Thread: Working With Wood Shows

I have only been to the Adelaide one last year & this year. It's a 10hr round trip & I do it all in one day. Being in the sticks there's only M10 for tools & wood neither of which are much chop so WWW show is my spend up big time (about $5k in 2 trips). I tend to have a big list of stuff I want & just race around & get it all without taking much time to just look at the displays & listen to the sales geeks. Everything I buy for woodworking has to basically come mail order so the fuel costs to go to the show are covered by not paying postage for anything. I think if I lived in the Melbourne or Adelaide I might not go or would spend way less as I would have access to tools & timber all year round.

Reg

Work interferes. Can't always manage to be in town when the show is on.

Thank you to everyone who has taken part in this pole to date. The information has now been collated and is ready to be presented to a special meeting of concerned people this week.

Hopefully the information you have posted here will go toward the making of bigger, better and more exciting shows for both visitors and exhibitors.

My promise to you all is that everyone at the meeting will get a 22 page summery of this thread. Hopefully they will read it and try to implement some of the changes suggested here and won't just look at the positives, pat themselves on the back and say aren't we good.

I will keep the thread running and suggest that those concerned drop in for a look from time to time. Would also be nice if maybe they answered some of the posts as there is a bit of misinformation being posted and many questions that beg an answer.

Thanks to Groggy for summarising all the posts into sections like, Good Stuff - Not so Good Stuff and Suggested Improvements.

Thanks again to all who participated and to those who didn't, it's still not too late to voice your opinion, criticism, suggestions etc. I'm sure this post will be monitored for some time to come.

Cheers - Neil

I go to the www show every year to see new stuff or check things I might have seen on a web catalogue to see if they are as good as they sound.
Having your ticket cover you for 2 days entry would be brilliant, as I usually think the day after I went that I should have bought some tool that I didn't get on the day.:mad:

I agree with Wendy's comments

Firstly,
It's because I dont live where I can easily get to a store and see machinery tools and systems etc in operation
So I make the once a year effort and spend the three days there that way i get a whole years worth in one hit.

Secondly,
I get to meet and talk person to person with the people I consider to be the gurus of woodworking in this country. They become real to me not just faces in a magazine. For weeks after each show I am on a high wood wize - I am inspired by our meetings.

and Thirdly,
It's the most fun I have all year, I look forward to it
I save up for it, I blow all my cash and I get a bunch of new toys, woods and or finishes to help me grow as a wood worker.

I go mainly to buy turning blanks and to see turning demo's - neither of which are as available or as good from other sources. I rarely buy tools or supplies since I'm pretty much already set up and also since when the need arises I can get them mail order via the 'net. I go with a budget and rarely impulse buy.

I go to see if I can there are any new ideas and or tools/equipment that will help.
I go to see the talent of others on display and go away drooling.
I would like cushions on the seats,(health reasons) and more hands on displays.
I go to try and get something on special.

This year I went to the Canberra show. First time I'd ever been, but I've made it a must see for every year from now on. But I think next time I'll go to the Sydney show (I live about half way between). It sounds to me from the feedback from others that the Sydney show is much bigger. I expected the show to be bigger than it was, but I still wasn't disappointed, as I saw so much stuff that I'd love to buy if only I had some ready cash.

Not enough space in the isles, where ever there was a demonstration the isle became blocked, my wife was elbowed and pushed roughly out of the way by inconsiderate old farts pushing their way to the front or through the crowd. possibly all the demonstrators could be placed in one area where there is plenty of room for the inconsiderate old farts to push and poke to their hearts content.

I tried to go to this year's Woodworking show but found that the queuing system (or lack thereof) to get in was unacceptable. Jeff's shed was wall to wall people trying to pay. I estimated that it would take something like an hour or so to get in. I just won't queue for that long so I went home and did something useful

Pete

As a relatively new woodworker there's nothing like the wood shows. Poking around ease-dropping on conversations and the like.

I know the tools that I want to get some info on, have a general idea on the questions I'd like to ask.

Typically I plan for the show, save some cash and splurge on someting nice for the workroom. I can stay there for hours get ideas and be inspired by things, bits and trinkets.

I'm happy with the guys that sell soap, adds to the aptmosphere. I'll go back year after year. This year I nearly made it to Canberra show as well!

Happyness is a day at the woodshow (unless there's an uninterupted day in the garage available).

I could be wrong but I belive the Perth show is not conected to the organisation that runs the shows in the other states. I go every year,[ it is sometimes my only visit to Perth for the year].
About four years ago I went to the International Woodworking and Turning Show at the National Exibition Center in the UK I didn't think it was as good as our Perth show.

Being new to the whole wood field I went to the Melbourne Show out of curiosity. I didn't know what to expect and really had a lovely time. Bought lots (for me anyway!!)BUT next time I'll take a list and be prepared.
I enjoyed the chance to talk to people who knew what they were doing!! All my doopy questions were answered with politeness and good humour. I spent more because of the reception I received.
The demos were well staged and it was great to see someone make everything look so easy.
As to the non wood related stands - it was easy enough to walk pass. No skin off my nose if someone wants to try to sell something.
I'll go again, armed with a list and a lot more knowledge!!!
Michael