I've been reading the views of members attending this years event and thought I would drop in a message. I have been to this event over the years but I personally prefer to go to a model engineering show purely for the different array of stuff on show rather than just boats and in this way you can pick up more various methods of building stuff.
The organisers of this show own the hall where the model boat show is held every year so this is why the event is already booked for 2020 already even with the fall in traders not attending. Whereas the Model Engineering exhibition at Alexandra Palace show in January held over 3 days that's a different ball game so major expense is involved and totally reliant on a good attendance from the public and traders. It will be very interesting to see if this is the last year this show will be held at Alexandra Palace in 2020 as it's a superb venue with good transport links but April next year they want to bring in the CLEAN-AIR for London stretching to the north + south circular again people who don't travel in the London won't know about this but if you enter it you'll be getting a nice letter from the major of London with an invoice to pay. For traders with vans and lorries over three years old and having to hire it will be seriously expensive so they won't attend such an event as an expense like this is on top of the fuel, accommodation, meals etc and not knowing how much money they will make at the show it's a massive gamble.
I know the organisers Meridienne held a Model Engineering show in Manchester in 2012 + 2013 and they had big attendance figures for both days the event was held and lots of people said what a great show but I understand the venue was pricey so it never happened in 2014.
I took my Dad out to the Dortmund show in 2007 when he retired after seeing it on a show on TV, WOW what a show and I never anticipated the people that will be going through the door I read on a write up that in five days 137,000 people went through the show and I can totally believe it as you couldn't move inside. In 2015 I went out again and I could tell in that time even though it was extremely busy it wasn't as busy as when I visited in 2007 the exhibits and traders still seemed the same, after I read that 91,000 went through the door. I read on the web-site for the Dortmund show in 2020 that 77,000 attended the 2019 show and they've gone from five days to four, obviously to save money as this show is held in eight big halls. What is interesting they have school trips to this event as I've heard that in Germany children have to take a art/craft I'm not 100% sure of this it's only what I was told. I'm just gutted my school never had trips to such exhibitions!!! Again it's not just us over here where the shows are being reduced.
I live in Bristol and we have just one model shop now, Antics. So if they haven't got it you're forced to either mail order over the phone or buy on-line.
When I think of when I started this hobby in the early 80's the one big event of the year was the Model Engineering Exhibition at the Wembley Conference Centre and I was a member of the Bristol SMEE then and went up on the club bus (which they used to had four go to the show) and I've seen blokes come
out with pillar drills and put it in the back of the coach??? I was surprised the coaches ever got back to Bristol with the weight in the back. Great days. I put
the decline in traders down to the internet as traders now don't attend shows as it's not worth the bother of travelling to an event with the costs involved as guys I know here in Bristol that do model flying don't bother with the shows as they order up everything they need on-line, whereas years ago they would go to a show to purchase what they wanted. Hence more traders and more people attending
These are my thoughts and views please don't think I'm knocking anyone's efforts I just thought I would drop a line in on the subject.
As I do support the London, Doncaster and the Warwick model engineering exhibitions every year.
Regards
Kevin