Ally Pally show

Having spent three days stewarding for club stand, I found show a little disappointing in regard that there were a number of clubs and traders missing. On the plus side the majority of the clubs did put on a good show by not displaying the same old models year after year.

Regards Luigi

Edited By Halton Tank on 20/01/2014 00:28:45

It is probably 22 or 23 years since I last went to this show. I almost wish I had not gone now. It seemed very small and threadbare from how I remember it but that may well be "rose tinted memories".

However, on a positive note, I got several bargains. All the traders I spoke with were very helpful and I got some, for me, excellent details pictures on the 2" Minnie on display. Now to continue the search for a 4 jaw indy to fit the Sofia c8m..........

I went on Saturday and was a little dissapointed. I think the best ME Exhibitions in my experience are Harrogate and Bristol both organised by ME clubs and not commercial ventures.

Thought there were more younger people some with wives and children at Ally Pally this I think is a good sign for the hobby.

Regards.

4 of us went on Sunday, and had a good day, but we were disappointed we could not get our traditional bacon butty at the café on the way in, instead the only option was a very over priced supposedly German sausage. We did not think they were as good as the real thing. None of us bought a lot in the show, we felt the trade stands are reducing in number every year. We all miss the used tool stalls that used to be at the show, always a good place to get quality kit at good prices. The high cost of stand space was mentioned by some of the traders as a reason for this. However we thought it was nice to see the larger number of children there, attracted by Robot wars and the like. We all liked the Tamiya trucks and diggers display as something different.

CG

Both the Model Engineering Ex and the Ally Pally shows are no longer well attended by Model Engineering traders because of the vast costs for them to attend the shows and the fact that most of their trade these days comes from the internet.

As for models in the old days there were loads more, but then I recall that the shows used to encourage us to send our models by providing a free collection and return service. I for one am discouraged from entering any of my models as I don't want the hassle of the queues trying to get your model in early on the first day and get it back late on the last day.

All in all it is a vicious circle: Less models/traders = less reason to go, less people go, less reason for the traders..show doesn't make enough money = no more shows

Jo

This was my second year at both shows and I was amazed at how busy Ally Pally was! The snow obviously kept some back last year. I went on the Saturday and to be honest I found it very crowded and hard to get a good conversation going or a look at something before being scrummed out the way.

Or was it just me?

Saturday was by far the busiest day. At times it was very difficult to move down the aisles. Friday and Sunday a little bit quieter but not by that much. They used to announce attendance figures at least for the first two days, but if they did I did not hear it as the PA was impossible to understand.

Regards Luigi

Busy on Saturday? ! you should have been there a few years ago. We couldn't decide if it was few people or one fewer line of stands to give more room that made it seem so empty.

Mr Moo you are right the shows 20 yrs ago were way better and have been on the decline for about 20 years since the big one in Olympia when some some sad individuals complained that it contained 5 very interesting dolls houses not made of metal. Add to the confusion that this is the show that used to be known as 'Pickets lock' and the original Ally Pally show is now at Sandown and even smaller.

Hi Mr Moo, this show only started 18 years ago, i.e. "The London Model Engineers Exhibition". It was first held, quite rightly as Bazyle said, at the Lee Valley Leisure Centre, Maridian Way (Pickets Lock Lane) in Edmonton and was held there each year untill 2001. In 2002 and 2003 it was held at the Wembley Exhibiton Centre next to Wembley stadium. In 2004 it was then first held in Alexandra Palace where it has been held ever since including this last weekend, which they boast, that the show has come of age and celebrating 18 great years, on the front of thier free show guide.

The show you went to 22/3 years ago was most likely to have been the "Model Engineers Exhibition" which is the one connected with this forum and has been held at Sandown park in recent years. I can remember going to a MEX at Ally Pally once, but when I first went to any MEX's it was held in Olympia.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 20/01/2014 20:35:37

I attended the show on Saturday and thought it was busy , certainly busier than on previous visits, however, the reduced number of Trade people was disappointing, but I think those who did attend should be commended.

Warco had a comprehensive stand as did RDG, these seem to be the mainstays whichever show you attend, Chester were reduced but there! and Axminster attended, albeit with more staff than products on offer, well it appeared that way to me, but again, well done for turning in. Small tool suppliers were there and all having items to temp , I had backache carrying home my purchases.

