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[jaywayne75]

Ok with all thats been said on the above and the extortionate charges to get in and exhibit, what is the general interest in the show?
this venue is superb but i understand we should not pay 4 quid over the odds to use it when other perfectly good and now better shows are on this year
I always liked the show and looked forward to the weekend and its well turned out club stands and solo exhibitors traders alike.
so should a big push be made to attend the event in numbers despite the charges or should we let this dinosaur roll over and die?

[unbuiltnautilus]

Beale Parks Model Weekends have always been a highlight of our teams calender, but the shows have suffered the 'death of a thousand cuts' over the years, with falling attendances resulting in falling trader attendances, resulting in the show becoming a shadow of its former self. I think the event needs a radical overhaul and I feel that requires an absence from this seasons calender. Come back with a vengeance and we will be there, but dont bother if it is going to result in another half hearted 'nail in the coffin' of a once great event.

[HUNTER]

Ok with all thats been said on the above and the extortionate charges to get in and exhibit, what is the general interest in the show?
this venue is superb but i understand we should not pay 4 quid over the odds to use it when other perfectly good and now better shows are on this year
I always liked the show and looked forward to the weekend and its well turned out club stands and solo exhibitors traders alike.
so should a big push be made to attend the event in numbers despite the charges or should we let this dinosaur roll over and die?

Hello to you all.
 Just to let you know, The Beale Park show has been free to all exhibitors for at least the last two shows. I politely ask you - when did you go last? I don't understand "we should not pay 4 quid over the odds".
As far as I am aware - the Organiser - Richard Howard has always allowed 10 free tickets to each Club. The money comes out of his own pocket as Beale Park is a charity and as such must not make any loss at any function held within its gambit.
The last two shows were organised by both the chairman of the home club Mid Thames Ian Hughes and myself due to the ill health of Richard. Most people who were there enjoyed it and all of the exhibitors got in free.
The spring show had a good turn out but due to very poor weather, the late show was very wet and windy but the show continued and many people sailed over the weekend and we also had a visit from the local paper who wrote a very decent piece in the following weeks edition.

Now, we come to the bit that sticks in my throat.
Richard and myself have spent much time in discussion with regard to the shows at Beale Park. the outcome of these discussions are that there will be no official Model Boat shows in 2011. There will, however, be free sailing on the inner lake for anyone wishing to go on the Saturday only of the spring bank holiday. Any trader that wishes to trade for free on the Saturday, needs to get in touch with Richard.
 
One of the ideas that came out of the disscussions for 2012 as it is the Olympics year and there will be a huge increase in activities at Beale Park, is to put the Model Boat show along side the Large Boat Show with the model side being in a Model Boat Village where there will be trade and exhibitors alongside each other in a large Marquee with outside trade etc as well. There will be free camping of course plus there will be entertainment in the evenings. Hopefully a beer tent plus eating tents. Possibly entertainment may be provided. We both want to bring back all of the fun etc that we all enjoyed in the early years. We don't have any details of how we can do it or what you would all like, so if you have any good ideas let me know. (no strippers!)
Richard and myself both agree that the show needs a good kick in the nether region. Maybe 2012 will be the year to do it, so lets all be positive and think good thoughts and bring on a show that is in the best location that anyone could ask for!

Sorry that this note is so long, but you know me!
Regards to you all and hope to see you all around the country at the shows.
Graham Sheppard
 

[Shipmate60]

Graham,
As you know I am a supporter of Beale Park Model Boat Events.
My main concern is that too many dwell on the past mistakes, but being fair they were massive!!

The recent falling attendance shows that something radical is needed, so at least a change of format or a novel day etc.

Bob

[ben hall]

Beale Parks Model Weekends have always been a highlight of our teams calender, but the shows have suffered the 'death of a thousand cuts' over the years, with falling attendances resulting in falling trader attendances, resulting in the show becoming a shadow of its former self. I think the event needs a radical overhaul and I feel that requires an absence from this seasons calender. Come back with a vengeance and we will be there, but dont bother if it is going to result in another half hearted 'nail in the coffin' of a once great event.

