Timber & Working With Wood Shows 2011 Ladies

[Jim Carroll]

Yes the title is correct, this is a question for the Lady woodies and Partners.

After having a chat with Rick & Liz about what new things to do for the shows it was realised that there was not enough interests for the ladys and partners to keep them busy while the woodie goes around the show.

We see it so often the couple come into the show and the woodie is in seventh heaven and wants to drool over everything but the partner sees it as an obligation to just go along and support the woodie and get them out of the place before hurting the hip pocket too much.

With this the woodie misse out on so much.

This year there was Liz Scobie chatting about how she decorates the woodwork and there was the women in woodwork and also the upholstery supplies.

Can the woodie person ask their partner what they would like to see at the shows to keep there interest up while the woodie drools over everything else.

Now they do not want to go into competition with the stitches and craft shows or other related shows but would like to add some other peices to the show to help everyone.

As a heads up we will be having a dedicated Pyrography demonstration, and have a go on the woodburners next year.
This will incorporate woodburning pictures etc and also embelishing your turning so will cater to both mum and dad.

I know Rick & Liz will like your feedback as they are always looking at ways to improve the shows as shown this year by the number of dedicated demonstrations and the lounges have been very well recieved.

So go and ask your partners what they would like, remember the longer you stay at the show the happier you both will be.

[tea lady]

As an actual "lady" woodworker I hate the "women in woodwork" thing and don't look at it on purpose. But that's just me.:rolleyes:

Pyrography is a good idea, cos often it can make a partership with the woodwork. Maybe they could actually have things to pyrograph (?) there so that the "wives" are kept bust for a while. :think:

I'd just like to see more women an the stands in general doing "real" woodwork! :cool: Not just working the cash registers.:shrug: Although I guess that would mean the blokes might have to share their sheds.:doh: On the other hand, the wives might start "needing" those tools too. So they might start talking the blokes into more perchases. :U

[robbygard]

We see it so often the couple come into the show and the woodie is in seventh heaven and wants to drool over everything but the partner sees it as an obligation to just go along and support the woodie and get them out of the place before hurting the hip pocket too much..

am i lucky or unlucky? ... dianne tends to say: "pick up that as well" ... "that looks nice, why don't you get that" etc so i guess, liz and rick would want her to keep coming along with me





As a heads up we will be having a dedicated Pyrography demonstration, and have a go on the woodburners next year.
This will incorporate woodburning pictures etc and also embelishing your turning .
.


that sounds good ... i don't know enough about it but would it be possible to do similar for marquetry ... perhaps a simple pattern that could be done under supervision and taken away (paid for i mean too)



I know Rick & Liz will like your feedback as they are always looking at ways to improve the shows as shown this year by the number of dedicated demonstrations and the lounges have been very well recieved.

So go and ask your partners what they would like, remember the longer you stay at the show the happier you both will be.

di was happy to do a quick walkaround with me just to see what was there and then retire to a lounge with a book or her laptop and then another walkabout before we go to see any highlights and to check some things out in more detail herself

at melbourne she ended up on the steps ... it didn't daunt her but had they had some single chairs and tables where she could sit in comfort she would have preferred it ... she was probably just too polite but felt that she was taking up real estate that punters needed/wanted at the coffee lounge tables ... at canberra there was more of a "lounge" feel where she could sit and relax and just take up space ...


regards david

[BobL]

SWMBO and I have a "local rules deal". She doesn't come to woodie stuff so I don't have to go to horse stuff or shopping. Now when we we're traveling together this is harder to accommodate and she is exceedingly patient with me - much more than I am with her. This year I bought her a significant distraction (an iPad) so I could do things like spend half a day at a chainsaw museum or a Inside Passage woodwork school. She was more than happy to do stuff on the iPad while she waited. However I know this is not going to be a viable solution for everyone.

When I asked her about what she'd like to see at a wood show she said any wood stuff that bridges to other craft eg wood-jewelry or wood-art.

[I_wanna_Shed]

I know EEE have said they don't want to go into competition with the other shows, but I see Newcastle as the perfect solution to this.

My wife and I drive 2.5 hours to the Newcastle show. I walk towards the right to the wood show, she walks to the left to the craft show. Meet up for lunch, then return to our temptations. It really is a great solution.

Nathan.

[wheelinround]

I know EEE have said they don't want to go into competition with the other shows, but I see Newcastle as the perfect solution to this.

My wife and I drive 2.5 hours to the Newcastle show. I walk towards the right to the wood show, she walks to the left to the craft show. Meet up for lunch, then return to our temptations. It really is a great solution.

