NEC Outdoor Show - Final Thoughts
Reflecting on the 2007 show I felt that whilst it tried, there were some basic improvements to work on. To be fair some of these have been addressed for 2008, ones directly relating to the show organisation.
But yet again the true measure of the show, its actual content, felt even more diluted. Where were the likes of 2007 retail walking outlets such as Mountain Warehouse & Hike Lite?
For this major UK Outdoor Activity Show there is a difficulty in continuing to attract the public through the doors if content remains largely based on celebrity appearance and exhibitors who, on the whole, see it as a marketing exercise.
Several times I stood outside the main entrance watching visitors as they departed from all the NEC shows in that area.
Those from the 'Go Fishing' Show typically were carrying armfuls of gear - I'd guess averaging around £100+ spend per person. In comparison the Outdoors Show visitors seemed largely empty handed except for the occasional sight of a Kayak wandering by, a pair of legs poking out from underneath.
On the service bus back to the car park I chatted with a 'Go Fishing' exhibitor, who whilst generally happy with his experience to date, was mildly critical at what he saw as the high attendance cost. He quoted around £1,000 for a 4m x 2m stand (around £125 per sq m) I'm sure I spotted somewhere in my pre-research that the OS exhibitor paid £200+ per sq m. That's 60% higher.
From a commercial aspect any potential exhibitor will consider the balance of stand size versus revenue generation, and I suspect that is why...