Exhibitions

[TheSnapper]

In my opinion, for a general "all scales" show, David Lane seems to have the knack of striking the right balance, with the Railex shows at Aylesbury. Not too big, not too small - every year he seems to have quality layouts, good selection of trade support, reasonable venue & parking etc. It can be done..........

Tim

 

[Simon]

Neil, you'll have a great time - whilst a lot of the criticism Warley picks up is perfectly valid I think that on the whole it gets more stick than it deserves.

I wouldn't say it was my "ideal" show by any means but have gone for the last few years, my recipe for enjoyments is:

Travel with several mates in an economical car, preferably as passenger.

Go on a Sunday when it's (apparently) less busy.

Ignore the BachHellDipolby stands when entering and head straight for the layouts.

Buy a ticket in advance which reduces queuing.

Take some sandwiches, but don't eschew the odd coffee or beer.

Buy an exhibition guide and work out what you want to see.

It hasn't failed for me yet

As for the size of show etc, I'm sure there are tweaks that could and might be made, but I take my hat off to all involved for taking on such a gargantuan task - I wouldn't be able to do it and it is amazing to see so much "railwayness" all in one place.

Simon

 

[iploffy]

Watch the back packs mate they do a 90 degree swing like a diggers bucket and WILL have you on your arse with out thinking. Bloody hippies

 

[SteveO]

I can count the shows I've been to on half a hand so my experience is a bit limited. However, I liked Reading for its mix of traders vs exhibitors who I found was almost right - perhaps one more layout would have been perfect for me.

The thing that has struck me is not the quality of the layouts but the quality of the layout operators. What I mean by that is some of them are just plain rude in a variety of ways. There also seems to be two states of a layout - packed or empty. When it's packed you can't see anything and can't ask anything. When it's empty it's either an overload of information or you're not worth talking to because it's only you. Once I was literally brushed aside...

To be continued, my battery is about to run out!

 

[SteveO]

Continued...

I've thought about this and what I would do if I was an exhibitor of my layout. I would like to make it entertaining, rather than just sit back and run it. I would have time slots for people to come and watch while I talked through what I've done or what is being seen, then an amount of time for questions after my 'demonstration'.

For example, my layout would demonstrate a 'day in the life of' or 'the last days of' or whatever my layout's subject was where I would talk through what is happening (while running it) to the people who came to look, let's say 20 minutes. Then another 20 minutes of taking questions and another 20 minutes of rest or setting up again.

I would then offer a similar 'set' of 20/20/20 of how (and maybe why) I built it, with some part constructed bits or alternatives that didn't make or maybe will make it one day. Alternating these sets throughout the day.

I think this sort of entertainment is missing from shows. Just think how you are 'entertained' at the demonstrations at shows - making trees or soldering or ballasting track, and how this could be transferred to the layouts also.

 

[Dog Star]

So, as I consider options for next year's spiffing "Larkrail", Saturday 20th July 2013, I would be interested to hear others thoughts on what makes an exhibition good or enjoyable.

There are three reasons that Peter and I go to Model Railway Shows:-
[1] to see good modelling and realistic operation;
[2] to buy what we need rather than what we think might be nice
[3] to have a day out without any rush, crowds, or hassle.

To put this response into context, we attend the following events each year:-
[1] Telford;
[2] Railex Aylesbury;
[3] S4um (in Surrey);
[4] Bristol 0GG in January;
[5] Guilford 0GG in December.

Very few other shows attract our attention... Warley is now, to us, a 50/50 event and our attendance is driven entirely by a desire to see a specific layout (for example:- Bucks Hill, Black Lion Crossing, Pempoul). We have gone to Railwells in the past and do not now primarily because of the traffic getting there / back (A303 etc.).

Otherwise, most of the shows which we did attend and no longer visit are those events where the modelling quality has gone down, the trade no longer offers the raw materials (which we can get using the excellent postal service of companies like Slaters, Squires, Eileen's Emp) or the crowds / traffic / refreshments deter. Southampton suffers from lack of quality and hassle factor. G0G Kettering suffers from the parking hassle. The Bristol show in May suffers from all of the negative factors.

Warner's / BRM? No way hose, too much driven by what to us seems to be the quick-buck merchants.

Food is an important part of our day out... given that most of the shows listed above are a serious drive from Basingstoke. Wells has always provided good sustenance. Telford was good when the upstairs place was an Italian restaurant. Warley used to be good, now too much hassle to get served. Aylesbury has been bad and this year the improvement was noticeable. I was very disappointed with Expo EM at Bracknell this year... I went both days to see Black Lion and Pempoul.... nothing worthwhile having for lunch on Saturday and no better on Sunday.


