FEEDBACK: Melbourne Working With Wood Show 15-18 Oct 2009

[Groggy]

Folks, I spoke to the organisers of the show and promised I would start a thread for everyone to give a warts and all appraisal of the show. The current management team have shown they will take feedback and do something with it, so here is your chance to let them know whether they hit the mark or not. Please break it up into good and bad, but try to keep it short and to the point.

[Groggy]

:)

Simply the best run show I have attended, well done! :clap:
Entry was pretty easy, lots of access points.
The management team walked around and were visible, checking on how things were going.
Most things were well labelled and easy to find.
During set-up day on Wednesday someone spotted me adjusting a light and within minutes I had an electrician over doing it for me.
The layout was very well thought out.

room to move in the aisles (thank you, this has been one of my pet hates). Lots of room for those with mobility aids to get around and for others to move around them if required.
lots of rest areas where folk can sit down and take some time out. I honestly think this meant people stayed longer and enjoyed the show more. They probably also spent more as they could think and go back for another go instead of heading to their cars exhausted.
The front entrance was well thought out. People could buy a ticket then get a coffee out of the weather before they were let in. Who ever thought this up deserves a big attaboy/attagirl :2tsup:
The food area was in a good spot, allowing people to meet and still have a good view for planning their next foray into the stands.
Outside eating venue was appreciated by the smoking and outdoors types.
The musical entertainment outside was a nice touch. The guy on the guitar was great!

Security guys and girls did their job well and looked happy to be there. They also made some good decisions to help folk do what they needed to do. They were not 'officious' and facilitated a good day.
I spoke to a lot of people during the three days and other than trying to find the toilets and a minor issue with parking, all the comments were favourable. Comments from the vendors I spoke to indicated they were very pleased with a number of them (at least six) saying this was their 'best show'. A few nearly ran out of stock and were happily carrying empty stands out to their cars - on Saturday!
Numbers. If I had to guess I'd say 2600-2800 on Friday. Maybe a few less on Saturday, 2300-2500 and Sunday seemed busier (>2700 ?), but maybe only as I moved around more.
Most people seemed happy and not stressed, it was a relaxed atmosphere. This is probably because we were not crammed in like sardines.
Last but not least, the forum coffee room was great. You could slink off to eat your sandwich out of the public gaze, have a coffee and chat and just relax a bit for a few minutes.
:(



I'll be honest and say that I am struggling to criticise this event, it was that good.
Minor - toilets hard to locate.
Minor - Parking had some glitches with some confusion where the public could enter. eg Public trying to enter the Exhibitor's entrance were turned around and sent elsewhere.
:2tsup: Attaboys

Here is a picture of the management team that I managed to corral on Sunday. Well done, I hope you understand the difference each of you made to this successful event. I reckon you have set the standard now. Unfortunately Liz was in Adelaide and missed the pic, but we all know she was driving the changes from behind the scenes so thanks Liz!

[Afro Boy]

Was my first show so can't compare with historical performance, but here is my feedback (and perhaps that of others I chatted with today at the show).

THE GOOD


Lots of room to move around
Lots of space to sit down and relax. Was espec. important for the older folk too I think
The food I did have (sandwich and coffee) was good
Demos were great. Keep them and perhaps have more & more variety
Exhibitors were all very friendly and helpful. They were not at all pushy to make a sale. This was a welcome change from other exhibitions I have been to.


ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT


Temperature was too warm
Why do people have to pay to get in? Would a free entry prompt more people to attend and therefore spend more money with the vendors?
Variety of timber available was minimal. For such a "rare species" there was an awful lot of Huon Pine available! Probably not much the organisers can do about this though.
More "learning" type opportunities would be good for us newer folk

Cheers,
Af.

[Sturdee]

I have been to quite a few shows over the years and this one was the best ever. Room to move, easy access by public transport and easy and cheap parking.

Got there at opening time and left at closing on Saturday and was never bored, saw demos, made a honey dipper and got a free pot of honey for it as well, did my shopping (mainly Carrolls and Gifkins) and worked on the forum stand whilst my daughter had a ball learning from all the turning demos.

Best of all was the Forum meeting point. A spot where I could have a rest as I needed it and with nice coffee as well. Thanks to the organisers for this lifesaver.

As I knew where the toilets were I had no complaints.

Great show, well organised, so the best ever.

Peter.

[Woodwould]

Being on an electric scooter, I appreciated the space. I found the toilets and ATM without any problems (I just looked up at the signs).

I probably only got to see half of what I went to see because I found it difficult to get decent access to many of the stands (but that's a crowd/disabled attitude issue - one bloke actually put his boot to the front of my scooter and tried to push me out of his way so he could barge in!).

I had one or two other issues, but I can't say a bad word about the venue or the organisation of the event.

[Kev Y.]

