Thread: The Future of the Wood Show

Originally Posted by Woodwould

Liz happens to be a woman, but I sincerely doubt anyone's comments would have been any different if the organiser was a bloke!

Oh, for crying out loud. Did you bother to click on the link I provided you? Have I mentioned Liz? I can't see anything in reference to Liz that's out of place. Untie your knickers will you.

Originally Posted by Scott

Oh, for crying out loud. Did you bother to click on the link I provided you? Have I mentioned Liz? I can't see anything in reference to Liz that's out of place. Untie your knickers will you.

Brendan Stemp's post made no mention of the fairer sex, women or girls (nor anyone else'), yet you brought up misogyny. Who, if not Liz, were you referring to?

Originally Posted by Scott

Attack the role of a woman to make a point, it's unnecessary.

Who is the mystery woman who is being "attacked"?

you blokes need a cold shower...

Originally Posted by MAPLEMAN

you blokes need a cold shower...

Yeah, I agree. I give up.

Originally Posted by Scott

Yeah, I agree. I give up.

Damn! What am I going to do with all this popcorn?

Originally Posted by Big Shed

Damn! What am I going to do with all this popcorn?

Set up a booth at next years show!

Originally Posted by Big Shed

Damn! What am I going to do with all this popcorn?

Originally Posted by Big Shed

Damn! What am I going to do with all this popcorn?

Well, I can continue but...

Sorry Scott but I can't really find any misogynistic remarks (with the exception of one post which we can ignore as it was posted in jest) in there either and I re-read the whole thread.
For myself, this year was the first major show I attended. I went for two full days and had a great time. Spent a ton of money and met many forumites for the first time. I spent a lot of time looking over displays and items offered for sale but I went there with the intention of buying quite a bit. I had held off purchasing a few items till I could get my hands on them and give 'em a try. That's what I like about the shows. The hands on. I was a bit disappointed at the lack of demonstations that didn't involve a lathe and that is something that I would like to see more of. I'm not a turner and have no intention of taking it up so to be honest, about half of the show held little interest for me personally. I sat in on one of Neil's demos and learnt a lot in a very short time.
Not everyone lives in a capital city and it can be quite an effort just to attend. I have a three hour drive to get there and if I want to attend more than one day I have accomodation on top of that. Not complaining, but it has to be worth the trip and expense for me to attend.
I think it was this year and am looking forward to next years show.

Ok I have read all the posts in the thread and when you look at all the content it is amazing how diverse opinions are when essentially we all want the same thing.

There are three classifications of steak-holders - Organisers, exhibitors and attendees. Each of these groups look at it differently.

Organisers are essentially running it as a business. They need to make a profit or they would not continue. I am not saying they dont enjoy it, in fact I hope they do! I am sure that Liz and her business partners understand that their profits come from the site fees paid by the exhibitors and the entrance fees paid by the attendees. Out of their income they hire venues, pay for advertising, probably pay more in insurance than most people would believe, hire entertainment and demonstrators, employ staff and pay various other expenses and if there is anything left over they can even feed their families.

Exhibitors are also running their own sites as a business. They also need to make a profit. I do not know how much they pay for a site but they need to recoup the cost of paying for the site, transporting their stock to the site and setting up as well as taking everything back to the shop at the end of the show. Although these guys are paying out a heap in overheads that they would not need to pay out if they stay at their own shops and run a sale the week before the show, they are still expected to discount their items because it is a show.

Attendees pay their admission money and as such they expect to find a pavilion full of eager exhibitors all providing their stock at discount prices. We pay good money to get in so we are entitled to our cheap buys. We want to see demos and expect a wide range of products and materials and of course freebies.

So how does it all work out?

As I peruse the posts preceding mine I see a lot of people saying they want more demos. Demo sites are a cost to the organisers. There would therefore be a definable limit in the budget that can be spent on them. If they bring in more attendees, then they become more valuable and the spinoff to the exhibitors is of course more potential customers through the door.

But what if nobody is buying enough from the exhibitors to make it worth while for them to attend? Would it be viable to kick out the exhibitors and make it a demos only event? I bet the attendance fee would be so high that not many of us would go.

One of the main things I look for these days, now that I have all the machinery I need to do what I want is timber. Now, I have a big bandsaw and the milling sled is nearly complete and I can mill my own logs to 15". I have a 15" thicknesser. I prefer to get my timber as logs and process them myself, milling and drying and resawing ,planing, then making the end-product. It gives me a great sense of satisfaction to look at a finished item and know it was a log or three that I made it from. But what do I find at the show? Nothing but turning blanks, slabs and dressed timber. Nobody brings logs because for the cost of the site they need to put as much value adding into the timber they bring or they would have to sell 10 times as much to make it worthwhile.

I think that two exhibitors are doing it very well at the moment.

Firstly, Jim Carrol. I am not sure if his stall is getting bigger because it moved, so it is hard to compare but he has the ability to find new and interesting things to include each year. Until Jim sent out an eamil saying he was doing Carter bandsaw accessories this year I thought I was not going to be spending anything on machinery this year. Jim also has knowledgable staff who understand customer service and make the attendees comfortable. Jim is a woodturner and a lot of his stock is aimed at turners, but he has enough other items in stock to provide something for all woodworkers. I do not regard myself as a turner, even though I own two lathes. I would need to get a lot better at using them before I would call myself a turner, But I still love Jim's site and how he conducts business.

