harrydenford Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I own a London fringe theatre is SE London and opposite is a Zion Chapel and between us we have two big halls, an outside concrete area which was a playground and a small studio space and on site catering, a bar serving CAMRA approved ales and booking office and a good local mailing list. We are looking to host a one day model railway show on Saturday 12th July with set up Friday evening on the 11th. This will be the first such show I have run although have done other similar logistical events at our venue before such as a REAL ALE CAMRA Festival which had a footfall of 200 people and required us to plan space and tables and what went where. I accept Model railways take a bit more planning then what kegs go on what tables so any advice gladly requested. We are looking at getting 200/ 400 attend as one thing we are up on is local marketing plus listings on model railway sites and forums. Paul at Erith Model Railway society has been very helpful in offering advice and we have full liability insurance being a theatre and so does the chapel but plan to take out extra cover via Magnet Insurance for the displays. We plan on on charging £5 adults and £3 children and under 2's free (request that no buggies or push chairs come into the exhibition space) and we have a buggy store area. We have 7 large tables and more then enough chairs and power points and can access more tables We are looking at 12 to 15 layouts and have various spaces planed from a 3ft x 2ft plus operator space up to a 24ft x 12 ft who are interested in attending. We want to run it for the community as well as model railway fans so looking to cover our costs with any extra money made going into doing it again next year. We thought about charging trade stands between £10 and £30 per 6ft. Barriers are being hired for the layouts A event booklet will be made which will list the layouts and traders As the Zion chapel is dry, we plan to have the refreshments such as tea and coffee and burgers and rolls there and a full bar at the theatre. Budgets getting set for the transport and refreshment costs for the display teams. We really want to use the outside space and hope to attract a larger live steam track and again any ideas more then welcome Please get in touch if you have a display layout you might want to bring. My own Russian 00 layout will be making its first appearance at our show (hopefully the picture is attached with this message) Harry thelondontheatre@live.co.uk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrydenford Posted January 17, 2014 Author Share Posted January 17, 2014 heyyyyy the piccy of my Russian model railway did attach Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corax67 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Something that potential exhibitors may be keen to know is access to the site for setting up - I can see that you are not inside the congestion zone but you are inside the Low Emission Zone which could be an issue for people with older vans. As you are a theatre I assume you have a loading bay/area so there wouldn't be any issues over potential red routes but confirmation would be good. Where can exhibitor vehicles be parked during the show and at what cost? I think you have pitched the price for entry spot on - you may want to consider a 'family ticket' depending on the demographic of your community. The majority of exhibition layouts come with their own support systems of legs/trestles so you may not need too many tables but chairs are always appreciated. Paul is a top bloke, he has been show manager for us (St Michael & All Angels, Wilmington) for many years and I am sure whatever advice he is giving will see you towards a highly successful event. Wish you loads of luck and success. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrydenford Posted January 17, 2014 Author Share Posted January 17, 2014 Yes forgot about the emission zone. we have plenty of free parking for everyone at least. Great idea about family ticket Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corax67 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 For the purposes of exhibitors I would say that The LEZ only affects diesel vans registered pre 2002 so may not be an issue - just thought it was worth a mention as I know friends who have been innocently caught out by the magic cameras. Your target of 12-15 layouts makes for a nice sized first show and I hope you manage to get the outdoor live steam as this does really ignite the interest of both railway and casual visitors. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Joseph_Pestell Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 17, 2014 Sounds pretty good. Main problem in London is having a venue - and you have that sorted. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
37114 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I think the use of the outdoor space is essential, and having some (outdoor) exhibits helps as from experience your chosen date is not the best timing as it is near peak holiday time/hot weather. Our club organised a show in summer last year to make up for losses when it snowed heavily in January. We had less people in the summer than January as it was a baking hot day! You might want a few more tables if you are planning a few traders, most layouts will want at least 1 small table as well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrydenford Posted January 17, 2014 Author Share Posted January 17, 2014 We looked at timing for summer and chose a week before the main school hols, as even in theatre land, locals go away lots around here in hols as near a number of private schools Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted January 17, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 17, 2014 Our club (Basildon) has its exhibition on the first weekend of July, fortunately the sports hall we use is air conditioned. In hot weather if air conditioning is not available you have to make sure that ventilation is good as model railway layouts give off a fair amount of heat. