Brian Peters Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Just returned from the NEC Caravan/Motorhome show, very dissapointed. I was directed to the East 5 car park at 10:20 am only to find that there was no shuttle bus service, so made my way to the venue by foot. Then i had to stand in line for a long time to buy my tickets,only 2 kiosks open. Most of the halls usually used for this show were empty so up some stairs and about 10 mins travel to find the halls that the show was in. I think the reccesion may have already taken affect as the stands were far less than other years, the europian camp site section had been squeezed into the back of a hall, All in all a poor show compared to other years. Its a shame, i usually look forward to going to this show, i will think twice about going next year. Brian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hymer C 9. Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Now I am not so disappointed I am not going, sorry you did not enjoy it though. Carol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 We were there today as well. No problems parking because we were there by 8:30 (sat in the van at the NEC rather than Chapel Lane) and parked in North 3 car park. We went two years ago but didn't go last year. The thing we noticed was that, whilst there are plenty of big companies there, there are a lot fewer accessory dealers - which was what interested us more - than 2 years ago. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred22 Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 Hi, we've been to the show today and couldn't agree more about the above comments. Plenty of Caravans and Motohomes but not many visitors and very few sidestalls selling those bits and pieces you always seem to need and what we really go for. Spoke to one stall holder who said that it was the smallest first day attendance he had seen, I purchased something from one display and needed £5 change which was given to me off what appeared to be a large roll of notes. My comment that he had a good day was met with the reply " ah, but you don't know how much I have to make to clear the pitch fee". This reminds me of a comment made last year when one dealer said that he had not covered his overheads for one day and wouldn't be coming back this year. Did anybody other than us fall into the trap of exiting out of a different door to the one by the courtesy buses only to have to re-enter the hall to exit the site. Think we will give it a miss next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JudgeMental Posted October 14, 2008 Share Posted October 14, 2008 We have decided to cancel our Saturday visit role on Düsseldorf 2009! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catinou Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Wish we could do the same Judge - but feel almost "obliged" to use the 2 day tickets >:-( plus overnight camping tickets we have via the C & C Club. We were already a bit perplexed that after paying for 2 days plus the stop over to find that we can only enter the camping area after 1 pm and have to leave the next day by 10 am (!) Does that mean we have to keep ducking in and out of the show to move from and to the main car parks? Mind you, from what we have read above, we may be coming back early on Sunday morning anyway. C'est La Vie *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dobscott Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 We have just returned from the show and agree with the comments already made. The lack of accessory stands was a disappointment and although most of the usual dealers etc. were there( including Hymer and Brownhills) there appeared to be a lack of innovation and interest. One noticable difference was that many "sales staff" came and said hello and tried to start a conversation,although most of them failed to answer even basic questions about their products. I have never attended a show of any kind at the NEC with such a small attendance and so much room to walk about or sit and relax We found the Caravan Cub site to be excellent, well planned, marshalled, plenty of space between units and frequent shuttles or a few minutes walk to the Halls. Why the organisers have closed the road to the main entrance to the show is a mystery and appeared to cause much confusion to both traffic and pedestrians. Driving out from the C.C.site was also difficult and confusing, all traffic being directed from the car parks to the centre of the show site onto narrow lanes before reaching normal roads. Plenty of work for marshalls however manning all the lane junctions. Overall our impressions were of disappointment and a feeling that the cost outweighed the benefits and we will think very carefully before another visit.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverbike Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 I suppose it all depends what you want to look at. We had a good look around the panel van type motorhomes. Most were conveniently located just inside the entrance where the bus dropped us (not the usual main entrance) and we spent almost 2 hours in that hall alone! The people we spoke to knew what they were talking about. I was surprised at the number of customers who were doing serious paperwork on some stands. Some people were spending serious money. Agree about the accessories but I think the NEC is so expensive that smaller firms find it difficult to cover their costs. I've been told £500 for a small stand which means you need to turn over a lot of trade before you make any profit! We enjoyed it anyway! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 The smallest stand space available at the NEC is 3 metres by 3 metres and that will cost £1200 for the six days, then you add in the cost of the shell scheme and electric and whatever else they can find to add on. Too rich for my tastes I'm afraid so I'm going to be on the Roadpro stand most of the next four days (except tomorrow and Saturday afternoons when I'll be on a different stand ;-) ). D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 davenewell@home - 2008-10-15 6:11 PM The smallest stand space available at the NEC is 3 metres by 3 metres and that will cost £1200 for the six days, then you add in the cost of the shell scheme and electric and whatever else they can find to add on. Too rich for my tastes I'm afraid so I'm going to be on the Roadpro stand most of the next four days (except tomorrow and Saturday afternoons when I'll be on a different stand ;-) ). D. I'm sure you're right, Dave, that cost v potential profit is the reason why many small companies are put off. Venues like the NEC, Earls Court, Olympia etc are aimed at large companies to which the costs of stands are small compared to the salaries of the people they have there (which they would be paying anyway) and the profits on the goods & services they sell - and it's the same whatever the industry/theme of the event. We exhibit at the two largest provincial family history fairs, which are one day events, and turn enough of a profit to make it worthwhile. The only larger event in the country - a three day event in London - would cost us at least ten times as much and we would be lucky to break even so we just don't go. Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 davenewell@home - 2008-10-15 6:11 PM The smallest stand space available at the NEC is 3 metres by 3 metres and that will cost £1200 for the six days, then you add in the cost of the shell scheme and electric and whatever else they can find to add on. Too rich for my tastes I'm afraid so I'm going to be on the Roadpro stand most of the next four days (except tomorrow and Saturday afternoons when I'll be on a different stand ;-) ). D. Well there was precious little sight of you today! at least when I walked past. :D This years show suited me fine, had a bit of luck with parking, just hit the que when E4 was opened we where second car in. A bit wet so unusaly for us we took bus, good job as we would have walked to wrong hall. Only couple of people in front for paying so quickly in. Not a lot of assessory stands but we wheren't realy interested in them. The range of vans seemed similier to other shows but not many 'repeats' i.e. I saw only one Twin, usualy they are on several different stands. We where on a fact finding tour to compare the Twin with the new batch of similier layouts(Pace, HymerVan, Possl,Tribute) had a bonus of seeing a Possl 'twin syle' on a Renault base(on the Renault stand) that had done a round world trip (that one's crossed of the list). Their was very few people compared with other shows, even one of the cleaners commented on how quite it was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 "Well there was precious little sight of you today! at least when I walked past. " That'll be because I was in my workshop respraying the bonnet of my daily driver Ford escort Colin :D . D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GJH Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 davenewell@home - 2008-10-15 9:38 PM "Well there was precious little sight of you today! at least when I walked past. " That'll be because I was in my workshop respraying the bonnet of my daily driver Ford escort Colin :D . D. Starting a bit early for Easter aren't you Dave? (lol) (lol) Graham Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 Well had my first day at the show today and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Its spread over a bigger area than before I think which gives it a more relaxed feel and also makes it feel less busy. Working on the Roadpro stand I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at the interest in high value accessories and a busy day was had by all. Didn't get a chance to look around very much as I had to work but I'm in again tomorrow, and Saturday and Sunday so I'll get to look around bit by bit. D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred grant Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 what roadpro stand dave my biddy. bedgered if fred saw it. anyway, cak has all the acceessories you could ever need so why does you lot need any other stands? farawayfred (reportin from birmingham on brum) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davenewellhome Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 fred grant - 2008-10-16 7:54 PM what roadpro stand dave my biddy. bedgered if fred saw it. anyway, cak has all the acceessories you could ever need so why does you lot need any other stands? farawayfred (reportin from birmingham on brum) The Roadpro stand between halls 10 and 11 Fred. Do CAK now do TVs, Satellite TV systems, good quality reversing camera systems etc? D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 fred grant - 2008-10-16 7:54 PM what roadpro stand dave my biddy. bedgered if fred saw it. anyway, cak has all the acceessories you could ever need so why does you lot need any other stands? farawayfred (reportin from birmingham on brum) It be all about competional prices Fred me old pal me old beauty. ;-) ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred grant Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 The Roadpro stand between halls 10 and 11 Fred. Do CAK now do TVs, Satellite TV systems, good quality reversing camera systems etc? D. not sure dave as us couldnt see through the crowds. dont see the point in aving a stand between two halls though, no wonder alice and