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RYA Suzuki Dinghy Show 20qy |
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JimC
Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6649 |
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Topic: RYA Suzuki Dinghy Show 20qy Posted: 08 Mar 17 at 11:04am |
I think you should wait for the magazine to be published before criticising them for their coverage!
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andyk
Newbie Joined: 12 Feb 15 Location: Channel Islands Online Status: Offline Posts: 9 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 08 Mar 17 at 11:01am |
So the Dinghy Show attracted about 8000 visitors....about the same as for the past few years.
How many dinghy sailors currently active in the UK? Still about 1000 clubs, average membership maybe 300...do the maths. Not only is the show not attracting the numbers it ought to, but considering that it advertises itself as the formost, the biggest and the best dinghy show in the world, the post event coverage is lamentable. For the 290,000 who for one reason or another cannot get there, ( believe it or not, London is not the centre of the universe, honest ) there is no way of knowing what was there, who was there, no pictures even. Incentive to attend next year....I don't think so Suzuki will not be happy, and Yachts and Yachting, who consider themselves to be the foremost sailing magazine should be totally ashamed of their non-coverage. Almost nothing on line. Where are the videos, the interviews? Apart from an occasional class association blowing its own trumpet, the Show was almost a non-event. Come on guys, get a grip, get yourselves sorted, or give up
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iGRF
Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6496 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 10 Mar 16 at 12:19pm |
Which was why that FOM we had was not a bad embryonic idea, each day a couple of races in your own boat and the last race of the day your swapped and in between races you could take whatever you liked out, if you want a return to the original muckers and messers concept of class gatherings, I think that's the way it should go.
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JimC
Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6649 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 10 Mar 16 at 12:15pm |
Having an on the water element is a nice idea, but I think the logistics defeat it. When I've seen on the water trials of boats it seems that its often a struggle to get much more than 10 people per boat per day. For Laser or RS, OK, maybe bring 10 or 20 new boats, sold off as show specials at the end of the weekend, but for the average class association it probably means at least two extra show quality boats, plus enough extra volunteers to support the boats on land and waters edge, possibly crews too, in order to get maybe 20 trial sails. Then you've got to pay insurance, and somehow deal with the inevitable collisions.
Then you've got to figure in changing facilities for some hundreds of people, plus the clutter of those hundreds of people carrying sailing gear round the show all day. Then the classes will worry about weather. If its really light the performance boats will fear people will be put off, if its strong the owners will be panicking about breakages from the ham handed. If its chucking down with rain or freezing cold the class volunteers will freeze, not to mention reduced turnout... Too many classes struggle with getting their act together for the show anyway, I fear that trying to introduce an on the water event would spectacularly increase the complexity of the event, beyond the capacity for many classes to manage. Edited by JimC - 10 Mar 16 at 12:15pm |
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iGRF
Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6496 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 10 Mar 16 at 11:45am |
What we need is an exhibition facility with water access. We've done small shows on Willen Lake in Milton keynes for example, or the original snowdome had a lake opposite it but doubt either have the space inside.
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Roger
Really should get out more Joined: 23 Mar 04 Location: Somerset Online Status: Offline Posts: 524 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 10 Mar 16 at 11:31am |
http://westpointexeter.co.uk/ Westpoint Exeter - Very doable, plenty of room and just off M5, rail only to center of Exeter so would have to run buses (not ideal), loads of car parking though. http://www.bathandwest.com/ Bath and West Showground - Non starter, difficult access, not enough covered room and parking on the grass in March is bad news. |
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iGRF
Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6496 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 10 Mar 16 at 11:26am |
Getting back to the Dinghy Show and what's wrong, it lacks Jenny Curry, she was always there to sort things, I don't even know who is in charge of the show these days, I suggested to kevin he get an announcement made that he was about to cut the birthday cake, not a big deal to bung a twenty second thing over the tannoy. Do you think he could get it done, he was shuffled from pillar to post, not one bit knew what the other was doing, it's a farce, no key organiser to make things happen.
In Years past as you arrived there would be stuff gong on outside, Volvo's etc then in the palm court there would be a big display the vibe would be palpable before you even got in the door. Now? Flat as leaven bread only the price has any self raising element. Edited by iGRF - 10 Mar 16 at 11:27am |
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iGRF
Really should get out more Joined: 07 Mar 11 Location: Hythe Online Status: Offline Posts: 6496 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 10 Mar 16 at 11:18am |
The reason believe it or not the dinghy show is at the current venue is probably down to me, it's a long story but if we're ever in a bar together I'd happily recount it, but at the time Ally Pally was far cheaper than the NEC and London and SE centric attracts more folk than the NEC unless it's to do with cars and or beer.
Most 'active lifestyle' shows do better in and around London, take the Ski show as another example, the London Show rocks the midlands shows suck, from an exhibitor viewpoint and Northern editions of southern shows are normally loss making for the bigger exhibitors, although at retail level they get use to dump stock and turn some money over off season. As to other venues we used to go to a trade event at Telford where there were just about enough hotel beds to cope, and it wasn't too pricey and you had Iron bridge nearby in which you could stay, that might work. Then there was another surf show held down in Exeter that wasn't too expensive to run could also work and there was a place just outside Bath that we used to exhibit at, also not to pricey, but and here's the rub, none of these were public shows, most were trade events where folk had to go for commercial gain, I doubt you'd get classes trucking all over the UK. |
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Time Lord
Far too distracted from work Joined: 03 Dec 13 Location: Warwickshire Online Status: Offline Posts: 301 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 10 Mar 16 at 9:58am |
There is a 'little' showground at Stoneleigh just south of Coventry which would be ideal. Plenty of car parking and exhibition halls all on the flat and with even some of the car parking undercover in the old Royal Show cattle sheds.
Trade shows are regularly held there and it is all on the flat - no thigh crippling climb up and down to Ally Pally. Excellent motorway access (M40, M6) within minutes; good train connections from Coventry. As RYA would view this as the north, why not a northern dinghy show and allow the London one to whither away. Would get to an entirely different audience. |
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jeffers
Really should get out more Joined: 29 Mar 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 3048 |
Post Options Quote Reply Posted: 10 Mar 16 at 9:53am |
That is the beauty of the NEC there are so many halls of varying sizes that one could be found that is the right size. I suspect it just has not been examined properly.....
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Paul
---------------------- D-Zero GBR 74 |
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