This was the first time I had attended.  General observations are:

1. Why no complimentary bag of info and associated literature?.  The tickets weren't excactly cheap so this surely could have been included. Other exhibitions do this so what's the problem here? I was also disappointed that there was no exhibitors' list showing who was there with comprehensive contact details and special offer vouchers etc.  An opportunity lost to many exhibitors as well. And as the web site seemed to excluded some exhibitors (e.g. Camvac) this clearly could not be relied on.

2. The whole exhibition had an air very much like a hastily thrown together arrangement of stands at an upmarket village fete. That said, the main exhibitors had plenty of personnel on hand to talk to which was great and some of the dems were first rate.

3. Show discounts and special prices were very welcome.

4. No shortage of places to eat, & drink & rest which was good considering the average age of attendees appeared to be around  60 to 70.

5. Disappointed that some dealers were not there to exhibit & dem their products (e.g. Fox Tools Hamilton Group, Toolite Glouster, etc.)

Would probably go again on the assumption that I had nothing better to do and needed to buy somethinghoping at a discounted price.

The exhibition should be free entry as is the case with trade exhibitions.  The exhibitors are there to sell their products or services and the cost of exihibiting is just another marketing cost to them.

Show "discounts" by manufacturers and wholesalers are a scam.  Even after the discount they are realising higher prices than they get from their distributors and retailers.  I find that, with a little persuasion, retailers will usually match show "discounts" and they still make a profit.  Retailers don't advertise their discounts because the manufacturers threaten to delist them if they do.

Believe me.  Prior to retirement I often attended similar exhibitions for my company. 

Arrived back from the show a couple of hours ago and for me the event was good - but then I wasn't necessarily going to buy anything but gain information on a few products.  I saw a demonstration of the Scheppach HMS2600ci planer thicknesser which just confirmed to me that it is a great machine.  A Record salesman put me right on fitting a new bandsaw blade and Reg Slack gave me (and a few other hopefuls) a beginners guide to woodturning which was very useful.

There appeared to be fewer stands than previous years and attendance was not great although this made it easier to see the demonstrations and also get a seat when the going got tough! 

Perhaps it was because I didn't go to buy anything in particular (although I can always be tempted) but I didn't see that many show offers.  I'll keep going to these events because it's the best way to see a large range of different tools and get expert advice.  It's worth £9.

Chipper

Sunday night, got back from the show at 7pm, 380mile round trip & a little dissapointed. Managed to get what i went for, bandsaw, dust deputy & a few bits & pieces. But on the whole not as good as the previous Birmingham shows i have been to. Exhibitors & demonstraters a little thin on the ground. Got talking to one exhibitor who said it had it had cost around £6000-00 to stand, so perhaps thats why the hall did not seem full. But at £9-50 to get in i was expecting a little more. I would go so far as to say the D&M show at Kempton park was better & was free to get in to. Curtainly Makita & dewalt had bigger offerings At D&M & as for the Trend stall their prices were more than the D&M cataloge price, so no incentive to by from the show.

Just hope the Birmingham show is on next year at least i wont have to drive so far to be dissapointed.

Cheers all Baz.

 Although I live in sheffield I have experience of  Ali Pali shows having worked at the motorcycle show each january for the past few years. while working there I have seen the international woodworking exhibition adverised and each year I`ve  promised myself a visit. so this year i made the effort to make the five hour round trip.To say  that I was dissapointed is an understatement, it took me less than an hour to make a comfortable tour of the show stalls. hardly a return for my effort .i`ll not be going next year I will be better off spending the £30 petrol and £9.50 entrance on internet purchases.

regards

steve 

Wish my fuel was only £30 Steve, my old van does 35 miles to the gallon so at 380 miles i could have bought the wood for my next project. We all live & learn, just wish some lessons weren`t so expensive.

Cheers Baz.

I visited the show on the Saturday and the car park was far less busy than in previous years.

If the number of visitors and sales is falling, then the future of the show is precarious. There is always the risk of market saturation and also far fewer new people coming into the hobby generation fewer sales/less interest etc. as we become more of an entertainment culture. Sad really, since there is far greater satisfaction in being creative than just being a couch potato!

There is always a good atmosphere at the show, whether or not one purchases items. Advice and demonstrations area always free!

My thanks go to BriMarc, and I think it was Dave, who was happy to give me a complete Leigh dovetail jig demonstration which has given me the confidence to get my Leigh into operation.

Thanks also to Frank Howard (www.frankhoward.co.uk) selling Metabo/Festool etc. I bought a Metabo Powermaxx which had a problem. I e.mailed them on Monday and had a replacement on Wednesday along with compensatory gift. No fuss, just service. Thank you.

Another company over-charged me for an item which is still being discussed. I'll update this later!

As for show prices, a friend and I always take current catalogues/price lists with us to check if a deal really is a good deal!

Richard Grice 

You say about the deals &c.   Did you not realise that  it was not the manufacturers selling to you but just one or two retailers - PowerTek and D&M.  Most of the people in corporate clothing were retailers staff only interested in selling and actual manufacturers staff were very thin on the ground.

We all know that UK prices for every consumer product are far higher than is 'fair'...of course, retailers have legitimate costs + reasonable profit...

 There are times when friends and I simply import directly from the USA...where sometimes prices are 50% of the UK prices...but you have to do your sums with transport, exchange rates and know which goods attract VAT/import duty etc.

And sometimes, looking at retailers via Amazon or Ebay can deliver even better deals!

Like everyone else I was disappointed by the size of the show and the lack of many well known exhibitors. As Baz has already said at £6,000 per stand (?? More for a large stand??) the economics of attendance just aren't there.

If the exhibition is to have any future my prescription would be:

1) Drastically lower the price per stand to exhibitors

2) Widely advertise this fact to potential exhibitors and actively seek bookings for next year's show now.

3) Publish both on line and in the magazine those companies who have already signed up and up date month by month.

4) Build a sense of expectation and excitement that this is going to be the biggest and best show we have seen for years.

5) In combination with some of your sister crafts/sewing/knitting magazine put on a parallel show so that non-woodworking partners have somewher to visit.

6) If possible get a big name international figure as a demonstrator Richard Rafan, Bin Poh, Micael Hasaluk spring to mind (but then I'm a turner) [you did well with John Jordon this year but I wasn't really aware he was coming until I got there - That Should Not Be The Case]

With some thought and application next year's show should be something to look forward too. The highlight of the woodworking year not the disappointment.

Addendum to previous post: 

7) Advertise tickets to next years show now. Set deadlines during the year for reducing discounts on entry fees to promote early booking.

8) Feed the advance booking numbers back into advertising to potential exhibitors to encourage attendance

Ray Small