Nathan.


Sadly Nathan they HAD a good solution they have decided there will be no show next year:C

[watson]

Sadly Nathan they HAD a good solution they have decided there will be no show next year:C

OK some clarification required here.

Who is "THEY" Wheelin'????

[jow104]

Something that would go down well with the ladies I am sure is a couple of marquees with ladies fashionware on sale.:roll:

[tea lady]

I know EEE have said they don't want to go into competition with the other shows, but I see Newcastle as the perfect solution to this.

My wife and I drive 2.5 hours to the Newcastle show. I walk towards the right to the wood show, she walks to the left to the craft show. Meet up for lunch, then return to our temptations. It really is a great solution.

Nathan.Pairing with another show is prolly a good solution. They had Golf in the other shed at Melbourne.:doh:

[I_wanna_Shed]

Sadly Nathan they HAD a good solution they have decided there will be no show next year:C

Oh no Ray!!! I found Newcastle to be a fantastic show. I always looked forward to it. I thought it was very successful (it looked that way).

I think pairing up with a 'ladies' show was a very very good idea. For a show much smaller than Sydney (maybe Canberra size or slightly larger???) they sure had heaps of people. Very well run by the local club.

Having a major attraction for both men and women is a major drawcard I believe. Perhaps a logistical nightmare - but seen to work.

[RETIRED]

As an actual "lady" woodworker I hate the "women in woodwork" thing and don't look at it on purpose. But that's just me.:rolleyes:

:UI think the title "Woodworking Women" might be more apt.

[ubeaut]

Combined shows don't work. The idea seems to be good but for woodworking exhibitors it doesn't work very well at all.

The bottom line has to be profit (something that seems to be a dirty word to many here) there is no profit for the woodworking side of shows like Newcastle Craft Expo or Craft Alive. Been there done that on many occasions. Jim Carrol can attest to this having done one Newcastle show and with Jims stuff he can make a profit almost anywhere. Even the dedicated pyrography demo's at Newcastle didn't create all that much interest or sales.

Just about the only thing going to work for everyone is to move the brilliant Showgrounds venue to Jeffs Shed or somewhere else where there's lots of shopping, along with interesting things to see and do, in the general vacinity, etc, to create interest for those who don't want to stuck at a show they don't really want to be at.

One excellent example of a failed combined show is the Hands On Expo in Brisbane.

Myself and a few others were instrumental in bringing woodwork to the Craft Alive Shows a dozen or so years ago. Complete waste of time and energy. Had a lot of fun between ourselves but other than that......

The one thing missing in Melb that was at the others was the dedicated lounge areas where people could sit and read, use their iPad, recoup, chat, even have a snooze, etc without taking up valuable table space in the food areas.

The forum lounge was extremely well used but that was for members only not the general public.

Strangely enough one of the few things that may work with the WWWShows is a quilting show. But I can hear the outcry even now as I type this. The only other thing that may work is to bring it more in line with a Trade Show rather than a hobby show as it basically is now. I've spoken to a dozen or so of our commercial users since the show and all said they don't bother with hobby shows like WWWShow but most went to the trade shows like AWISA, Furntex, etc.

[wheelinround]

OK some clarification required here.

Who is "THEY" Wheelin'????

Nathan got the message

They "the club" decided.

[ubeaut]

Not run by the club any more but Craftfest and from what I hear (a week ago at Melb WWWShow) it's not only running but will go from 3 to 4 days, with out without the woodwork section. My info could be wrong but came from a pretty reliable source who's connected to the quilting side not the woodwork side.

However...... Craftfest, the organisers seem to have disappeared from the web (at least on my computer) so maybe it's true. I haven't had an official notice yet but am on their mailing list for info.

Hmmmmmm

[wheelinround]

Not run by the club any more but Craftfest and from what I hear (a week ago at Melb WWWShow) it's not only running but will go from 3 to 4 days, with out without the woodwork section. My info could be wrong but came from a pretty reliable source who's connected to the quilting side not the woodwork side.

However...... Craftfest, the organisers seem to have disappeared from the web (at least on my computer) so maybe it's true. I haven't had an official notice yet but am on their mailing list for info.

Hmmmmmm


Strange then why this statement on the craft web site Following last year's successful launch, the annual Woodworking Hobbies Expo, presented by the Woodturners of the Hunter Co-op Ltd, will once again run in conjunction with Newcastle CraftExpo.
I recall the club took it over a couple of years back running the woodies side of things.

Neil there was an post/announcement somewhere on the forum just after this years show and if I recall on their web site at the time.