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Yes forgot about the emission zone. we have plenty of free parking for everyone at least. Great idea about family ticketFamous last words- I've walked many miles from where I've had to pay to park because the "ample free parking" was full. You will have to think about power, what are the sockets like inside of the hall....? Layouts usually draw little power but it's best to know what you're exhibitors will use (including a breaker and PA Testing) and make sure you have plenty of suitable extension leads (any good club with an established show ought to carry a stock of these. They may also have a suitable banner you could rent to attract passing trade). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidB-AU Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Not only where the sockets are inside the hall, but how many of them and (this is really important) how many circuits supply them. Layouts don't draw a huge amount of power, but 15 of them on a single circuit can trip the circuit breaker. Cheers David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrydenford Posted January 18, 2014 Author Share Posted January 18, 2014 The theatre is fully air conditioned lucky enough and the second venue has a heat exchanger and extractor. Good point about the extension leads, luckily the theatre has 3 phase power which is underused as converted theatre lights to led so lots of non used sockets. The other venue host music concerts with large power drains so should be fine. Banners agree very important we buy in bulk as a theatre for shows. Also if anyone interested in flyers for their shows, we use a German company who charge £79 for 5000 double sided full colour A5 on 90 gram paper which is really good and includes postage. Message me if you want their details. Going to speak to Goldsmiths, the famous art college near us if some of their students want to create train based artwork and installations as have an area up stairs in one venue too narrow for layouts but perfect for art and small items and enough room to view them.. Good news re parking is Friday night when the layouts arrive we have ample parking as the streets around the venues are empty as all the commuter cars have gone. One of the main reasons for doing the show here also is the transport links with direct access from London Bridge (one stop). plus local DLR station and new overground from east London, plus on major bus routes. Only big drawback is lack of disabled access as main venue is a 200 year old chapel with one of the exhibit halls upstairs and no disabled loos and it will be over two venues across the road from each other. Decided to put smaller layouts in theatre and no trade stands and main layouts in bigger venue. What is peak times for a Saturday, does anyone come as early as 10am? Would it be a good idea to have first hour for anyone who is a member of a model railway club or society and charge them £4 instead of £5 with no children allowed until 11am when it opens to the general public. Would this be a good incentive for ardent model railway fans to come early. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonhall Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Hmm, I hate to be a grouch, but this does feel like yet another show packed into an already over-crowded calendar that will dilute the visitors to other shows, which are for most clubs the only activity that brings in enough income to see them through the year. Model railway clubs in London are a precarious thing. Jon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corax67 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Having a split venue isn't necessarily an issue - our exhibition utilises the main church, parish centre and the church hall which is a few hundred yards down the road. Guests are happy to make the trip between the two sites. If your second venue has no disabled access then this needs to be made clear by ticket sellers and on advertising as someone with access difficulties may feel aggrieved at paying a full entry fee for a show they can only see part of. Think carefully about the upstairs hall in the church - if it has no disabled access I guess it has no lift and lugging a layout up & down stairs is a killer - this I know from experience! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Giles Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 , luckily the theatre has 3 phase power which is underused as converted theatre lights to led so lots of non used sockets. The other venue host music concerts with large power drains so should be fine. Do please be careful about this..... You can't use Theatre Lighting circuits as General Power, as they go through dimmers. (And incidentally have different types of socket on them -either 15A or 16A. Power will have to come from the dedicated 13A ring main, be they 'cleaner's' or other Technical supply circuits. If you have one, It would be possible take a temporary feed from your single or 3 Phase Stage Panel (which incoming shows will tap their extra equipment into), by hiring a plug in distribution board from a Stage Lighting hire Company, which will give you all the power you need, but you'll then need to run extensions..... Good luck Giles Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corax67 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Hmm, I hate to be a grouch, but this does feel like yet another show packed into an already over-crowded calendar that will dilute the visitors to other shows, which are for most clubs the only activity that brings in enough income to see them through the year. Model railway clubs in London are a precarious thing. Jon I appreciate that annual shows are an essential source of funds for clubs but I think old London Town can cope with another small show - as the OP is envisioning a modest footfall of 200-300 for one day and a significant part of that being from the local community then it is unlikely to steal away potential visitors from more established shows. