Thread: Canberra Show

Originally Posted by Mr Brush

Question for those attending the show on Saturday - did the Laguna bandsaws still have my drool all over them, or had they cleaned up since my visit on Friday?

Carbatec - your absence was noted, I hope you have a note from your mum.

they still trying to wipe it off

Originally Posted by Mr Brush

Question for those attending the show on Saturday - did the Laguna bandsaws still have my drool all over them, or had they cleaned up since my visit on Friday?

Carbatec - your absence was noted, I hope you have a note from your mum.

At least it saved a couple of Cs on my credit card for the cutters I wanted and nobody else had.
Regards

I don't want to put a dampener on things but I must say I was a little disappointed with the Canberra show. While I live in Canberra, I can't wait until Sept each year so I go to Sydney aswell. For those who went to both this year, we could not honestly say that Canberra is as good as Sydney. And while it is not a competition, unfortunately I can see the Canberra show falling off the calender unless we can do something to help the exhibitors. I noticed there were quite a few big operators that were not at Canberra eg Carbatec. I spoke to a couple of the participants who all said the Canberra venue is pretty expensive. Our population is barely a tenth the size of Sydney so we cant expect the exhibitors to make the sort of cash they are likely to make at bigger centres like Sydney or Melbourne. But if the venue is charging outrageous costs then can the organizers please look at some other venues. Surely there has to be other potential venues in or around Canberra which could accommodate the show and not leave the exhibitors feeling it is not commercially viable to make the trip to Canberra. I don't know who sets the entry price ie the venue or the organizers but the entry cost for Sydney and Canberra was the same yet the Sydney show is almost twice the size of Canberra. A huge thank you to VEK who made the deal about entry prices for those with a white card.
A BIG thank you to those exhibitors who did make the trip to Canberra and don't get me wrong I am not suggesting in any way shape or form that the show was a dud. But clearly in these economic times exhibitors have to make a big call about whether to invest their hard earned cash into a Canberra trip. At the very least, can't we look at other venues who don't want to charge exhorbitant prices and make it worthwhile for more people to attend. I have noticed in recent years Makita has decided to stop attending these shows with their large display. No doubt more will follow unless we can assist in saving costs.

A week has gone since the show and I've got things I never for to share yet.

I visited the a men's shed while there. If you like a good work bench you may like this thread

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f163/c...6/#post1694126

Originally Posted by danlei

I don't know who sets the entry price ie the venue or the organizers but the entry cost for Sydney and Canberra was the same yet the Sydney show is almost twice the size of Canberra.
.

I can tell you it is the organizers who set the entry price and suggestions have been made by others to have it reduced due to the lower number of people in Canberra but they didn't care. They may not even care if Canberra remains as it has being getting smaller and smaller every year. The cost of the venues has not increased that much and so there needn't be a big increase to retailers but it seems there is. Exhibition park in Canberra is government owned and run and therefore is very supportive of event and usage and venue hiring rates are very ​reasonable.

The Canberra show is getting smaller because of lack of customer support.

You can all complain about entry prices but that along with floor prices has not changed in many years.

You have to remember that there has been a drop in exhibitors due to retirements, and business closures, this alone would fill the hall normally. Even in your own town Carbatec and Fitches have closed down due in main from lack of local support and they would take up to 400sq metres of floor space

There is very few start up businesses coming along as this is still a very small niche business,

For some of those niche business they need your support to keep coming back, if you dont come they dont come back.

The power tool companies dont do the shows due to sales every other weekend at one of their outlets so why should they set up at a wood show with high quality tools and all you do is complain about the price and go to bunnings for the cheap tools.

The market for the high end tools is limited so they support the AWISA show which targets the high end users.

You can all keep complaining about the shows getting smaller or like Adelaide none at all but unless you let you boots do the walking and your wallet gets opened then you are the ones to blame.

Help the organisers and the exhibitors and revive the show.

Originally Posted by Jim Carroll

The Canberra show is getting smaller because of lack of customer support.

Whilst I don't disagree with that statement, I am reminded of the chicken and the egg.

Customers are not supporting the show(s) because the show(s) are not giving the customer what he/she is looking for.

Any business that doesn't offer what the customer is looking for is doomed to fail.

I agree with Jim, the trouble is once you have bought your top end goodies you have them (that's their selling point). You do not buy a table saw every year and we are a limited market.
I think we will just have to reconcile our selves to living without a show, I think we have the right to be disappointed but not the right to blame every one else.
Regards

Consumer feedback from people I know who live in Canberra were that no one even knew the show was on. There was a bit of TV but no ABC radio advertising and not sure about the Canberra times.

The woodcraft guild did what they could on this forum, facebook pages and through the visitors centre but because of the election, we decided not to put out road signs. This, strangely enough, could have made a difference as there wasn't much else in the way of publicity. It is also part of the job of the organizers as part of the charge for the space at the shows to provide enough advertising to attract consumers but if people don't know the show is even on, they won't come through the door.

Originally Posted by Jim Carroll

Help the organisers and the exhibitors and revive the show.

But how can you help the organisers when it appears they don't want to be helped to improve the shows and thus revive them?

Neil started a thread earlier this year asking for our bright ideas to improve the shows. That thread was to be passed onto the organisers. There was a lot of response. Many great ideas were suggested and if a few were implemented they could revive interest in the shows.

Alas there has been no interest or feedback from the organisers, so the conclusion gathered by a few of those contributors, myself included, is that they're not interested and will go on the same way as usual.

That may work for a while but any business that ignores customer feedback is on slow but certain path to decline and ultimate demise.

A real pity when, not if, that happens for it will affect those retailers that still go to the shows and we would all be the poorer. Like in Adelaide or Perth or Tasmania. Unsuitable premises and lack of innovation will surely take its toll and bring the ultimate demise.


Peter.

Originally Posted by mythicagothiga

Consumer feedback from people I know who live in Canberra were that no one even knew the show was on. There was a bit of TV but no ABC radio advertising and not sure about the Canberra times.

The woodcraft guild did what they could on this forum, facebook pages and through the visitors centre but because of the election, we decided not to put out road signs. This, strangely enough, could have made a difference as there wasn't much else in the way of publicity. It is also part of the job of the organizers as part of the charge for the space at the shows to provide enough advertising to attract consumers but if people don't know the show is even on, they won't come through the door.

So in each city can you name the most popular tv station, radio station and newspaper that will cover all age ranges , unfortunatly not as each age range will watch one chanel more than another,

Trying to cover so many age ranges is very difficult in all advertising mediums as the age ranges are from 16-60+ and those watching the wiggles wont be watching the ABC.

Unfortunatly the magazine advertising will only cover those who are converted to the craft as it is the new people that we need the most to keep all the crafts going and for clubs to keep their membership.

I agree that things don't seem to be changing and it will be those who are fans of the events who will lose out. Retailers will still get sales outside of the shows but those loyal woodies who plan and budget to go to the show every year will lose the contact, advice and fun of it.

Speaking to retailers at the Canberra Timber and Working With Wood show, it seems the ones that have returned have provided something extra for their customers including exceptional service, a smile and the willingness to go that little bit further. The sales are nice and keep businesses afloat but without looking at every possible platform for advertising, diversifying into other products and providing the best possible customer service, it can be a struggle. At these shows, however, a retailer relies on the organizers to bring the public in as without them, there is no chance of selling anything. One by one we are losing the shows and maybe it is just simply because of a lack of enthusiasm from those who are literally 'running the show'.