I went to the woodies club site to see if it was still there :no:

I found the Craft site CraftExpo, Newcastle 2010 Show | Woodworking Expo | Woodworking Hobbies Expo 2010 1 TICKET = 2 SHOWS!! One ticket gives entry to both the Woodworking Hobbies Expo and Newcastle (http://www.craftfest.com.au/Newcastle2010/app/pages/view/woodworking_expo1/) and it seems 2011 will be a goer but now August 18 - 21, 2011 Newcastle Entertainment Centre noted at top of page. The 2011 listed is Aucklands CraftExpo, Auckland 2011 Show | Expertise Xerxes 2.0 | Under Construction Sorry! I was unable to find the Auckland CraftExpo page you were looking for. This might be due to a bad (http://www.craftfest.com.au/Auckland2011/) although the others are there

[wheelinround]

Like the Newcastle show when Sydney TWWS is on at the same time the Craft & Quilters show is on at Darling Harbour at the same time. This has been that way for the last few years we know of.

[tea lady]

I think the title "Woodworking Women" might be more apt.:shrug: I'm not sure "they" realy need to be referred to separately. :think:




The bottom line has to be profit (something that seems to be a dirty word to many here) there is no profit for the woodworking side of shows like Newcastle Craft Expo or Craft Alive. Been there done that on many occasions. Jim Carrol can attest to this having done one Newcastle show and with Jims stuff he can make a profit almost anywhere. Even the dedicated pyrography demo's at Newcastle didn't create all that much interest or sales.Maybe they need someone "GOOD" doing it! :shrug: Must admit though, I am a bit underwhelmed by pyrography.:C

Just about the only thing going to work for everyone is to move the brilliant Showgrounds venue to Jeffs Shed or somewhere else where there's lots of shopping, along with interesting things to see and do, in the general vacinity, etc, to create interest for those who don't want to stuck at a show they don't really want to be at.
The credit card being bent from two different directions could be a down side of this. :doh:



Strangely enough one of the few things that may work with the WWWShows is a quilting show. But I can hear the outcry even now as I type this. The only other thing that may work is to bring it more in line with a Trade Show rather than a hobby show as it basically is now. I've spoken to a dozen or so of our commercial users since the show and all said they don't bother with hobby shows like WWWShow but most went to the trade shows like AWISA, Furntex, etc.The trade are a bit guarded with their secrets aren't they? :hmm: Hey might get sick of "stupid" questions from the hobbiests.

[A Duke]

'maybe they need someone good doing it.'
No that doesn't help much, what attracts Joe public is a TV personality.
I went to a veterinary clinics birthday bash a few years ago and they had 3 presenter an animal behaviourist, a highly qualified veterinary surgeon and Dr Harry.
Dr Harry's talks had the marquee over flowing, more than twice the seats but only about a dozen turned up for the other presentations. An insult to the two who put on two most interesting and entertaining presentations each. Most didn't even find out what the were talking on.

[ubeaut]

Maybe they need someone "GOOD" doing it! :shrug:

They did have someone good doing it. Irene.... She's very capable, extremely helpful, polite friendly and very pleasant. She also knows the product very, very well. Couldn't ask for much better than that.

It's not the demonstrator, it's the show.

[jmk89]

Getting back to the topic - in Sydney the TWWW show is in the "Entertainment Quarter". I wonder whether it might help get more customers to the show if more info on what else was on at Fox Studios etc was made available (esp if there was some kind of discount for those who went to TWWW and something else in the complex).

[Sturdee]

what attracts Joe public is a TV personality.



Maybe they should try to get Better Homes and Garden TV show to do an outside broadcast from a show like they occasionally do at a Bunnings store. You will have a variety of demos with huge star attractions.

Peter.

[Jigsaw]

I am with the Tea Lady.

We don't have men woodworkers or lady woodworkers, we just have woodworkers.

We have several ladies in our club and they do exactly the same as the men, Cabinet making, scroll sawing, carving, turning etc.

We also have another 3 ladies signing up now.
One wants to make nest boxes, one wants to make toys and the other cabinet making.

Our club has been going for about 23 years now and I believe a lady turned up at the inaugural meeting to join. The first decision the Committee made was whether to have lady members. The rest is history.

[wheelinround]

Ladies and woodwork go back in time it was Holtzapffel's daughter who wrote one of the books and run the company for some years Ornamental Turning History: Victorian Era Turners: The Holtzapffel Family (http://ornamentalturning.net/history/victorian_era_maker-holtzapffel.html)

The number of female aristocrats who went on to turning and using Ornamental Lathes is astounding.

