Thread: Canberra W.W.W. Show

thanks Bosun for the comments. The sun is at least out today and already we have a good crowd. Thanks for coming and supporting the show Canberra! Liz

PS don't know who the guitar player is but love the music at the end of the day!

Liz

Thanks again for the forum lounge. I certainly made good use of it and met up with .

I was very pleased to see Lie Neilson there despite not being on the exhibitors list. Managed to get their last 1/2 inch mortise chisel.

This show should be on the banned list I drove 7hr to get there spent all my money in 3hr found what I’m going to spent my money next time Matt Pavey has a lot to answer for in that department and then drive 7hr home no mcjing was disappointing and I didn’t find the piece of wood I was looking for but the friendly crowd and exhibitors made up for it i don't know if i'll do it again but I did have a good time thank you

Seems to me . . . I might have to wander down the highway . . . congrats to Liz and the crew . . . I have only heard good from here and my club mates.

From my point of view as a demonstrator it was an excellent show.

Liz and her crew do an excellent job of catering (within their powers) to everybody so that things run smoothly.

There was enough time to answer everybody's questions without feeling rushed.

The Forum lounge was well utilised but it is a pity that a few more didn't come and make themselves known.

But Bosun, did you hear the drummer accompanying the guitarist as well?

thanks everyone for the comments - all feeling very tired today, but really glad the show went as well as it did considering the wind rain and cold. Have to replace all of our outside signage as it was ripped to shreds. Back to Sydney tomorrow, to get ready for Melbourne Timber. Liz

I attended the show on Friday 3rd. I was disappointed with the lack of exhibitors. The old faithfuls were there, but not much new. Over the past few years the show has got smaller and smaller. Now, with no Carbatec, Timbercon, Professional Woodworkers, Vek to name just a few, there is no opportunity to touch and compare machinery etc.
Also, apart from the Torque workcentre, no new products. Fishers had a lot of stuff, but it was jammed in and hard to get around.
We used to enoy the show because we could see tools not resdily available but many of these suppliers are no longer coming.
We remember when the Canberra show took up two halls, but now it is all in one with a fair part of that being lounges. No outdoor displays either, apart from timber.
Do I sound like I am whinging? Sorry, but after travelling for almost three hours to get to the show and being disappointed I wanted to get it off my chest.
calling it a "boutique" show? Playing with words, I think.
Someone once said that he couldn't understand why people were expected to pay to visit the WWW shows just to buy tools etc available from retail outlets. He may be close to the mark when I think that I could get most things from Carroll's etc over the internet and save the fuel in travelling to Canberra if there are no new tools or dnemonstations to attract me.
It's a pity because I used to look forward to the show.

sorry you felt the way you did about the show - you have visited the Canberra show not the Sydney or Melbourne Shows whereby the larger exhibitors you mention go to at and are supported by the numbers visiting the show. VEK exhibited last year in Canberra, and probably will be back next year. As for lounges i have to pick you up on that - there was one visitor lounge - these we have put into the shows after numerous requests from you the visitor. Again sorry you felt the show didn't deliver. Liz

Originally Posted by keen1880

I attended the show on Friday 3rd. I was disappointed with the lack of exhibitors. The old faithfuls were there, but not much new. Over the past few years the show has got smaller and smaller. Now, with no Carbatec, Timbercon, Professional Woodworkers, Vek to name just a few, there is no opportunity to touch and compare machinery etc..

interesting take on it ... i also travelled 3 hours and stayed overnight at canberra in order to attend the canberra show ... yes it is a shame that some of the people aren't there but there were still sufficient unto my needs and i enjoyed the comparative quiet (and civilised as i said in a prior post) air to it ... it is easy to buy by phone or by internet but for me, getting to see and speak to people is a pleasant aspect and i tend NOT to buy wood other than in person ...

i feel frustrated with some of the vendors who seem to push you to buy products "sight unseen" ... the shows are a way of getting those products to the people but i guess they are making commercial decisions that say losing a few customers who won't buy new/different things mail order stacks up against the costs involved (although i must say i saw a lot of money being spent at canberra show which must have defrayed the costs for some) ...

Originally Posted by keen1880

Also, apart from the Torque workcentre, no new products. Fishers had a lot of stuff, but it was jammed in and hard to get around.
We used to enoy the show because we could see tools not resdily available but many of these suppliers are no longer coming.

i am not sure how much new stuff is out there really ... carbatec have a cnc router which would have been interesting to see but probably wouldn't have sold much ... i think there were individual demonstraters that could have done better for themselves by thinking more about how they presented their products but overall i would think the vendors would have been happy

i will still go to sydney and melbourne shows as well but I enjoyed canberra particularly

regards david

Just back from our capital city a bit worn out after the 10 hour drive through our flooded north victoria.

The show is a small show and that is reflected by the numbers that come through the door.

If you can double the people coming through the door then some of the other larger exhibitors may come back to Canberra.

It is not a cheap weekend for all the exhibitors and there is a lot of effort on our behalf and the organisers to make it a good show. This show is a relaxed show and that gives us a chance to talk to you and cater to your needs properly.
In the larger shows we are always time poor and can at times not get the right information across or get enough information to give you the goods you really need

From our point of view the weekend was a success in meeting old and new customers the sales are a bonus.