THE LAST BEAL PARK WE DID WELL BOTH OF THEM WERE BOTH RAINY THE SECOND ONE WAS JUST PMBDT AND I THINK A COUPLE OF MID THAMES MODEL BOAT CLUB MEMBERS AND 4/5 TRADERS BUT IF THE WEATHER WAS GOOD I THINK A LOT MORE PEOPLE WOULD HAVE COME AND THUS MORE MONEY MADE MEANING IT WOULDN'T BE CANCELLED

[Shipmate60]

Ben,
This show has a awful lot of baggage, there is still a well of bad feeling about the venue.

Bob

[triumphjon]

having only been to a few of the early shows at beale i wouldnt know the problems that the venue has been having , however with an increase in other venues added to the ever increasing cost of travelling to events , entrance fees and of course for those of us lucky enough to have a family , the cost of keeping the little ones entertained can make for en event out of reach ?  if there is bad feeling about the event maybe its better to not hold it for a year or two in the hope the bad memories will fade . i apreciate that organising any event is not only time consuming but very hard work too , which dosnt do the moral any favours if the event went badly !

[carlmt]

Beale was a good show a few years back.  Dad and I used to attend for the full 3 days with a good selection of models. We stayed in my motorhome and we knew the models were safely tucked up for the night in the excellent and secure mini-marquee's that Richard provided. The entrance for those exhibiting and sailing was free. There were traders aplenty in the indoor areas - including Deans, Model Slipway and Proops.....

THEN - a couple of years ago, the mini-marquees were no more.......where can we store the models safely overnight? Not in the motorhome - no room!!! The traders had to be outside.....not an ideal situation with valuable stock.  Then there was the entrance fee....OK, make a charge - but surely a 'good' discount is in order. After all, without the exhibitors, there would be no show!!! It isnt rocket science!!!

We WOULD attend again - it is a very good water - but really, these things need addressing if it is to stay a 2/3 day show.............especially the security of the models overnight for those exhibiting all 3 days.  As I said - a fair charge for entry is in order, if they have to cover the cost of that exhibitor walking through the gate (£1?), but I do believe that for every exhibitor that gets in at a reduced rate, 5 paying public visitors extra will walk through the gate - because they have seen the advertising, spotted the signs, and believe that there is a MODEL BOAT SHOW to see............If you charge too much to the EXHIBITORS, they will not come.....then there will be no BOAT SHOW.

Carl

[jaywayne75]

I was in attendance at the october show when i was charged for exhibiting my boat.
Now i have a vintage fire engine and i have been showing this vehicle for 12 yrs and others prior to that and a commity member of the fire service presevation group told me a very true statement that rings true today "start charging exhibitors to your show's and then you will have no show's its that simple"
i understand the overhead situation and these are to be factored when a show is put on because as well as profiting the show could well make a loss and if our fee's were so pivotal in the running of such an event then maybe the shows costings need to be addressed not so much at the exhibitors but elsewhere.

I cant fathom why the event organisers cant see?
the deminishing numbers are down to what exactly??
we are not all traders out to profit from these events but many retired folk with little disposable income out to show off their work and have an enjoyable weekend and many who travel a long way, so think of these folk when the next pricing up is going on

The statement of Beale was a great show how long ago did i last go
well mr hunter systems of which many of my boats have your products fitted, think like this......
why did the show go down hill
why was it not rectified
why defend the actions of greed

instead of quoting my opinions just look back into the distant past back when it was a great event and look see what has changed over the years where is the catalist for this chain of events
if Richard Howard walked around the event getting views from the people making the event that would be the best course of action

[HUNTER]

Hi to you all.
First of all - Queenmaryfan, I did not mean to offend you in any way, I was merrily asking when you attended last as I was not aware that any exhibitor was charged to get in to the show. I was adamant that this would not happen for the last two shows that I was co-organising. So I apologise for Richard Howard, the guys on the gate, myself and Beale Park.