[ubeaut]

Maybe they should try to get Better Homes and Garden TV show to do an outside broadcast from a show like they occasionally do at a Bunnings store. You will have a variety of demos with huge star attractions.

Great idea Sturdee problem there is they are all pre recorded and shown at a later date. Don't think anything much is done live any more apart from Hey Hey which is back on again.

Had the radio broadcasting live from the show in Canberra but doubt it made any difference to the numbers attending.

I think the best thing so far for the ladies/partners (not always the bloke in the family that's the woodie) is the dedicated lounge(s).

Have to admit that personally, I question the need for something for "The Ladies" after all the show is 22 years old now and there have been complaints from woodworkers about anything not woodworking since day one. So it's either a complete makeover and call it a woodworking and craft show or leave it alone. Doesn't matter what is done there will always be a small minority who will have a complaint and I doubt very much that putting in a couple of things for "The Ladies" will make any difference other than raising more complaints from "The Grumpy Old Men".

[ubeaut]

Ladies and woodwork go back in time it was Holtzapffel's daughter who wrote one of the books and run the company for some years Ornamental Turning History: Victorian Era Turners: The Holtzapffel Family (http://ornamentalturning.net/history/victorian_era_maker-holtzapffel.html)

The number of female aristocrats who went on to turning and using Ornamental Lathes is astounding.

Think you'll find it goes back for just a couple or so years more than the Holtzapffel ladies. Like since women ruled the earth - Day one.

[wheelinround]

Think you'll find it goes back for just a couple or so years more than the Holtzapffel ladies. Like since women ruled the earth - Day one.

:U I had typed something along the lines of " Who decides the design and furniture you buy" but scrubbed it.

Imagine poor old Noah building that Ark with a supervisor wife.:doh:

Or Adam and his fig leaf he cut for her "No thats look awful". :roll:

[munruben]

As far as I am concerned, a woodworker is a woodworker whether male or female. I don't see the need to differentiate. Personally I think having a joint WWS and a craft exhibition at the same venue would take a lot away from the current format of the show however, as pointed out, at the end of the day, profit is the name of the game and maybe something like a joint venture has to happen.

[Lignum]

Show grounds is a terrific venue inside, but the location sucks. Jeff’s Shed is the exact opposite, so if I had to choose (as I have the last two years) it’s not to go to the Show grounds.

At the show grounds it the Wood show then nothing, but at Jeff Shed it’s the Wood show then it’s either Casino, a restaurant, movies or a nice stroll down South bank, plus you are flanked by two major train stations to get you home quick, an that includes to country Victoria.

Also the one thing I would love, and it would guarantee me going, is a decent size furniture exhibition and competition. Being a wood show its always disappointing there is only ever a small amount of furniture. From memory the last Jeff’s Shed show had a decent amount of furniture on display and it was fantastic.

[tea lady]

Also the one thing I would love, and it would guarantee me going, is a decent size furniture exhibition and competition. Being a wood show its always disappointing there is only ever a small amount of furniture. From memory the last Jeff’s Shed show had a decent amount of furniture on display and it was fantastic.Quite a bi of "finished " woodwork there this year. Always room for more I reckon! :cool:

[Lignum]

Quite a bi of "finished " woodwork there this year. Always room for more I reckon! :cool:

I looked at a fair bit of PR and didnt see it mentioned. If i had known a good size exhibition was on i would have gone. Their comes a point in your woodworking life when tools, timber and machines become a bit boring. Now im more interested in peoples finished products.

As someone already mentioned a forum exhibition would be fantastic.

[Groggy]

I hate to be a wet blanket, but the forum display is an idea that (although a good one) simply is not practical.



A couple of problems:

Coordinator needed
Getting the items to the one place for display.
Who pays transport?
Theft
Damage
Someone to watch them all the time
Getting them home again
Do you limit the size to boxes or turned items?
This is just a few of the things that would need to be sorted out. Sadly, because the shows are in different states it would mean items going all over the place.

Maybe we could make a series of items for display or as lucky door prizes. Small things: a box, a turned item etc that we do not expect to get back.

[Lignum]

Maybe we could make a series of items for display or as lucky door prizes. Small things: a box, a turned item etc that we do not expect to get back.

Yawn.

[Jim Carroll]

Yawn.

So does that mean you are will to take on the responsibility of organising this for the organisers.

Or are you sitting on your hands and waiting for someone else to do all the work for you

[tea lady]

I looked at a fair bit of PR and didnt see it mentioned. If i had known a good size exhibition was on i would have gone. Their comes a point in your woodworking life when tools, timber and machines become a bit boring. Now im more interested in peoples finished products.

