We have attended shows at Yeovilton and Bovington museums in the past, and continue to support the Bovington shows. These events charge a table hire fee as well as a reduced ticket price for any members exceeding the five free complementary ones provided to each group. This has been going on for many years, just for some reason, model boat shows have been cruising along with no charges whatsoever to the groups attending. The above costs, when divided up amongst, say twelve members, would come to about £5 a head. Tables being paid for from club funds. Not a great expense to the members.
I have seen over the years, the efforts made by certain modellers, to obtain free entry to events, sneaking in through fire doors, bringing the bare minimum of models to contribute to the clubs stand, disappearing off the stand as soon as the show opens, only to reappear for going home time, as well as many self serving sins ( having spoken to organisers of very recent events, I know this still goes on. ), this is no way to support the hobby.
One of our members broached this very subject of paying to attend big shows a couple of years ago. A show lives and dies by its trade support, no traders and we bitch like little girls, but do we buy much from them. The cry 'I can get that online cheaper' is a common one ( Traders should have a swear jar on their counters to deal with this type of scumbag! Keep it to yourself, tight 'bottom'.. ). A trader will judge his next years attendance at a show based on the current years takings at that show, if you don't support him, he will not be there next year. This little thing can cascade to cause the death of a show you claim to love. If clubs contributed a little to costs AND this could be used to offset stand costs for traders ( a big 'if'. some show organisers have been, and shall always be, greedy 'bar stuarts' ), maybe a more stable relationship could contribute to greater longevity for shows.
My personal opinion, based on over thirty five years of this boating ( God, I am getting old AND grumpy, move over [name withheld!]), is that nearly all model shows have a finite lifespan, based on human interaction, i.e. grumpy, miserable, tightwad, keyboard warriors, as well as pond side gossips, and lovers of ordering tat from China direct. None of whom have ever been involved in organising events. So you reap what you sow. The majority of us should be eternally grateful to that minority who put themselves out there to make these shows worth visiting, long may it continue