Exhibitions

I see that the Midland Garden Railway Show is being held on Saturday and Sunday, 11 & 12 March. Also Harrgate Model Railway and Model Engineering Show Is on Friday and Saturday, 10 & 11 March (no Sunday).

At a time when retailers are general not attending shows is this madness?

I just don't understand anything anymore.

JA

I dare say you'll only get retailers going back to the shows if the shows are seen to be viable, which can only happen if they actually take place.

That does seem mad, that clash, but we don't know when the show organisers booked the venues, nor if either's competitor was confirmed at the time they did.

The Harrogate model-engineering exhibition is still not on the YEC web-site, which now lists five other events (one is trade-only) from February to October. These include March 17-19, a motor-caravan show*. I looked at the YEC site for this reply, this very afternoon, Friday 6th of January - very late for confirming, advertising and planning for, a major exhibition.

Whereas Meridienne's site already shows two model--railway and one model-engineering, exhibitions for Warwickshire in 2023, the last being "ours" in October.

It became fairly clear to me when I telephoned the YEC a while back that it is rather at the mercy of the event organisers. Sensibly, it does not advertise events not yet confirmed, so one draws one's own conclusions.

Midlands has a good track(!) record with visitors, exhibitors and traders so it's very likely its shows were being booked as the cleaners were sweeping up after the previous ones. If so, one might ask if the Yorkshire show organiser looked at what other exhibitions were already in the offing.

Whereas poor YEC is yet to be tried and tested for our related hobbies - everyone knows it's a fine venue physically and easy to reach, from the East anyway; but traders and club-stand secretaries carting very heavy goods about, will be nervous of something yet to be formally publicised by anyone anywhere.

So although we now seem to have this unfortunate clash, don't blame the exhibition-centres. It must be very frustrating for them having to hold days on spec like this. Instead ask if the show organisers have run into difficulties, encouraging the stands people to plump for the known instead..

.

*(Motor-caravan show - where you can establish if any of the new offerings suitable for the rally-site home, can internally accommodate your 4" -scale road-locomotive.)

Have read the previous thread regarding the Harrogate model-engineering exhibition along with this one, have anyone tried to purchase advance tickets ?

H

Harry -

Harrogate: yes, I have, about three or four weeks ago I think. It arrived as a file for printing. The YEC appears to use a contractor called Tickettailor rather than sell them directly from its own office.

It wasn't difficult to do so then, but is it giving you gyp now?

Mine is as a Visitor, but I see on the other thread a report of difficulties for exhibitors' bookings. I would think the onus there would be on the exhibition organiser, not venue or ticket agent.

'

(The ticket I have not booked is for a train from accommodation to Harrogate. And back..... will they be running?)

Meridienne set their dates 12 months ahead so it would seem unfortunate that at short notice the Harrowgate show chose this weekend, it's not helpful to anybody. But that's how it is, Hey Ho ! Noel.

What's happened to the Doncaster show?

It's at Harrogate.

The organisers staged it at Harrogate then doncaster and now back to Harrogate

Doncaster continues as a racecourse - what it was designed for and which it does very well

One of the new factors to take into consideration is whether people want to travel far as even going to the next county doubles the effective entry cost. Going from Devon to Harrogate would be £100+. We might change to a pattern of smaller regional shows.

So if it's the Doncaster show now back Harrogate what's happened to the organisation (still not received entry forms) and no info on competition entry. Sorry but its a bit of a shambles.

Fair point, Bazyle, and not just for model-engineering exhibitions of course. I think we'll become more discerning about where and how often we travel, but perhaps sacrifice a few lesser leisure journeys or events for the occasional major one.

There was talk of an ME exhibition in the South West, a year or so back. It might have been BP so stopped by that, but fingers crossed, i might return to at least proposal stage.

.

Bernard - Yet the show now has its display advertisement in Model Engineer, where also the Editorial tells us the organiser is the company who ran it until 2009, and has run other events. So you'd expect experience...