bbishop Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Harry, Straight off the CMRA web page. Amend as you wish: "Please note that the exhibition uses three floors of the venue with only one floor accessible without using flights of steps. Free entrance for people with critically impaired mobility." Bill 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 If you require more stewards you could do worse than take a leaf out of the Chatham show book. They invite other clubs within the area to provide volunteers who are quite happy to be fed and watered and have some time to wander about the show. I am quite sure that Paul can point you in the right direction. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasatcopthorne Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 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 Fraid I have to agree with Jon. Perhaps Model Railway Clubs should start holding jumble sales and putting on theatre productions etc., etc. Of course, there will be an affect. Layouts that attend could be using up their 'free time' and may then be unavailable for Clubs' shows which you cannot deny. A Club show adds to their income and membership which helps them to keep running. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasatcopthorne Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 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 I think you will find a lot of layouts won't attend a one day show. It's a lot of work for maybe 7 hours running a layout. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cromptonnut Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 I think you will find a lot of layouts won't attend a one day show. When I was exhibition manager for our club - based in London - about 10 years ago, we had a one day show with about 600 through the door and no problem getting layouts for a one day show, some of them quite large (I think 40ft was our biggest one year). Maybe times have changed - but I don't know if I would want to take a layout to a 2 day show as you basically lose the weekend plus a large part of the Friday possibly also Monday morning if it won't fit in your car and you need to hire a van. Of course a lot of this will depend on the size of your layout, the distance you're travelling, and how much help you have (or don't) in loading, erecting and operating. Not all modellers have the luxury of being retired either... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold kipford Posted January 19, 2014 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 19, 2014 I think you will find a lot of layouts won't attend a one day show. Whilst I agree to a certain extent, it is NOT a show stopper. The SHMRC run a one day show every year. Our last one in November 2013 had Warren Lane as star attraction plus 1 Railway Modeller layout of the month, The remainder were all well known layouts. Our footfall for the one day was just shy of 1000. Reference the pricing you are spot on, we charge the same in Portsmouth which is not exactly known for its millionaires lifestyle and have considered increasing the prices next year. In my opinion Erith are undercharging. Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrydenford Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 Harry, Straight off the CMRA web page. Amend as you wish: "Please note that the exhibition uses three floors of the venue with only one floor accessible without using flights of steps. Free entrance for people with critically impaired mobility." Bill Thanks bill am adding to our publicity now with minor change to two floors Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrydenford Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 Hey looking great three layouts already confirmed and two in discussion plus some club layouts are at early planning stages with a local club Our new website should be up in next few days www.modelrailwayexhibition.com Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrydenford Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 Fraid I have to agree with Jon. Perhaps Model Railway Clubs should start holding jumble sales and putting on theatre productions etc., etc. Of course, there will be an affect. Layouts that attend could be using up their 'free time' and may then be unavailable for Clubs' shows which you cannot deny. A Club show adds to their income and membership which helps them to keep running. Dave If model railway clubs put on theatre events then that may introduce model railway club members to the works of Ibsen, Pinter and the Bard or rekindle a interest in theatre so by then putting more bums on seats at venues around the UK. Your post does read as though such events are solely for model railway club members or regular model railway exhibition goers, which some may feel that who exhibitions should be aimed at but is somewhat a narrow minded vision. Our marketing will cover numerous avenues and if it means that 80% of show goers don't have a model railway, as we will be marketing to the local community but come away wanting to get into this hobby, then I see that more of a success then 80% of people attending who are already converted. I can't see how we are taking away layouts who should 'rightly' be at another show as maybe there are no other shows that day which logistically a exhibitor can get to. Where is the club show you are worried about within 25 miles of Central London on that weekend? Will the locals of SE London want to go 25 miles away to another show? We chose that time as no other shows programmed in. In relation to model