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT


Temperature was too warm
Why do people have to pay to get in? Would a free entry prompt more people to attend and therefore spend more money with the vendors?
Variety of timber available was minimal. For such a "rare species" there was an awful lot of Huon Pine available! Probably not much the organisers can do about this though.
More "learning" type opportunities would be good for us newer folk

Cheers,
Af.


Alf, I agree with the temperature point, as I understand it, entry cost help pay for the hire of the venue, as for the "minimal" timber availabe, did you miss the large range at the QLD Blackwood stand? or the red cedar and other species down the very back?

I also agree on the learning opportunities, however I was there for two days, 10 - 4.30 both days and managed to sit in on most of the demos I was interested in.

This was my first show for almost 4 years, I was pleased with the size of the venue, and the range of stalls available. AS groggy mentioned the signage for the toilets needs to be looked into.

I am wondering if maybe to ease the queing for drinks - water or juice, could there be a roaming seller or two?

One thing that I was upset about was the location of the "club woodie" stand. Located inside the event, and offering a discounted "multi-day pass" after I had already paid the entrance fee and was wishing to attend more than one day.

Maybe this could be located closer to the entrance..

The ubeaut members area was a wonderful addition, I managed to be in there when Big Stan took his lunch break and also got chatting with Christopher.. :D

I had heard other people who were not too impressed with having to tram it to the venue, personally I found the trams easy to access the venue from.

All I can add is, keep up the good work and I will see you next year.

Kev

Oh yeah, the country and western style entertainment - not a fan.. but a good distraction anyway:wink:

[Sparhawk]

This was may first show, and I really got a lot out of it.
The vendors were all willing to have a talk and demonstarte, even if you weren't buying anything.
I would have liked to seen some more demonstrations on hand tool techniques.
There were not too many of the non ww related stands, so they didn't become annoying.
Great job and I'm already planning to take the family next year.

[Tiger]

I've been to the last few shows and would say that this one was well set-out, plenty of space to watch demonstrations (unlike at Jeff's Shed) , not crowded and I thought the toilets were easy to find.

I missed Richard Raffan and Richard Vaughan demonstrating but Guilio Marcolongo was very entertaining and insightful. There was no direct replacement for Richard Vaughan and that is a shame.

Good to catch up with some of the Forum members but I never actually made to the Forum meeting room. Think I will need 2 full days to achieve everything that I would want to do.

[joez]

Havent been to a woodshow in about 5 years, this one was definatley the best.

Parking was a breeze there were about 3 attendants pointing out available spots, i walked straight up to a counter to pay, no waiting at all.

Plenty of seating and no huge queues for food etc...

I think the layout could be improved a little, it seemed that the first half of the show was quite jammed in, but the rear was really spread out. Getting in and out of some stands was a little tough, but thats pretty standard for a show i suppose.

What suprised me the most was all the timber for sale, perhaps there could be some kind of delivery service offered next time around???

thanks
joez

[Afro Boy]

Alf, I agree with the temperature point, as I understand it, entry cost help pay for the hire of the venue,
Fair point. As I understand it though, the cost for exhibitors is quite expensive. If they could get more people in the door then organiser costs would be covered (by exhibitor fees) and exhibitor costs would be covered by more potential sales. Not sure, just thought I'd raise it as a point to consider. People more knowledgable than I with all the figures will no doubt do the proper math themselves.


as for the "minimal" timber availabe, did you miss the large range at the QLD Blackwood stand? or the red cedar and other species down the very back?
Yep, I saw all that. Guess it must just be me but I would've liked to see even more variety.

[quote]What suprised me the most was all the timber for sale, perhaps there could be some kind of delivery service offered next time around???
Now that's a great idea. Deliver service or even a shuttle bus type service to bring the slabs to your ute (not sure if they had that already though).

Cheers,
Af.

[Sparhawk]

There was a parcel pick up service at the back, so that you could drive to pick up your larger purchases.

[kevjed]

Great show this year.
Its only my third or fourth but I liked:
extra room;
places to sit for bit;
greater variety of food and drink;
shuttle bus (made three trips back to the car);
Vesper Tools Stand

Missed the HNT Gordon stand and the characters that go with it.(Hi guys)

Overall a real winner.
Just whish I had some more disposable income$$$
All the best
Kevin

[John G]

Well, after the debacle of Friday afternoon (see my other thread), I managed to get down there first thing Saturday morning. I didn't go last year, so this was my first experience at the new venue.

The Good:
- venue was good. Still had to drive, but once there, parking etc was easy. Mind you, I got there at 9:30am.
- cheap parking. Personally, I still prefer the convenience of the city location, but I accept this is an easier location for many people to get to.
- good to let us in early, and let us get a coffee before opening.
- spacious venue. Lots of room.
- some of the exhibitors and demos I particuarly liked, like the saw-stop demo.

