Hi Colin - I will be frank and say that one of the best things that Meridian can do to help the show is to reduce the cost of the trade stands a bit!!!!
We only have a 3m x 2.5m stand but the cost to us, a small specialist company, is quite onerous. Whilst we thoroughly enjoy the show, and meet a lot of friends and new customers, the cost of attending is never recouped through any sales. We are lucky in that we live relatively local and so do not have accommodation costs but I know, for other traders, these costs have to be added on to the cost of the stand and, sometimes, the figures just cannot add up. Not only were there fewer club stands this year (3 I can think of off the top of my head) but there were gaps in the trade stands too and where there used to be trade there are now club tables. The show needs the trade there to bring folk in as well as the clubs. I was particularly disturbed to see Deans Marine 'out on a limb' with their stand..... A last minute re-arrangement should have taken place to bring him into the fold and present a more cohesive presence. We need a good tool supplier there too!!! Not the chap at Blackpool - wrong sorts of tools in my view. We need the likes of Proops or Squires back.
Reduce the trade stand costs - by about half really - and then you will get more traders attending. This will then fill more space and with the clubs that regularly attend you wont need more 'variety' as there will not be space enough left!!! Blackpool Show and Haydock have the stand costs just right in my view.
Is it my impression or is there more space available at the Blackpool Show than at Warwick??????
Carl