railway clubs holding jumble sales, I think some already do ie toy and model fairs which are sometimes run by clubs and I know I have attended a club night where they have a area where you can buy other members unwanted items. Your comments have be very worried now in case lots of the model railway elite attend who have exhibitions designed for their needs only and spot in my layout that the concrete tower blocks are actually a German design and not Russian, so would not be on a Russian H0 exhibition layout. I'm getting to scared to show it now and going for a sit down lol Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbishop Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 I popped in to see Harry this afternoon. The theatre is quite cosy and four fairly small layouts will fit comfortably into the space. But there is a bar with some very interesting beers available. It's the sort of place where RMWebbers can settle down and have a proper chin wag. Unfortunately I was on two wheels and therefore teetotal. The Zion Chapel is a hundred yards down the road, but should one acquire a thirst en route, then drop into the Royal Albert for a quick few. So far as public transport is concerned, New Cross (South Eastern Railway and East London Railway) is a hundred yards from the theatre. This looks like a very good venture. Bill Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrydenford Posted January 30, 2014 Author Share Posted January 30, 2014 11 layouts now confirmed including a first outing for 'Hornby THROUGH THE AGES'. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrydenford Posted February 26, 2014 Author Share Posted February 26, 2014 Just booked two interesting speakers for the theatre (venue 2) a talk on laser cutting for buildings and a talk on soldering and fiqure painting plus entertainment in the outside space while people enjoy alfresco refreshments in venue 1, an all female morris dance troupe called the Belles of London City. Any one else want to give a talk or demo, we have slots left in the theatre in the afternoon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dasatcopthorne Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 If model railway clubs put on theatre events then that may introduce model railway club members to the works of Ibsen, Pinter and the Bard or rekindle a interest in theatre so by then putting more bums on seats at venues around the UK. Your post does read as though such events are solely for model railway club members or regular model railway exhibition goers, which some may feel that who exhibitions should be aimed at but is somewhat a narrow minded vision. Our marketing will cover numerous avenues and if it means that 80% of show goers don't have a model railway, as we will be marketing to the local community but come away wanting to get into this hobby, then I see that more of a success then 80% of people attending who are already converted. I can't see how we are taking away layouts who should 'rightly' be at another show as maybe there are no other shows that day which logistically a exhibitor can get to. Where is the club show you are worried about within 25 miles of Central London on that weekend? Will the locals of SE London want to go 25 miles away to another show? We chose that time as no other shows programmed in. In relation to model railway clubs holding jumble sales, I think some already do ie toy and model fairs which are sometimes run by clubs and I know I have attended a club night where they have a area where you can buy other members unwanted items. Your comments have be very worried now in case lots of the model railway elite attend who have exhibitions designed for their needs only and spot in my layout that the concrete tower blocks are actually a German design and not Russian, so would not be on a Russian H0 exhibition layout. I'm getting to scared to show it now and going for a sit down lol Harry. I'm not quite sure how to read your post. It rambles on a bit and what on earth is that bit about a Russian layout. I think you should re-read my original post again. There's nothing about an exhibition on the same date. Where did that come from? Most layout owners do not have a infinite amount of free time available. Giving up some of that to attend a show that is no connected to a model railway club, could 'use up' some of that free time and preclude them from exhibiting at another show, whenever that may be. It's hard enough to finance the running of model railway clubs these days. Many clubs rely on income from exhibitions to survive. Your show, and others run by all sorts of organizations not connected with a model railway club in any way, only take money out of the 'system' for themselves. None of it going to help support a model railway club. No doubt, those that attend will enjoy themselves. I hope they do. Have you arranged for yourselves to promote one or more local clubs so that any interested party can be directed to their publicity material or website? Maybe you will make a donation to them? Cheers Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrydenford Posted May 15, 2014 Author Share Posted May 15, 2014 WE NOW HAVE SECURE OFF ROAD PARKING FOR EXHIBITORS & TRADERS DURING THE DAY BEHIND ONE OF THE VENUES. ALSO no charge for traders to attend and we have lost two layouts so looking for more to attend. nice pre ticket sales and of course tickets can be got on the door so traders / layouts contact us if interested in attending. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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