The Bad:
- went to the forum coffee room 3-4 times but was empty each time.
- no Sachys-Robertson. Some items I wanted were specifically from them. I will have to go online instead.

The rest of my negative feedback is reserved for Carbatec and Timbecon, only because they are usually my favourite exhibitors.

- small exhibits. I don't know whether it's the recession, or if the price per square metre has increased, but I thought many of the exhibitors were undersized. This is expecially true of Carbatec and Timbecon. I thought their booths were much smaller than usual. e.g. In previous years they've both always have a wide range of table saws, combination planers, thicknessers, bandsaws and other machinery. This year, much less.
- the smaller booths meant less range. I went with a list of things I wanted, and could only find one of the items. For example, I wanted a vice, but didn't know whether to get a 7" or 9", also whether to get a timbecon one, or spend extra money on a more expensive Record or Dawn. Unlike previous years, no one had any vices. I was so depressed I spent $500 on dust extraction...
- Timbecon was selling dust extractors, but no hoses or adapters or any fittings at all! Luckily (or suspiciously?), Carbatec was selling a heap of hose kits.
- No free delivery. I am sure (if I remember right) in previous years Carbatec and Timbecon had free delivery of items purchased at show. Not this year.

[Jim Carroll]

All over for another year and attendances were up so good for all concerned

The venue has plenty of natural light so made it a more pleasant arena.

Parking was a breeze for exhibitors {except one guy on friday morning that grumbled about paying $5,00 and let everyone within shouting distance know about it} and public and the shuttle bus was a bonus

More room for vendors and the public with wider aisles.

It was good to see a lot of forum hats and badges.

[fubar]

enjoyed my two days at the mwwws http://cdn.woodworkforums.com/images/smilies/actions/2thumbsup.gif
much better setup this year much although did seem very squashed at front and very open at rear forum meeting point was very good also the rest areas and some where to eat you sandwich
only bad point was friday morning entrance only one gate the queue was at least 1km and 15 mins could have been longer for those later and pedestrians had to use same gate http://cdn.woodworkforums.com/images/smilies/standard/mad.gifthey had two open on sunday and hope saturday was same
oh that and going 1300 over budget but telling wife in doing so i saved a 1000http://cdn.woodworkforums.com/images/smilies/actions/doh.gif

[Mulgabill]

Of the many shows I have been to, I can say that it was one of the better ones. Loved the location, the improvements EEE have instigated this year and the friendliness of the stall holders and demonstrators. Guilo Marcolongo was a refreshing change to the demonstrators of previous years.

My only gripe was that on Friday morning it took 35mins to get into the show-grounds with a tail back in Epson road over a 1k. The RAS only had 1 guy at the gate taking entry money.

Can't wait for next year!!!!!!!!!

[Grumpy John]

I think the good points have been pretty well covered.
The only negative thing I feel was the "massage area" and "worlds greatest invention" and perhaps the "heat cabinets" had nothing to do with woodwork and as such should be placed away from the woodie related exhibits.

[Sir Stinkalot]

Having missed last year this was my first visit to the show grounds. We arrived at 9:45 on Saturday ..... had no problem getting to the venue and parking was easy to get into and find ..... a quick walk to the entry found no wait and all working well. Good value parking ($5) and plenty of space by the looks of it. Given the out of CBD location it would be a shame to see the price of parking go up next year (hint :;).

The building was very suitable for the show ..... large open space with plenty of natural light were a nice break from the stuffy, dark years at Jeffs shed.

Much has been said about the layout, seating areas were good and so too the outdoor area. I didn't get a chance to see many demos but from what I did they were well set up and easy to see/hear (unlike Jeffs shed). The seating areas and the open feel with the natural light made it easy to spend the entire day .....

Good to see that EEE had listened to the feedback given on these forums and it would be fair to say that from an organisational view it was without fault.

It would be good to see more club work / displays and possibly woodworking schools with past student work on display. There might be a chance for a Victorian high school competition??? Its good to be inspired by others and also a good way to promote woodworking.

Good to talk to the guy who made those wonderful sculptural pieces and the guys at the Fine Wood School who showed a lot of passion.

My downside ...... the number of exhibitors seemed to be down with many of the big ones either missing or with a very limited range. Thankfully I wasn't there looking for machinery as the range was very poor.

With any luck the ones that were not there ..... or didn't really come with a full strength outfit, will see how much the show had improved from the last few years and come back strong next year. To be fair given the gfc some may have opted to stay away until things improve.

Next year I will be getting a two day pass ..... one to look around and one to attend the demo sessions ...... too much for one day.

Overall ......
EEE 5/5
Exhibitors 3/5

[VEK TOOLS]

We participated in two shows this year sydney & canberra, both were a success thanks to the organisers & FORUM MEMBERS. Its great to see passionate people supporting there passion.