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium PhilJ W Posted January 18, 2014 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 18, 2014 Hmm, I hate to be a grouch, but this does feel like yet another show packed into an already over-crowded calendar that will dilute the visitors to other shows, which are for most clubs the only activity that brings in enough income to see them through the year. Model railway clubs in London are a precarious thing. Jon Other model railway exhibitions should not be a problem. The biggest problem would be other events in the same area. For example if there was an event held at a local park that if the weather was fine would be more attractive to families. I would check to find if there is any 'competition' on the same day, if so perhaps you could make a reciprocal arrangement with the 'competition' such as a small discount on production of a ticket from the other event. Having a split venue isn't necessarily an issue - our exhibition utilises the main church, parish centre and the church hall which is a few hundred yards down the road. Guests are happy to make the trip between the two sites. If your second venue has no disabled access then this needs to be made clear by ticket sellers and on advertising as someone with access difficulties may feel aggrieved at paying a full entry fee for a show they can only see part of. Think carefully about the upstairs hall in the church - if it has no disabled access I guess it has no lift and lugging a layout up & down stairs is a killer - this I know from experience! With two separate venues you have to pay attention to stewarting. Do you have enough bodies to cover the requirements? At least 3 per door used by the public and likewise 3 for the car park. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold unravelled Posted January 18, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 18, 2014 I don't think I have anything concrete to offer, but I will be looking forward to this and watching closely as it's less than a mile from me. The location couldn't be much better for public transport, which is a real advantage, though being split across the A2 might be interesting. At least there is a well placed light controlled crosssing at hand (foot?). Although I worked at Goldsmiths until retirement, I wonder if lesoco or the local schools, (bringing youngsters into the hobby...), might also be worth contacting regarding displays. Another slightly off beam source of displays might be a local history group, especially if transport related, with so much having gone on around that area. I like the idea of smaller local shows, which don't necessarily involve a full day out as a distant and bigger show would. I also like the idea of creating uses for otherwise idle spaces. How about a Deptford toy fair? Good luck Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
terry.ecmr Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 I would be interested in bringing 'Earl's Court' along. London based layout. Email me terry.ecmr@gmail.com See ecmr.webs.com Appears to me that there are fewer exhibitions in July and August so I don't think a smaller London venue will hurt anybody else. Terry Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
corax67 Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Dave's idea of local history groups is a good one for maybe helping to fill up the outdoor area - tables under gazebos (borrowed?) would provide shelter from sun or rain as appropriate. A schools tie-in encourages families and increased revenue/footfall. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Our club (Basildon) has its exhibition on the first weekend of July, fortunately the sports hall we use is air conditioned. In hot weather if air conditioning is not available you have to make sure that ventilation is good as model railway layouts give off a fair amount of heat. Not to mention the strange odours given off by some of the visitors... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Hmm, I hate to be a grouch, but this does feel like yet another show packed into an already over-crowded calendar that will dilute the visitors to other shows, which are for most clubs the only activity that brings in enough income to see them through the year. Model railway clubs in London are a precarious thing. There aren't that many shows (or clubs, for that matter) in London actually, compared to the size of it. If you consider London as "being within the M25" which is of course a massive area anyway, I went to UK model shops listing (http://www.ukmodelshops.co.uk/events/local) for shows within 20 miles of postcode SE1 3PL (Tower Bridge) and I reckon you'd struggle to find a dozen shows if you disregard swapmeets, toy fairs and similar. Shows that show up in that listing above such as Watford, East Surrey N Gauge, Mersham 7mm Narrow Gauge and Gravesend, although perhaps within easy reach of London, are most definitely not "shows in London". Also nearby are places like Basildon and Shenfield which I'd consider similar albeit a little further out. Apart from Ally Pally, that is the only "national" show in London and the entire South East really. The next closest 'manor show' would be the BRM show in