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If there wasn't, I'd like this. If there was then could you hand them out when you pay or hand your ticket in? I'd even pay a quid to have one so I could plan my walk round a bit better...
@jason - that's a reasonably serious suggestion. If you can't take the show to a bigger hall to be able to fit everyone in, perhaps do 2 shows in the same place?
And a "learn to park" course for the numpty who left the hire van blocking everyone in in the car park.
Plan of the hall would be fantastic and I think a must, there were a few times as it got busier that I got frustrated at not being able to find the stalls I was looking for.
Also the ticketing system is very antiquated. It was very lucky that I bought cash with me at the door as there didn't seem to be a way of paying by card (or not one that was obvious). This is 2017 - I went to a much smaller show recently that had tickets available on my phone's wallet app and scanned barcodes....
i didn't enjoy being shepherded upstairs and made to walk around the acoustic section at 9:55am - if you've let me in the hall, then you're ready for me, it just came across a bit amateurish, rather than a well oiled machine.
I would also hope that the show could expand a little, even if there are not more exhibitors, just so there's more room around some of the stalls. Looking at the way it is, if it gets any more popular, there is no way New Bingley hall will sustain the numbers, both in parking and around the exhibition.
on the plus side the interactions I had with everyone were good and the curry was banging!
At some shows I go to companies have a 'book a slot to chat/consult' which works really well - you get a 5 or 10 minute slot to get some dedicated time guaranteed. Really helps with people flow as well and makes things less cluttered at certain stands.
If you were looking to expand, I'd look at a multi-hall option - Bass room, Acoustic Room, prolly even an Amps room. This also helps with footfall and flow around.
Never seen it so busy which is great but looks now to have outgrown the venue
I would even be tempted to do a Friday as well and make it Trade Only - charge them for it and it would be a good industry meet up as well.
At the motorbike shows (like the one in the NEC) there's the manufacturers on their big fancy stands, and then an area where companies show of their latest leathers and helmets, and then a marketplace area to pick up the bargains.. it means the footfall is easier to deal with - the marketplace is always busy, but you're not jostling around to have a chat with that small boutique maker you'd like to commission a build from because there's a bunch of people trying to get to a bargain on the PMT stand..
The live room continues to be an issue ( although I appreciate it nearly always is at these things). Upstairs was too small, the new marquee version has too much sound leaking into it from the main hall. No obvious answer if you continue at the same venue ( which otherwise I like and free parking either in front of the hall or on street is no mean feat - I know it isn't perfect but all things considered it's good) but ideally it would be better.
It is stonkingly busy and cramped at peak times but almost empty at others so I suspect on average the figures don't make sense to move it somewhere that's bigger and more expensive. I guess that's between Jason and his accountant.
Oh, the quiet times continue to be a good idea.
Oh (again) as they don't do posh coffee and are about the only place in Britain that don't maybe a coffee waggon out the front from 9:30am for the early arrivers and the people on the stalls? It would also reduce the queue at the catering which was stupidly long at peak times. Very little else around there (I doubt if many people found the community cafe up the road) so I think that would be a service and a money spinner.
I also went to the Camping and Caravan show at the NEC this week , five halls , free parking, £12 entrance but the footfall is massive, the catering extortionate,etc,etc.
There are other places around Birmingham but from previous conversations I'm pretty sure Jason has explored all of them. I quite fancied the Custard Factory which is quite dead at the weekend and would be good for a multi hall approach and they are used to music events. It's a short walk from the city centre and there are several cafes in it plus other food places nearby. You'd have to pay for car parking though.
I think he parked okay but perhaps also a driving lesson for the numpty driving his BMW aggressively in through the Exit.
If you go to an exhibition at Excel in London you get bombarded with massive ads on the way in. Sponsorship everywhere. Free brochure with a sponsor plastered all over it. Screens with 4 or 5 companies advertising their latest and greatest.
Vehicle manufacturers, IT companies, cosmetics companies etc. etc. have figured this out years ago - and they know that trade shows are great ways of whipping up a bit of hype and getting interest. I remember going to a show the year the original iPhone was launched, and there were rumours there was going to be one on display (in a cabinet - not out to actually touch!) well before the release date.
The queue for the apple stand - and the crowds around it were truly phenomenal. The biggest winner was HP who had their stand next to Apple and had a bunch of slick laptops out - there were hordes of people playing with them whist waiting to get a glimpse of the fabled iPhone..
There's no reason you couldn't get this sort of gig going with music companies. Guitars are a consumer market now - not a professional tool. How many of the footfall at the show buy as a hobby compared to those that make money from it? 100:1? 1000:1?
I say get the manufacturers to pull their socks up now that you have the footfall and have proven just how good it can be for them.
Fairdeal said Sunday morning they took more money upstairs than they did downstairs, so it can't have been too bad