Is there anyone that has been to a few different states shows this year to compare the diferences, i know if we werent busy trying to organise ourselves for next years National Tradesmans Expo we probable would of went to the Melbourne show as well

[Jim Carroll]

Vek it is not worth you coming down here as we have our own local suppliers selling the same goods as you.

Micheal the GFC had nothing to do with some of the machinery people not coming it was mainly their thoughts that they did not have a good show last year so will not attend this year.
Most had open days the week before which they thought would be a better way to do it.

As was seen there was great support for the show and I think most people had a good show from vendors and the public.

[Chesand]

I think most of the relevant comments have been made by others.

I thought the atmosphere seemed much more relaxed than in the past - probably due to wide aisles and open spaces. The natural light helped also.

My only negative comment would be the lack of machinery from H & F and others as I was in the market for a thicknesser.

The visible presence of Mike Smith and staff was a good indication of the interest they took in the show. Mike stopped off at the Forum stand and said hello while I was there on Friday.

It was good to see Neil and Jim Carroll pretty busy most of the time.

[John G]

Micheal the GFC had nothing to do with some of the machinery people not coming it was mainly their thoughts that they did not have a good show last year so will not attend this year.
Most had open days the week before which they thought would be a better way to do it.

What do you mean most had open days the week before?

The lack of machinery/range at Carbatec/Timbecon/(and I forgot about H&F) was really my only gripe about the show.

(Without wanting to distract from the point of this thread,) what was bad about last year's show? Was it also organised by eee, or was this their first year? I think they did a good job, it was the individual exhibitors who let us down (unless they were hampered by eee in some was not visible to us).

[Groggy]

Hi everyone,

The purpose of this thread is to provide feedback to the EEE team on issues that are within their control. While the displays held elsewhere have affected the show (and are an important issue for woodworkers) the organisers can really do very little about it other than make their show "the" place to be.

As the originator of this thread, may I respectfully request that issues beyond the control of EEE be taken to other threads so the purpose of this thread remains on track.

Otherwise we run the risk that the feedback will be diluted in a number of topics and perhaps issues that EEE can fix will be missed.

Thank you.

[Afro Boy]

While the displays held elsewhere have affected the show (and are an important issue for woodworkers) the organisers can really do very little about it other than make their show "the" place to be.

Fair point about the off-topic conversations. :D

With that in mind however, would EEE find it useful to understand why they held displays away from the show? If EEE understand the root causes driving that behaviour then they might be able to do something about it and encourage them to exhibit at the "official" show. :?

For example, if it was a cost issue, perhaps the cost basis for exhibiting at the show could be looked at?

Cheers,
Af.

[Jim Carroll]

Fair point about the off-topic conversations. :D

With that in mind however, would EEE find it useful to understand why they held displays away from the show? If EEE understand the root causes driving that behaviour then they might be able to do something about it and encourage them to exhibit at the "official" show. :?

For example, if it was a cost issue, perhaps the cost basis for exhibiting at the show could be looked at?

Cheers,
Af.

It is always a cost issue for all shows , as an exhibitor we always try to get the best value we can and hope the EEE crowd do their bit with advertising etc, it is then up to the public to come through the door. If you dont come then everyone starts to point the finger of blame at the organisers.

Last year the show was organised by DMG so the EEE crowd were stuck with what they had organised and with the new venue people were put of by the location and how to get there.

After the show the consensus was that it was not such a bad venue and that was shown by the increased numbers through the doors this weekend.

[Afro Boy]

Good to hear an exhibitors perspective. Thanks for filling in the gaps for me Jim.

Glad it was successful from your side as well. It was my first show and I really did enjoy the atmosphere, location, etc. So all around, I think EEE has done a great thing with their organising of this.

Cheers,
Af.

[Groggy]

With that in mind however, would EEE find it useful to understand why they held displays away from the show? Yes, I believe they would if reasons were given by those who went elsewhere.

[ubeaut]

Why do people have to pay to get in? Would a free entry prompt more people to attend and therefore spend more money with the vendors?

Wouldn't have cost you a cent to enter the show if you'd claimed the FREE TICKET when your name was drawn out in the Daily Prize Draws.

Forum Special Deal $10 entry + $5 for parking is a pretty cheap day in anyone's terms.

Worst comes to worst if you paid full price it would have only cost you $20 including parking.

Would cost more than that just for parking at the Exhibition Centre

A few facts:
Many of the exhibitors pay tens of thousands of dollars to take part in these shows.
Many also have to carry enough stock to supply both their stand and their shop.
Many are away from their businesses for a week or more.

For us to mount a stand in Melbourne it takes:
Up to 4 weeks preparation, producing products for show as well as keeping up stock for distributors.
One week away from home and work with the factory closed and no production.
Couple of grand for accommodation, meals, etc.
Best part of another week or so to catch up with work that piled up whilst away, etc, etc, etc.
Oh yeah then there the cost of stand, walls, power, lights, signage, eft and internet connection, etc, etc.