After seeing the pictures and reading the reports I regret not making the effort for Simon's show this year.... A303 permitting.... for the quality of modelling on display and the interaction between the exhibitors and the visitors.

regards, Graham

 

[Neil]

Watch the back packs mate they do a 90 degree swing like a diggers bucket and WILL have you on your arse with out thinking. Bloody hippies

I didn't realise we've met.

 

[Neil]

....

Travel with several mates in an economical car, preferably as passenger.

Go on a Sunday when it's (apparently) less busy.

We'll be heading to the NEC by rail, which might preclude a Sunday visit, timetables will have to be consulted. Taking sandwiches would seem to be a top tip and my Yorkshire genes naturally inhibit any knee jerk retail therapy so I should manage to avoid spivs flogging cut price toys.

 

[28ten]

I shall probably go to the S4 show this year so it will be an interesting comparison as Im not a lover of Guildex.
I do agree with Steves sentiments about operators being just downright rude, exhibitors need to remember it costs a punter good money to go and their layout, and they are there to entertain/inform, not chat to each other and make snide remarks. The same could also be said of some trade stands where they stand behind the table chatting with the chosen few and ignoring other punters.

 

[Chris Nevard]

S4em in Leatherhead is always a nice show, I don't model to the track standards but try to embrace the other aspects than make a layout good. It's usually relaxed enough to be able to get up close an intimate with the layouts. It's also a nice chance to catch up with members of the South Devon Massive who always appear to have a good presence. It's just under 20 miles away so another attraction.

Railex is usually my own exhibiting highlight, it being one of the few shows I endevour to take a layout to, next year being number 6 I think.

I quite enjoy the High Wycombe show around Guy Fawks night as well, as always well organized and excellent hosts if exhibiting. The audience are generally well behaved and repect the time and effort going into the modelling by not grabbing or hanging off it.

Warley, to be honest it's not a show I'd be bothered with, not because it's bad, but mostly due to a hatred of travelling any kind of distance at a weekends. But those nice people at Bauer Media request my presence to snap the new releases, in exchange for stuff that pays the bills. It is is a nice chance to catch up with people too of course. Layouts? Too busy apart from first thing Sunday am, but we'll have had too much ale the night before probably!

 

[david bigcheeseplant]

With Railex I tend to put a show I would want to go to if I was a visitor, also I have a pretty free reign of what I invite or how I organise it, we didn't even have any commitee or Railex meetings since well before Railex 2011, I just email or talk to the people that need to and it all seems to happen, I hate bureaucracy that seem to be part of many shows.

I did wonder what happened to the Westernhouse show in Chippenham, we took Saffron Street there and I thought it was a good little finescale show.

Due to less time last year I lost my mojo and my modelling output went to almost zero, also I didn't get to many shows other than those I go to with Wild Swan, now I have changed my job I have regained two hours a day due to less travelling so plan to do more modelling and visit more shows, although these will be the finescale type shows rather than a general type show.

I really need to get to Camrail, hopefully next year and I do like Wells.

As for falling attendences we have had a simular number of visitors at Railex for the last few years although we did drop a bit this year, due in part to it being a really hot weekend, also I felt I did not get the layout balance right this year my fault due to work pressure and losing my mojo, anyway I think I have regained it and think next years show will be very strong on the layouts, with a return of Bucks Hill with a fantastic backscene, and a few other surprises.

David

 

[Simon Dunkley]

I don't like sports halls they have squeaky floors and smell of trainers and sweat.

Talking of which, I have assisted a friend with his layout at a show held in a school. We were in the main hall - light, airy, etc. Half of the show was in the sports' hall. A fellow operator overheard a couple of schoolboys talking, one said, "Come on, there's more stuff in the sports' hall." To which came the response, "I'm not going in there, it stinks." And by golly, was he right. The one trade stand I wished to visit was in that hall. I wasn't in there for long!

Personally I look for quality layouts, quality operating, and quality trade support. At a push I will take any quality trade support with a blend of the other two, but I prefer to come away inspired, enlightened, and re-supplied with materials. Distance is more of an issue than cost of entrance - anything over 20 miles from me (that'll be nearly every show I can get to!) will probably cost more in fuel for the return trip than for getting in. Something such as St. Albans - an excellent general show - involves me in 4 hours of travel, often more than I spend in the show, unless meeting up with friends. Wells is an 8 hour round trip, so unless operating, I don't usually go there.

As has been said by others, specialist shows are often better suited to my inclinations - when I lived in NW Surrey, I visited Scaleforum every year, and also the Chatham Show, due to low train fares on a Saturday (even cheaper when I had a season ticket into central London and out to Zone 6!)

But each to his own - I do look forward to seeing every layout having a "compère" in front of it, as advocated in the Modeller. I am sure exhibition managers love the idea of an extra body to feed, house and the extra travel expenses which may be involved...