There is certainly some appeal to the greater range of interests at this show compared with others and it was good to see so many youngsters( I am 69 ) getting so much out of the demonstrations ranging from flying ,metal bashing robots trucks, Boats, and hands on lathe work.

As has been said earlier , its not the best show, that used to be Donnington until it moved to its current site,that said,it was only a nats whisker in front of Harrogate which now reigns supreme, nothing to touch it. I have not done Bristol yet ,this year I hope, may reorganise preferences after that, we will see.

I do hope most had just such an enjoyable day as did I .

regards, DAG

Hello Nick,

You're probably right, my memories are hazy to say the least!

All the best,

Ben

Edited By WALLACE on 21/01/2014 00:47:26

I went to the show on Saturday with a view to spending some of my hard earned.

I found it difficult, and in one case, impossible, to get what I wanted as Chronos had decided not to attend. Warco and DSG were there with the normal size stands but most other traders seemed to have scaled back or pushed up the prices to compensate. Even the stand with the woman normally sitting high above her stand (Regulars will know who I mean) on a set of steps had a normal chair, the stand was so small. upon talking to one of the traders it seems that the smallest stand you can get costs £1000 for the three days, so I can see how it would be difficult for smaller traders to make anything like a profit.

Sadly, before too much longer, I can see this show going the way of the old Picketts Lock electronics fair; moved to somewhere cheaper but more difficult to get to and then just quietly fade into memory.

Or, maybe it's just me getting cynical in my old age.

Flown over from Jersey, I was little disappointed than no deals to be had. It would have been nice to see a beginners stand to guide people forward.

Great to see old machines turning.

Four of us went, on Saturday. On a Group ticket, it cost us £8.25 each from Peterborough. (Free shuttle bus from/to A.P. rly station

With tickets booked on line, we just walked straight in.

Something to bear in mind for the future.

Looking forward to Harrogate, but there is going to be show at Springfields in Spalding 26/27 April, so hope to see what thats like.

Howard

Any details on the Springfield show ?

I remember the ModelEngineering Exhibitions at Bingley Hall in Birmingham, must be about thirty odd years ago, now that really was an exhibition.

In my opinion I believe the writting is on the wall for commercially run exhibitions and that the way forward will be exhibitions organised by engineering societies. Maybe the various federations should get together an organise something.

Regards,

IDP

I believe IDP is correct and I'm not the only one. Ivan Law himself remarked to one of the judges at a recent show after having had a look around as said much the same thing.

It's a vicious circle that has already stared and I feel it can't be stopped, Contrary to what was written in an above post Harrogate is a commercial enterprise, run very well by the Rex family.

I might need correcting but I think the only large scale exhibitions 'privately' run are Bristol which is run by the Bristol club and Sandown which is run by the owners of this forum.

Things have moved on from the once or twice a year large show that had immense attendance because they were the only shows.

It then got spawned off into regional shows at were immediately smaller because they had a smaller catchment area

I wish I had a pound for every time I have said to someone are you going to the Midlands show as an example and they have said, no it's too far for me I live in London, same for Bristol and yet we have better transport than we did in the Wembley / Bingley hall days.

Shows need money to survive - bare fact and their only revenue is gate money and trade stand rent. As the organisers costs have risen so they have passed them on but in between time the internet has risen to a point where anyone can use it and online banking via card is perfectly accepted.

Traders have now stood back and looked carefully at this. Have you noticed how the trend is going from full all out stall to just taking say machines or a cut down version of the stand. Probably two or three variations over two or three shows whilst they work out what works for them.

Once they have figures they can then work out if it's worth doing shows any more or in a reduced capacity.

If they do make either of these decisions it than works it way back to the show organisers who then have to increase prices to afford to run the show which then spirals down to another set of traders having to make the same decision.

I'm afraid we have seen the best of the shows.

**LINK**

> Bingley Hall in Birmingham

Having worked in Brum for nearly 18 years this confused me a bit - the only Bingley Hall I have been to was in Stafford (google tells me it was 2 May 1982!). Wikipedia tells me the Birmingham Bingley Hall was the first purpose-built exhibition hall in the UK (1850) and helpfully shows a picture of the hall demolished so it could be built! Apparently it burnt down in 1984.

As to the future of shows, what's needed is plenty of ideas for ways to make them pay for all concerned. ..

Neil

>edit - got Mr Bradford & Mr Bingley on the Brain!<

Edited By Stub Mandrel on 22/01/2014 13:26:53

Edited By Stub Mandrel on 22/01/2014 13:29:12