You have to sell a ship load of polish to cover all that and we're one of the smaller ones. Exhibitors are stretched to their limit. For years most have covered their costs and not much more. Push them and there may not be many more shows.

For us to do Sydney or Brisbane you can add a further 40%+ Canberra and Adelaide add 20%+ and we'd most likely make a loss at both. The 2 Tas shows we did cost twice as much and we barely covered stand and accommodation costs.

We can stay home and make a lot more money than we do at a show. However doing that doesn't help to enlarge the customer base for our distributors.

It ain't all beer and skittles folks.


With that in mind however, would EEE find it useful to understand why they held displays away from the show? If EEE understand the root causes driving that behaviour then they might be able to do something about it and encourage them to exhibit at the "official" show. http://cdn.woodworkforums.com/http://cdn.woodworkforums.com/http://cdn.woodworkforums.com/http://cdn.woodworkforums.com/images/smilies/standard/confused.gifSome just don't have the staff or wherewithal to mount a stand any more. Some appear to have issues with EEE (roumor is they don't know how to run a show) hehehe:rotfl:. Some may even be making themselves scarce because they haven't paid for last years show. Some are just getting too old for the hard slog that goes with it all.


For example, if it was a cost issue, perhaps the cost basis for exhibiting at the show could be looked at?There hasn't been a price rise for 3 years. Thanks to EEE.

Gunna stop now but could go on for ages. Running this event and the background problems etc definitely isn't as straight forward and black and white as it all look to those who aren't in the know.

Righto you lot back to the feedback. :U

[Afro Boy]

Wouldn't have cost you a cent to enter the show if you'd claimed the FREE TICKET when your name was drawn out in the Daily Prize Draws.

Ahhh, I helped out at the stand so had free entry anyway. Am more than happy to pay, just curious and thought I would ask the question anyway. :D

And thanks for the background info. That's really really useful stuff as it helps people like me understand how it all works. Thanks for detailing it.

[Kev Y.]

Wouldn't have cost you a cent to enter the show if you'd claimed the FREE TICKET when your name was drawn out in the Daily Prize Draws.



Hey Neil.. Still waiting for mine to turn up in the mail..:p I am glad to see Aus post are still providing a excellent service to the public :rolleyes:

[springwater]

After reading Beaut's post I wonder where the worth of doing a show is considering how close to the wind you have to sail, even taking a lose and turning up to the next show must take more than just conviction or belief in your product.

I suppose if the long term gain in profit by the exposure thus potential sales can be sifted out from sales that had nothing to do with being at the show a true picture of what's going on would be seen.

I'm not sure how I compare with the average person going to buy at the show but certainly wouldn't have been the favourite customer to those selling. I was there mainly because I hadn't been for a while, look for any wood to buy, look at the old tools again, look at any new tools again and generally being around wood working stuff.

As said by others the extra space made getting around much more relaxing. The end of the shed seemed to get a bit sparse but where else do you put boats and enormous slabs, the treadling scroll saw man seemed lonely down there but all in all the stand layout was fine. Big Stan was great in the middle saw him light the eyes up of a little red haired boy by showing him and letting him use a Lee Nelson spoke shave to make a...you had to be there.

Some of the demo stands still benefit people who have front row seats and even then what you really want to do is to be able to get a closer look at what's going on sometimes, video and large screens would overcome the problem, the burden of cost may be too great but considering the footage (is it still called footage?) could be reused in training videos, on a website or other promotions the cost may be able to be spread.

The musician was a nice touch although he seemed tucked away in a corner, which he wasn't, he wasn't hardly getting any reception or recognition, how many people looked for something to throw a coin in? Music could be used better, doesn't have to loud, maybe some tie in with wooden instruments would be better, string quartet, jazz may be?

Be able to get some fresh air outside is good, I work in an office during the week and getting outside on the weekend is welcomed, maybe it's the influence of old Show Ground memories but I always loved watching the wood chop and other related events, maybe that could coincide or even a chain saw carver, I've seen a few of them that could hold an audience. Melbournes' Spring weather is always a gamble though. The burgers and sausages were sold under the gourmet banner which apparently makes things better, nup!

I really haven't any complaints, I drove about 45 miles to the city, caught a tram to the show grounds and wouldn't have minded paying for entry or parking (which I didn't) as I considered the cost reasonable for the benefits gained.

[Jim Carroll]

What is the show really all about.

Showing you the public the tools and how to use them.

Australians generally are a touchy feely group.

They see a new tool or gadget in a magazine but wont buy it till they see it in person and that is what the shows are for.

The shows allow people who see the ad on tv or in the paper to go along and find out more what this wood working is all about, they may have done a bit in high school and now the family have gone their own way it is a chance for them to have another go.