Secondly, Big Stan. I do not know what deals Stan has with the organisers, He is a big part of the entertainment at the show but he also has his retail outlet on another site. Whether his fee for one pays for the other or if he pays them or they pay him, I do not know and do not care. It is none of my business and is a matter for both parties. But he provides entertainment and educates the public in various aspects of mainly traditional woodworking skills, and love or hate his singing he still attracts a crowd. I worked for a couple of hours with Stan on the Thursday before the show and watching him interact with the other exhibitors was amazing. He is friends wit all the other exhibitors and introduces himself to all new exhibitors he did not previously know. He spent so much of his time just making friends. I think he is the glue that is holding the whole thing together.

I have other thoughts but that is probably enough for now so as to not make a post so long that nobody will read it, but I suggest that people look at the show from the point of view of the organiser, the exhibitors and the attendees before they post impractical suggestions. If it doesn't work for all three interest groups it isn't going to happen.

Doug

Lots of interesting responses and makes excellent reading.

My earlier comments regarding the possibility of combining wood and
crafts stem from my involvement with the Wallan Expo. Ok, we are not
in the same league as the major exhibitions but nevertheless our club,
Northern Woodturners, have exhibited there for the two Expos to date.

Our sales of items far exceeded our expectations in the latest Expo
and who were our best clients, the local Kilmore Quilters Group. Not only
did they buy our stock but ordered just over $600 worth of repeat items
which he have only just completed. In addition their ideas for the
club members will have us turning items already for next year's Expo.

By the way, as organizer for both Expos, I chose not to have anyone
actually using a lathe although initially invited to. The quilters would
not have appreciated any dust, nor would the chemist shop or gift shop
who were close to us. We received very favourable comments from
the public, fellow exhibitors and the centre management.

We can live successfully in harmony with fellow craftspeople.

Allan

Some folk have persevered for a very long time with backing, supporting and promoting the Working with Wood Show. I attended the very first show in Melbourne and I have missed 1 since as a demonstrator. I feel this gives me a little "cred".
The only exhibitors that i can think of that has been there without fail is UBeaut and Stan Ceglinski.
Neil and Pauline have been there forever it seems and not just at the Melbourne "do", they have been all over Oz promoting their UBeaut products but more importantly WOODWORKING.
As much as it pisses me off to admit it, the only demonstrator that has been there forever is .
OK, having given these folk their due, it seems that in all those years from the start in the Exhibition building through Jeffs shed to the Showgrounds in Melb. From the different venues in Sydney, the shows in Brissy, Adelaide and even stranger places. While the customer/ showgoer hasn't changed their expectations the world/ market has amazingly.
I remember a lady at one of the first Melbourne shows trying to demonstrate the internet and a web site. The only people who knew what the hell she was doing were bloody kids!
Nowadays none of us buy anybloodything from anybloodyone without checking its' price online... and then you barstewards complain it's dearer at the show!

I am getting tired and need my bed (getting old!) so I shall try to cut to the chase....

I feel that as exhibitors we need to try to come up with new ways of presenting our/their products.

I feel that as Show Promoters EEE and their ilk need to expand their horizons too, perhaps the Model aircraft mob are just a hint of what might be.... What about seeking out other interests that woodworking people might appreciate... The woodwork in restoring old cars, the metalwork in same... Boat bulding, not just static disp[lays of lovely old boats.
Buggy building model building,musical instrument making etc etc etc

What we as woodworkers need to do is to tell EEE what WE would like to see at shows.
Help them provide US with what we want.
SUPPORT them in their efforts to give us what we bloody want!

And stop bloody whinging

Rant ends...........

Good night all!

Originally Posted by Woodwould

Please understand what misogyny means before you misuse it and make ridiculous accusations. There's only philogyny in this camp!

Think I will have "I am a philogynist" printed on a T shirt

Liz, I'm not one of those faceless men as I met you at the Melbourne show, at the forum stand, last year and the year before.

For the last three years I have been doing a shift on the forum stand each day of the show and I have seen exhibitors come for a year and then not come back and the number of visitors have dropped. A sign of the tough times we are in.

The advantage of this for the visitors is that there is more room to move around. I stopped going to the show when it was at the Exhibition centre as it was much to crowded and parking was impossible. The current location seem the best, fairly central with adequate and cheap parking. Moving to the Eastern suburbs one year and then the Western suburbs would be a backward step. Remember the furore when CT moved to Springvale and H & F moved to Dandenong. For weeks the forum was awash with complaints that it was too far

I like the changes with the Come and learn. Last year I learned Pyrography and this year my daughter learned marquetry. All good.

But I was disappointed that Tim the Turner with his structured class of making honey dippers is missing. A few years ago I did his class and got hooked on turning and I haven't looked back, and this keeps me coming back and spending at the show. I believe he introduced many to wood turning and for beginners this is a better way to attract than the come and learn from the demonstrators, who cater more to turners then beginners.


I noticed that you said you spent a lot on advertising, but I only once heard a radio add and that was when we were on the way to the show. Maybe you can look at the effectiveness of this advertising.

At some of the early shows, mainly at the Exhibition Building, there were a fair number of exhibitors dealing with renovations and that may be an area to bring back. At the time I was doing renovations and they were very useful.

They other thing I would suggest is to get Better Home and Gardens TV show to do some segments at the show. They do it for gardening so why not woodworking. If they come Bunnings and maybe Masters might also come.


Peter.