The Trade that attend these shows are paying anywhere up to several hundred pounds for two tables of space. Some shows are free to trade at, Wiksteed being one of them. Others are very expensive and bearing in mind travel can be several hundred miles at time with fuel prices the same for all. Yes, and when a show is badly attended, and then we make a loss, the trade will think twice about going againjavascript:void(0);. The exhibitor then says I am not going to that show again as there wasn't many traders! So we the trade need exhibitors and the exhibitors need the trade. Then the owners of the site or the organisers need to make a profit or there is no show the following years so around we all go like a spinning top, greed does not come into it.

2011- Richard Howard will not be hosting a show. The reason being - It was dire in 2010 not much money about and poor attendaces from exhibitors and trade (the late show was listing well over two hundred people wanting free pases.) There were 8 Trade attending, on the Saturday we had some rain in the morning so we had less than sixty exhibitors turn up. On the Sunday we had rain and wind for a while - we had less than 30 exhibitors turn up. The trade attended both days, several made a loss, some made a bit of profit - most said it is not worth doing again.

Around the country, the price of the trade stand goes up nearly every year, the entry price goes up, fuel prices go up, accommodation prices go up. At the end of the day the business side of the shows rely on the Exhibitor and the trader.

Who went to the show at Sandown Park last month and who saw any of the trade with smiles on their faces, most will not be attending next year.

This is why shows mainly die.

Please leave any constructive comments that can be passed onto Richard Howard.

My only involvement in this thread, helping others and putting my neck on the block is because I and a few others are so passionate about model boating and shows that are promoting the hobby itself. Without this passion I suggest we all leave , turn the lights out and close the door on the way out!

I have not written this piece to offend anybody.

See you all at the shows (that we can afford)

This is my last comment - the door is now shut - thank you.
Regards
Graham

[triumphjon]

like queenmaryfan i too attend classic vehicle rallies , its expensive enough for us to not only prepare our chosen marque , and take it to the shows , we are now often asked to have our own public liability insurance to cover events ( more money ) as and when the organisors wish to charge the exibitor these are the events i dont attend unless of course its a charity event , . as organisers need to remember without our vehicles / models there is no show ! the internet has also having an effect on our beloved model shows , remember a time before you could "buy it on the net " when punters would want to visit traders at shows up and down the country so as to be able to buy kits / fittings / electronics that the local model shop didnt stock . nowadays most thing we all want or need are available at the click of a button through the internet . if the displays of models are the same as people have seen for x years on the trott they become boring ! we need some better variety of displayed models and working displays .  maybe during these shows , we could invite some of the ic & electric racing clubs to put on some racing demonstrations ?

[Colin Bishop]

As I have said previously, I think that the Beale events have lost their focus in recent years and the park management don't seem to be able to decide, or understand what they are aiming at. Is the show:

1. A public attraction and advertised locally and further afield as such - in which case exhibitors should get in free as they 'are' the show. Traders are then an 'extra' and should be charged a reasonable rate commensurate with the facilities provided.

2. A commercial model boat show for the benefit of boaters and traders in which case boaters can be charged for admission, access to the traders and the opportunity to run their boats at a nice venue and the traders can be charged for setting up their stalls to service the boaters. (It is unlikely that they will get much trade from the general public)

3. A model boat regatta of the 'club' type whereby boaters pay a nominal sum to enter and run their boats. In  which case traders are again an 'extra' as in 1 above.

At the moment it just seems to be a mish mash of all of the above so no wonder people are confused.

Also, the park management appear to set their charges on the basis that the boaters also have access to the other facilities in the park whereas in fact few boaters actually move away from the boating area to admire the animals etc. Of course there is a complication in that if Mrs Boater and the little boatees accompany Mr Boater then they may well get bored with the marine activities and  wander off to enjoy the general facilities of the park at a preferential rate.

Then of course, just how much does it cost on the margin to the park managememt when the events take place? Do they have to employ extra people etc.?

Difficult isn't it?

Colin

[ministeve]

i too can see the perils of the shows as we run one in a museum. we all know what goes wrong but we all need to look past the faults if we want any shows in the future and try working with organisers instead of damming them we all want the shows but can we all work together to make them a success me and john hughes tried for a few years b4 we were able to bring a show back to the museum but with a lot of consideration on both trader and exhibitor sides we have now made it to our third year without putting any prices up we have been lucky too. but the weather can make or kill a show
good luck beale
steve