These are the people who dont read the magazines or go on forums or are on a mailing list, these are the people we the retailers are after, we want to convert them

Once converted they go along to more shows, open days etc, they tell their mates where to get things.

The show is all about communication , yes it costs a lot and yes there is times when you think is it worth it, but to see someone go away with all the new knowledge and hopefully some product is what it is really all about.

[Sturdee]

Showing you the public the tools and how to use them. - They see a new tool or gadget in a magazine but wont buy it till they see it in person and that is what the shows are for.


I didn't buy much at the show, but I saw plenty and it gave me a renewed interest in woodworking and in particular turning which so far I shied away from.

That means that I will be looking at improving my equipment and set up and ready to buy things during the year as needed.

The show gave that opportunity and the contacts for when I'm ready.



The show is all about communication , yes it costs a lot and yes there is times when you think is it worth it, but to see someone go away with all the new knowledge and hopefully some product is what it is really all about.

I suppose the alternative to the shows would be a massive tv campaign which would probably cost a lot more than the show and this way I get to see and feel the items in a non pressure way.

Keep it up guys now that we have a good venue and organizers that respond to new iseas.


Peter.

[Groggy]

Ok, the mods have created a poll for us so please pick one of the options. If you have nothing to say in a post this gives you a chance to have your voice heard.

[nt900]

I went as a visitor not an exhibitor, so had the opportunity to enjoy myself at a leisurely pace, including helping out on the Woodworking Forum stand Sunday morning. And got to meet some Forum members who I had not previously met.

I liked the Showgrounds location, but that is because I am from that side of town.

Liked the spacing between the isles. We chatted about the earlier shows (about 4-5 years ago) at the Exhibition Centre being narrower and harder to move along.

Saw some new tools - forgot to spend time looking at some furniture exhibits. Maybe next year (which I am sure I said same last year).

Edit - Coffee was better priced than other big shows. Didn't get a chance to try any food though.

[chrisb691]

My opinion , for what it is worth, is that the venue is far better than Jeff's shed. Much better light, and easier to get around. Brilliant that the organisers listened to our feedback from last year, and improved the faciliies. Nice to have the break-out areas, and generally felt more relaxed this year. Well done to EEE, and I believe that next year will be even better.

[Christopha]

Well, from my position on the UBeaut stand I thought the show as brilliant!

I loved the venue, best thing since the old days at the Royal Exhibition Building.
EEE should be absolutely congratulated for their efforts to make things better for the exhibitors and public alike and for their obvious attention to suggestions from not only their exhibitors but also from members of this forum. Their attitude seems to have infected many folk and the show felt a much happier and professionally run place than for many years previously. It is much more pleasant to sell to happy customers. It is much more pleasant to sell in a light, bright, naturally lit environment. It is much more pleasant to have organisers who are open, interested and know how to smile....

These people know how to run a show!:2tsup:

Edited to add:
I was wondering if, when another significant event such as the GP, Bathurst 1000 etc etc coincides with the WWS, if it would be possible for a television or some such be available for petrol heads like my self to keep tabs on their other addiction? I missed the Phillip Island GP with my lady in order to be at the WWS and I had to ring her at the track in order to find out the result!!!

[Sturdee]

I didn't buy much at the show, but I saw plenty and it gave me a renewed interest in woodworking and in particular turning which so far I shied away from.

That means that I will be looking at improving my equipment and set up and ready to buy things during the year as needed.

The show gave that opportunity and the contacts for when I'm ready.

How true that turned out to be, a week later I bought from one of the exhibitors (still at a show price :D) a new lathe and am looking at other things to go with it.

Peter.

[Evan Pavlidis]

I think the good points have been pretty well covered.
The only negative thing I feel was the "massage area" and "worlds greatest invention" and perhaps the "heat cabinets" had nothing to do with woodwork and as such should be placed away from the woodie related exhibits.

Agree; I noticed several stands that were'nt related to woodworking at all, such as the fold away trolleys and the manual lifting device.
Much fewer exhibitors too.
Need more exhibits relating to woodworking most notably timber suppliers and the organisers could create a competition of some sort, eg. woodturning and/or furniture theme; could be small objects, use of salvaged timbers or studio design furniture etc. etc..
It should be an inspiring show given that woodworking is a creative craft and to show the general public the many facets of working with wood.
Press coverage would be good also to attract a wider crowd to include non woodworkers. Journalists can wander around asking exhibitors questions about tooling, woodturning, furniture displays, timber species and their usage and then make a 30 minute or 1 hr show and present it on TV.
It happens with the car, boat, caravan, camping and garden shows, so why not the wood show.

[Christopha]

As an ancient and creaking old fart woodwacker in need of constant maintenance I would like to commend the presence of the attractive young massaging girls..... They made me smile all over!