Will we go back again , certainly we will be there again next year.

This was my third year running at the Canberra show and I prefer the more relaxed pace to the frenetic Sydney Show. I went on Friday and spent 5 hours there and if I hadn't a prior commitment I could have spent another one or two hours there.

Highlights:
- topping up my supplies of Carol's gear.
- having a yarn with A Duke in the forum lounge (which I hope stays a permanent fixture).
- bumping into Steve at the Lie Nielson stand where I bought two floats, which have been seeing a lot of use since then. It was nice to see LN there - as tempting as the shiny lovely tools were, I refrained (Steve did you end up buying the no4?).
- the special prices on pretty much every UBeaut product (of which I bought at least half a dozen).
- some fantastically patterned black heart sassafrass that I was lucky enough to grab as I got there first thing.
- Some of the amazing ACT Guild displays.
- My brand spanking new Tormek T7!
- Chris Vesper's stand.
- The variety of expert presentations.

Hopefully Terry Gordon will be back next year.

It is interesting to read comments on the recent show. I have today had a meeting with members of my wood club and they felt that keen1880 was pretty right in his observations. Different members have been going to shows in Sydney and Canberra for the past 15 years and have noticed the decline in the shows.
As an example I was at the sydney show with a friend about 8 years ago and he managed to outfit his workshop with machinery and tools which he could see and touch and see some in operation. He could compare prices and brands from a number of suppliers who were present, before committing to a purchase, something which you could not do now in Canberra or Sydney. These suppliers are no longer at the shows, or their presence is so small that almost no machinery is on display, and not operating.
I have enjoyed the shows over the years and have enjoyed catching up with people who I only see once a year. I spend money and my workshop is full of bits and pieces I have bought over the years.
Why is the number of exhibitors down? Anecdotal evidence indicates that venue costs are too high and too much turnover is needed to cover these costs before making any profit. Also, Jim Carroll suggests that twice the number of visitors might encourage exhibitors back, so maybe the entry fee should be reviewed. After all, shops don't charge you to visit their store for you to purchase or windowshop. These are matters entirely in the hands of the organisers and perhaps exhibitors who express their view by not turning up.
Food for thought- why not have a new products corner where things like the ones featured in the Australian Woodworker each month could be seen and touched, after all we woodies are a touchy feely fraternity. Or, tools displayed by type rather than brand as then you would know what routers, saw tables, lathes etc etc are available. Catering could also get a bit of attention.
I,m sorry if this sounds like a whinge, but me and my friends want the wood shows to succeed but don't know why we should accept less than we used to get.
Please consider this as constructive cirticism, not destructive observations

Sorry I haven't got back to answer the last comments - in all truthfulness I decided to think about my response to you. I did feel I had answered some of the comments re the previous post.

You mention you are part of a woodclub, therefore I wonder if you are also part of the ACT Guild. If so you would have seen the large display the Guild had at the Canberra Show. The space along with the build, walls, power, carpet and funding of their catering for the presentations is all courtesy of the Organiser. We feel this is our part of putting back to the Industry.

Not only did we fund the Guild this year but we added the attraction of funding the 1,000 Toys for Charities stand. I won't embarrass anyone of saying how much this all cost but enough to say it is more than considerable. I tell you this because you mention increasing the number of exhibitors to the show.................exhibitors need return on their investment just like us. If we were to stop supporting clubs and Guilds we would therefore be able to take more commercial exhibitors into that space, and then as you predict we could have more visitors therefore it would may seen to be a win win for everyone, except the clubs and Guild. It certainly is in our interest to have more commercial exhibitors and visitors which would allow us to then turn a break even show into a profitable exercise.

I just have to state again that exhibitors like Timbercon who are based in Perth don't believe they can get a return on their investment from the Canberra show!

I thank you for taking the time to outline your thoughts, and they are taken as constructive and caring.
Regards Liz

Like a number of people here, and like the people that I spoke with who attended, I was disappointed that some of the vendors who have previously attended didn't show up. Timbercon, McJings and surprisingly Carbatec.

I was very keen on comparing some machinery and had budgeted for a good quality bandsaw. I found two bandsaws in the size range I was looking for, and both came out of the same factory. There wasn't much in the way of variety from my viewpoint.

I understand about the importance of supporting clubs etc, but that doesn't change the fact that the show is getting smaller every year and fewer vendors are supporting it because it isn't worth their time because it doesn't get the numbers. Isn't that the law of diminishing returns?

If Canberra really wants to keep the show, I think that cheaper floorspace at the show is the only solution that can be offered. That might mean that there will be less of a profit, but sometimes you have to spend money to make money. This would make it worthwhile for the vendors, and attract better crowds again. It might also mean doing it for two or three years to rebuild the market and overcome the reputation of the Canberra show. Wouldn't that be better than canceling the show altogether because it just isn't worth it anymore?

Liz, you are right, Timbercon couldn't justify the cost because they are in Perth. How about Carbatec, who are located less than 30 km away?

Next year, I think I'll take a leaf out of Timbercon, McJings and Carbatec's book and just go to the Sydney show instead, unless things improve. I would bet that there are enough like-minded people around here in Canberra to fill a bus and make the trip worthwhile. For smaller items, I might be better off just buying direct from the US.

Craig