarkSG]

A few posters have stated that catering is not high on the priority list, and I would believe that to be the case for all the visitors. After all, who goes to a model railway exhibition because of the catering,

Nonethe less, it still has to be considered as part of the overall package.

 

Catering is not hugely important for me, at least at smaller shows where I probably won't stay all day anyway. But it's pretty much essential if I'm bringing the family, partly because the t'wife will get bored long before I do and want to go for a cup of tea while I ogle the contents of trade stands and try to sneak things into carrier bags so she doesn't know what I've been wasting investing my money on and partly because the children will want a drink or something and it's the easiest way to shut them up when they get fractious.

 

However, having said that, I'd want to know if there's no catering within the venue, as that would affect my decision on whether or not to take sandwiches or, if it's in a convenient town centre location , nip out for a quick bite at lunchtime. And, whether there is catering or not, I will need somewhere to sit down occasionally as otherwise my back will become too painful.

[Sidecar Racer]

 

. After all, who goes to a model railway exhibition because of the catering,

 

Nonethe less, it still has to be considered as part of the overall package.

 

Keep 'em coming.

Cheers,

Mick

 

I doubt anyone go's because of the catering , but what is there should be of decent standard regardless

of what is on offer .

[MarkSG]

 

I doubt anyone go's because of the catering , but what is there should be of decent standard regardless

of what is on offer .

 

I don't go to an exhibition to use the toilet, either. But I'd be pretty miffed if there weren't any when I got there

[Gwiwer]

And to re-iterate a point I made above if there is catering, as opposed to just DIY tea / coffee / vending machines, then your average visitor may be inclined to stay a little longer and spend more time - and in theory money - within the exhibition itself.

 

If there's next to nothing on offer it can send the message - however unintentionally - that we don't expect anyone to hang around for long.

[newbryford]

 

If there's next to nothing on offer it can send the message - however unintentionally - that we don't expect anyone to hang around for long.

 

As I said before - it's part of the overall package.

 

Cheers,

Mick

[Guest Max Stafford]

In response to the original question, as far as on-site catering is concerned I stipulate only the following;

 

1. Decent sausages and tea on the menu.

 

2. I am still alive the day after consuming it...

 

Dave.

[tender]

A good cup of tea with fresh milk , none of this UHT stuff that keeps getting served up.

[OldNick]

It all depends on two things - which are usually linked. How far I'm travelling for a show, and how long I intend to spend there. I attend quite a lot of shows and from the Coventry have been known to go as far as Wigan (although not this year), Spalding, Bristol,or London. If I'm travelling that far I'd expect to stay for a few hours, to sit down and eat on the premises, and usually to make that the main meal of the day. As I usually try to get to shows on Sunday I often don't want to cook by the time I get home after driving a good distance. If I have to leave the premises to eat, I'll usually not return afterwards, and probably not return the following year at all.

 

If on the other hand, I'm driving 20-30 miles to a show with a under a dozen layouts, I may well not eat at all. If I do it'll be a coffee or a soft drink (and here I'd second the call for these to be cooled in some way), and a sandwich or a KitKat.

 

Pet hatres - insufficient seating in the eating area, and people who hog tables while another member of their party queues for food. The longer the queues and the greater the shortage of tables, the worse this is.

 

Going back to the original question. I love a beer (or a few), but would very rarely use a bar at an exhibition.

[roundhouse]

The only time I will use a bar at an exhibition is if they have some decent ales available and I am not driving.

Not many venues stock real ale although a few years back Alexandra Palace used to have barrels on the bars!

 

Ian

[Kenton]

Nonethe less, it still has to be considered as part of the overall package.

Please do not take my comments as what should be done - they were only meant as a personal view on the subject. I can see that others might well require catering with much greater priority. A a place and time to gather for a chat and meetup (I don't use shows like that), as a food break from a whole day at the show (I'm rarely at a show for more than a couple of hours). It is certainly something that needs consideration for any show but is likely to be different depending on the size/type/location.