As someone already mentioned a forum exhibition would be fantastic.Yes well! Good sized exhibition is a whole 'nother thing! :shrug: Would prolly take as much again to aorganize and promote. :doh: (What Groggy said! )

[Groggy]

Yawn.Terry, I based what I said on previous discussions where we tried to get exactly this sort of thing off the ground. After being discussed for a fair bit the practical problems kept getting in the way. I was not putting down your idea, I'd love to see it go ahead if a way around the problems can be found, and I'd help out too.

If you want to see bigger and better stuff from the forumites on display (so do I) then we need to work out a way to make it work. So far we haven't been able to find a way that will work but any ideas are welcome.

[NewLou]

A couple of problems:

Coordinator needed
Getting the items to the one place for display.
Who pays transport?
Theft
Damage
Someone to watch them all the time
Getting them home again
Do you limit the size to boxes ot turned items?

I'd just create an 'exhibition space' where exhibitors bring along anything they want @ their own risk..................................90% of problems solved then!

Perhaps instead of limiting sizes to boxes n what not you just have a different theme each year

eg: boxes, chairs, turned items, etc etc etc

Just a few thoughts ..........................

Regards Lou :D

[A Duke]

The ACT Wood-craft Guild manage to have their annual competition at the Canberra show.

[Lignum]

A couple of problems:

Coordinator needed
Getting the items to the one place for display.
Who pays transport?
Theft
Damage
Someone to watch them all the time
Getting them home again
Do you limit the size to boxes ot turned items?

I'd just create an 'exhibition space' where exhibitors bring along anything they want @ their own risk..................................90% of problems solved then!

Perhaps instead of limiting sizes to boxes n what not you just have a different theme each year

eg: boxes, chairs, turned items, etc etc etc

Just a few thoughts ..........................

Regards Lou :D

Now, now Lou, no need to bring commonsense into this discussion. :)

[Jim Carroll]

Now, now Lou, no need to bring commonsense into this discussion. :)

Seems like we have the Voulunteer Coordinators organised Lou and Lignum have the other 10% of the problems fixed.

[Groggy]

Sounds like the beginnings of a plan Lou. We still need an organiser, some space, a pretty strong indication of people willing to donate their time and workmanship. You would need to know well in advance what people will be willing to display so the space can be allocated and is not too small or too big.

Are we talking about just Melbourne or all the venues?

It might be worthwhile for EEE to create an 'open' exhibition space for everyone, including clubs and small manufacturers, not just forum members. Maybe the person will need to bring their own stand or display too, or be limited by what can fit on a table or within an allocated floor area.

[tea lady]

How about we have an annual miniture woor work challenge. Then we can display it in a shoe box.:D

[robbygard]

It might be worthwhile for EEE to create an 'open' exhibition space for everyone, including clubs and small manufacturers, not just forum members. Maybe the person will need to bring their own stand or display too, or be limited by what can fit on a table or within an allocated floor area.

hmmm ... by "open" are we talking "free"space ... that doesn't sound fair unless there can be a real benefit in attracting other punters ... i may be out on my own on this but it doesn't have any great appeal or drawing power for me and i can't see my wife (back to the point of the thread?) being more likely to drag me to the show as a result of it



The ACT Wood-craft Guild manage to have their annual competition at the Canberra show. ...

they do a pretty good job of it too ... they sell stuff too ... which in my book means that they should be paying, if not full price, more than just a donation for a site and passing the cost back to exhibitors ...

i appreciate the suggestion for this was put forward in good faith ... i think if it is going to have legs it needs to have a semi commercial focus ... that is either commercial in that it is an opportunity for those forum members who want to sell stuff to do so (not me) or a competition with perhaps an entry fee and prizes (donated, bought at cost or bought outright) (again not me) ... in the case of the second it may then be appropriate to look to eee (show people not polishes) to discount a stall area


was there a couple of clubs at melbourne as well ... i seem to remember there was peninsula or something like that ... did they do something similar? ... i didn't really take that much notice of them

regards david

[tea lady]

and i can't see my wife (back to the point of the thread?) being more likely to drag me to the show as a result of it


...


regards david:doh: Oh yes! What was the question? :C:U

[John Saxton]

A thought here that if the Forum stand was to display a selection of items then perhaps some even balance (towards both ladies & Gents) would promote the the Forums for all to appreciate in all their entirety.

Getting that to fruition may need some encouragement to get the eveness that shows that ladies are well presented on the forum.

My 2C worth

Cheers:)