Peterborough Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbishop Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Harry, Thoughts: The early birds are after the bargains, often from the club second hand stall, so in your case there may not be a significant queue at 10am. Traders and large layouts will want level access, so put small layouts and societies upstairs. Basically what Paul did at Woolwich. You will find that families will come later in the day. No need to discount. I'm not convinced by your pricing model. I'm unsure with £5 for an adult; Paul is charging £6 for about 30 layouts at Erith. I would allow accompanied children in free but charge for unaccompanied children. The first point could be a publicity bonus because having the local authority onside will be a good thing, a plug in Lewisham Life and a visit by Steve Bullock would be beneficial. The second point is that you don't want an invasion by the local yoof, think of the £3 as a deterrent. Your publicity needs to emphasise the access issues. We have the same issues at St Albans and you are welcome to use our wording. People with significant mobility issues should have free entry and if you make it clear there are access issues then the troublemakers won't have a leg to stand on. (A few years ago, an exhibition on two levels received a solicitor's letter on the Friday afternoon stating their client had just become aware that he wouldn't be able to access all the exhibits, was distraught, and unless the club sent a significant sum of money to his favourite charity, he would sue under Disability legislation.) You will need a lot of stewards. You need to manage set up and break down, and remember a lot of volunteers are getting on in years. During the day you will have two box offices, ticket check, buggy security and general wandering around making sure all is well. Publicity. Local - Lewisham Life, word of mouth through social groups (churches, pubs etc), how well do you get on with New Cross and New Cross Gate stations?, a demo in Sainsburys the previous Saturday. Enthusiast - flyers at exhibitions (ideally at Erith next weekend then rely on Paul), magazines (Railway Modeller etc), social media (RMWeb). Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrydenford Posted January 18, 2014 Author Share Posted January 18, 2014 Do please be careful about this..... You can't use Theatre Lighting circuits as General Power, as they go through dimmers. (And incidentally have different types of socket on them -either 15A or 16A. Power will have to come from the dedicated 13A ring main, be they 'cleaner's' or other Technical supply circuits. If you have one, It would be possible take a temporary feed from your single or 3 Phase Stage Panel (which incoming shows will tap their extra equipment into), by hiring a plug in distribution board from a Stage Lighting hire Company, which will give you all the power you need, but you'll then need to run extensions..... Good luck Giles SOS meant the theatre has lots of power sockets and used to having a number of plugs in the system. The theatre will have a max of three layouts, with the rest in the other bigger venue Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrydenford Posted January 18, 2014 Author Share Posted January 18, 2014 Harry,Thoughts:The early birds are after the bargains, often from the club second hand stall, so in your case there may not be a significant queue at 10am. Traders and large layouts will want level access, so put small layouts and societies upstairs. Basically what Paul did at Woolwich. You will find that families will come later in the day. No need to discount.I'm not convinced by your pricing model. I'm unsure with £5 for an adult; Paul is charging £6 for about 30 layouts at Erith. I would allow accompanied children in free but charge for unaccompanied children. The first point could be a publicity bonus because having the local authority onside will be a good thing, a plug in Lewisham Life and a visit by Steve Bullock would be beneficial. The second point is that you don't want an invasion by the local yoof, think of the £3 as a deterrent.Your publicity needs to emphasise the access issues. We have the same issues at St Albans and you are welcome to use our wording. People with significant mobility issues should have free entry and if you make it clear there are access issues then the troublemakers won't have a leg to stand on. (A few years ago, an exhibition on two levels received a solicitor's letter on the Friday afternoon stating their client had just become aware that he wouldn't be able to access all the exhibits, was distraught, and unless the club sent a significant sum of money to his favourite charity, he would sue under Disability legislation.)You will need a lot of stewards. You need to manage set up and break down, and remember a lot of volunteers are getting on in years. During the day you will have two box offices, ticket check, buggy security and general wandering around making sure all is well.Publicity. Local - Lewisham Life, word of mouth through social groups (churches, pubs etc), how well do you get on with New Cross and New Cross Gate stations?, a demo in Sainsburys the previous Saturday. Enthusiast - flyers at exhibitions (ideally at Erith next weekend then rely on Paul), magazines (Railway Modeller etc), social media (RMWeb).Bill Hiya know lewisham life well as recently they did a nice full page about the theatre. Lucky we are only having the one box office which is our theatre one, with a ticket system to the other venue. Yes good idea to put on all the publicity that restricted disabled access and yes would like your wording as good idea to offer free access as only part of the exhibition can be accessed. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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