me coulnot find it. f Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 Having just returned home from the NEC I must say that I was not disappointed. Arriving at 9:45 I got into N3 carpark ( which is considerably closer to the halls than I've ever got before ) and I was within the halls in less than 10 minutes. ( Didn't use shuttle). I found there was a lot more room,wider gangways, and even the foyer is included in the exhibition area, which I thought made it a bit more light and airy. For those who don't know, the halls are laid out in a 'U' shape with entrances at each end. The caravans take up about a third of the space, at one end of the 'U', and most of the rest is occupied by motorhomes ( plus awnings and some chalets). There were a number of accessory stands around, although I agree they were a bit scattered, and took a bit of finding. Judging by the car parks when I came out it seemed quite well attended although it will be interesting to know the final attendance figures. Overall I think it is just 'different', and maybe that doesn't suit everone. Certainly there is further to walk once inside the show and if that is a problem for you it would be a good idea to select the area you want to see before you go in ( from the plans). I was disappointed that there were not many countries represented in the campsites area - I only saw Spain and France. Some shows in the past have had stands from Poland, Denmark etc. Maybe they have been priced out now. I was told on the C&CC stand that it will be the same layout next year. :-| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JENIAN Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 Had a great day at the show yesterday. It is alot more airy and space to walk around. Less trade stalls but heyho the economic climate as it is people are keeping their money in their pockets on both sides of fence. Thanks to all who organised this years show. Ian :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geof Angi Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 Angi and I went to show on 15th, we will not be attending again unless we are buying new at some point. Very disapointed, our comments are on the chatterbox page Geof Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 We went to the show yeaterday (17th) With a Disabled Badge for my wife we were able to park under cover (Hall 16) very close to the main entrance. Word of thanks here,for the Organisers, taking consideration that if it had been raining under cover parking, it assists greatly when getting the wheelchair out and assembled. Well it was not crowded and very pleasant to get around, but heavy on the old wallet. We went with the intent to only view potential replqcement vans. Unfortunately we have to change to accomodate an Electric Wheel chair. Our current Bessie would not be able to cope with the weight on her rearend. My wife got all excited & gooey eyed on 2 "potential" replacement. Well both of us really liked the West Van on Roy Woods Transits stand, real stunner inside & out, but no matter which way we looked at it, we could not justify or afford it's price tag. After 6 hours of clambering in & out of Vans & With lots of proding & huge hints from the boss, despite my being insistant that it was only a recce visit, I somehow dropped my guard and put pen to paper for the new Autocruise Sportstar. Mind you, I didn't let my guard drop that much, as I think the dealer is still reeling over the deal. (but I'm sure he will recover - eventually) It's a great new layout from Autocruise and suits our requirements, but it will have a fair amount of additions to the model on the Autocruise stand. It managing to tick all but 2 of our 33 boxes. Now the hard part, have to wait for 1st March, to take delivery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fred grant Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 allow for sept 1 flicka my ansum then yous wont be dissappointed if it don turn up on time. f Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flicka Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 Certainly hope not Fred, more for the dealers sake than my own. If it gets any where to approaching September , I might even come down to borrow your Cider press to apply to the dealer's & manufacturer's unmentionables. They will be under serious pressure & discomfort, if the March isn't adhered too. >:-( This little emotion would really come to life & make himself a perpetual irritation to those responsible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catinou Posted October 19, 2008 Share Posted October 19, 2008 Well, we went and were very disappointed. :-( CAK was the best stand for us - extremely helpful and very busy, being one of the few, retailers with "bits and pieces" in the whole show. Loads of "regular" stands missing with quite big empty spaces dotted around. More caravans and possibly motorhomes this year and certainly more eating and drinking places - more reasonably priced in the restaurant than the smaller units on the outskirts. The C & CC club site was OK and the staff were extremely helpul and jolly and had obviously worked really hard, but couldn't see the £25 value was there really. The generator in car park 10a where we were was extremely noisy. Also, a bit concerned this morning when the 'fridge switched to gas when we were still plugged into mains electric, then we noticed the reverse polarity warning light had come on ( it had been off before that) so we unplugged immediately. All told, not an experience to be repeated on the whole - for us anyway - well, maybe when we change vehicles.... ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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