[dohboy]

.....The Bad: The rest of my negative feedback is reserved for Carbatec and Timbecon, only because they are usually my favourite exhibitors.

- small exhibits. I don't know whether it's the recession, or if the price per square metre has increased, but I thought many of the exhibitors were undersized. This is expecially true of Carbatec and Timbecon. I thought their booths were much smaller than usual. e.g. In previous years they've both always have a wide range of table saws, combination planers, thicknessers, bandsaws and other machinery. This year, much less.
- the smaller booths meant less range. I went with a list of things I wanted, and could only find one of the items. For example, I wanted a vice, but didn't know whether to get a 7" or 9", also whether to get a timbecon one, or spend extra money on a more expensive Record or Dawn. Unlike previous years, no one had any vices. I was so depressed I spent $500 on dust extraction...
- Timbecon was selling dust extractors, but no hoses or adapters or any fittings at all! Luckily (or suspiciously?), Carbatec was selling a heap of hose kits.
- No free delivery. I am sure (if I remember right) in previous years Carbatec and Timbecon had free delivery of items purchased at show. Not this year.

John G,

Sorry you found our display at the Melbourne T&WWW show dissapointing. I spend many hundreds of hours in the lead up to the show, working out the best possible range of products to take from the very large range we carry.

You mention machinery as one area that needs improving, but suprisingly we managed to take:
4 table saws
5 thicknessers
1 planer/thicknesser
4 jointers
3 bandsaws
3 dusties
2 router tables
3 scroll saws
5 lathes
4 metal working machines
2 mortisers
2 air filters
1 shop vac
3 drill presses
1 cnc machine
2 wetstone grinders
several Festool tools
several Fein tools
PLUS
Our entire Veritas Handplane range and a selection of their top selling hand tools, the entire Leigh Dovetail jig range, a selected range of Japanese tools, CMT Bits and Blades, Hamlet turning tools, Pfeil and Flexcut carving tools, Kreg Pocket hole joinery, and our own Carba-Tec handtools and drill sets, and even a 7" bench vice and dust collection kit (all because of good planning).

Every single one of our catalogued products was on sale (even the stuff NOT on display), and we were offering free postage for smaller items (up to 20kg, and under 1m long - as is Aussie post restrictions). We were also offering discouted freight on the entire range. If you prefer, we could offer you free freight...but it will just cost you just a little more :wink:

Jim Carroll has made some very valid points about time and cost of attending these shows, and it is not getting any cheaper. We are a Qld based company, and have only enough staff on hand in our Vic. operation, to fill the needs of that location. To run a successful show we need to fly and accomodate nearly 20 staff from Qld (and feed them for nearly a week). I can tell you that every show is a gamble, but its a gamble we are committed to undertaking.

For us, the Melbourne 2009 T&WWW Show was an outstanding success, thanks to the efforts of the organisers, the other exhibitors, our dedicated and willing staff, and the paying public.

Well I'm off to finish the planning (and execution) of another show, this time a bigger gamble in the new Hands On Expo. Lets hope we can continue our run of successful shows, despite the fact that we can't transport our entire shop to the showgrounds.

John, I hope you understand the pressures that are applied, and the reasons we do cut back on the display stock we take. It is not to aggrivate or cause ill feeling, its just plain impossible to dismantle our business and move it across town for three days, and then move it back. If this is what we did, we would have to charge MORE for the product. We select the displayed rnage very carfully, and we base our choices on ACTUAL sales at previous shows, ACTUAL sales overall and anything new that needs to be showcased. Everything either side of that model is available from the shop, or for (usually) immediate delivery.

Dohboy....

[Groggy]

...For us, the Melbourne 2009 T&WWW Show was an outstanding success, thanks to the efforts of the organisers, the other exhibitors, our dedicated and willing staff, and the paying public...It is good to see that the show (overall) seems to have been generally good for the retailers AND the public. It can be done.

As for Carba-Tec, the stand seemed very busy the whole weekend - especially Friday. Every time I went to the front door to get someone I had to avoid the crowd around the CT stand. I hope you guys had a bumper year, it is a lot of stuff to put on display and I don't think the public begrudge you making a profit when you attend all the shows (at least all the ones I remember).

I'm glad I was at this show and look forward to the next one.

[John Saxton]

As an ancient and creaking old fart woodwacker in need of constant maintenance I would like to commend the presence of the attractive young massaging girls..... They made me smile all over!

And they did'nt call him "Doorstop" for no reason:wink:

Cheers:)

[Groggy]

For uBeaut, I see the poll has expired and the majority have probably spoken on this thread now. Would you please invite EEE (Liz) to put their perspective on the show for us?

They should have had time by now for the dust to settle.

[ubeaut]

Might get some feedback some time this week. They're not long back in Sydney after doing their last Exhibition for the year Bridal Ideas Exhibition in Adelaide.

I believe the Home Show they ran in Adelaide (the same weekend as the T&WWWShow) was an absolute bottler. People are sayong it was the best home show ever hels in SA. So it would seem they're doing something right.

I also believe there could be some really big new and exciting changes for the T&WWW Shows in 2010.

Look forward to hearing Liz's thoughts on Melbourne.

Cheers - Neil :U

[tea lady]

Bit slow with my feed back. I had to think.:rolleyes: I generally liked the show, and helped out at the Forum stand. I am still learning what is out there, and what tools there are, and what possibilities there are.

What I would have liked to see is some sort of exhibiton or display of finished woodwork. I guess its another whole can of worms. I know there is the turning club there, and demos and things. It would have just been good to see some high end finished work. :shrug:

[Jim Carroll]

Might get some feedback some time this week. They're not long back in Sydney after doing their last Exhibition for the year Bridal Ideas Exhibition in Adelaide.

I believe the Home Show they ran in Adelaide (the same weekend as the T&WWWShow) was an absolute bottler. People are sayong it was the best home show ever hels in SA. So it would seem they're doing something right.

I also believe there could be some really big new and exciting changes for the T&WWW Shows in 2010.

Look forward to hearing Liz's thoughts on Melbourne.

Cheers - Neil :U

Liz may not want to pre empt what they are doing as others may copy their ideas :oo:

[Liz Falloon]

sorry i have been so long in answering - we have been flat out after the completion of the shows and have spent the last week in Brisbane organising next year - this is the last trip for the year - yipee and really looking forward to getting home and getting know the house we live in, seeing our family and even training the new addition to the family Verve our great dane puppy (although she is already 58kilos).

Jim you are right don't really want to release too much yet, but we have some (i believe) great things coming up for next year. One thing i can tell you is we have already started organising more of the finished product on show!

This year we have found to be extremely hard - but have enjoyed the challenge and to bringing life back to the Timber Shows. We haven't finished yet and know we still have a long way to go and certainly not resting on the laurels (thanks though for all of the feedback both good and constructive) I do read them all and take them seriously.

Re the Melbourne Show - well it was much better than last year, but still have problems to tackle here............parking although resolved after the first day we will be making some positive changes. One positive is that the venue this year has come through as being a good exhibiting venue for Timber Shows. Visitors have told us there is some good public transport to the venue, so we will be maing sure we publise this and letting everyone know. We are currently collating our visitor surveys and have a show debrief next Friday, and reckon we will have a good picture of the overall event at completion of those.

Look forward to talking soon Liz

[Sparhawk]

One of the things my Dad mentioned was that we didn't see any TV ads until the week the show started. For people outside the regular WW media (such as this site), a couple of days notice is hard to organise attending this great event.

[Liz Falloon]

Sparhawk
our television campaign actually started 14 days pre show. Our newspaper campaign was booked 4 weeks out and radio three weeks - sorry you or your Dad didn't get to see earlier.
Regards Liz

[Shedhand]

Unfortunately there are no T&WWS in Tassie anymore. I got some great tools at it when it was on here. And there was always a good display (and competition) of nice woodworking. It would be good if EEE could tee up a Travel and Accomodation package so we could travel to the Melbourne T&WWS. I reckon the TT-Line and Forestry Tas could be tapped for a deal.
Just a thought.
Cheers
Sheddie

[malb]

This was my third show in a row. I was at the last at Jeff's shed where I was spending fairly freely, last years at the Showgrounds, where spending was more constrained, and at this years I took my own nibbles and drink and didn't buy anything because I did not find a thing that I could justify in my current finacial circumstances.

However that was just me being good and not spending what I didn't have. I spent about 4 hours looking at the general offeings and watching demos etc. Found the layout etc was quite good with plenty of room to move, was able to get in close to look at things in detail, and also able to get back a bit and watch from a moderate distance so that I could see the big picture as well.

Glad I took my own nibbles and softdrink as the catering seemed a bit pricey, but that is common these days as venue operators expect a fair bit from the concession holders, who have to sell a lot before they make an income.

Overall, I found a lot of stuff of interest,and had a good half day.

[Liz Falloon]

Sheddie
a great suggestion and we will get working on it for the 2010 Melbourne Show. Lots of thanks for the suggestion. Liz

[Calm]

Sheddie great post just what they are after - have a greenie.

[John Saxton]

It would be good if EEE could tee up a Travel and Accomodation package so we could travel to the Melbourne T&WWS. I reckon the TT-Line and Forestry Tas could be tapped for a deal.
Just a thought.
Cheers
Sheddie

Great thinking Shed, might have to have the holiday in Tassie first next time.:D

Cheers

[Shedhand]

Great thinking Shed, might have to have the holiday in Tassie first next time.:D

Cheers
Just let me know when you're coming mate. I make the best coffee in town (seriously). :wink: