Thread: Melbourne W.W.W. Show 15-17 October 2010

I only ever saw a purple thing, no prompts to click or anything. Subsequently each following email I received I deleted. If I had to assume something then it didn't work as a marketing tool.

I have seen EEE's photo's of the show WOW people did actually go crowds of them.
McJings stand couldn't see it they were 3 deep. Well done Liz.

Having exhibited at all Timber and Working With Wood Shows in Melbourne since day one and approximately 45 of the others, I think I have a bit of a feel for and an affinity with the shows.

As Phil said those first shows 22 years ago were full of excitement and wondrous things. The instigators of the show were Rod (now Raff) and Linda Nathan who now publish the Australian Wood Review and I was demonstrating woodcarving on the VWA stand. Yes they were really exciting.

Why? Because for all of us it was something new, something different and something that had never been seen before anywhere in Australia. The first few years at the Exhibition Building were terrific but there were problems and complaints then just as now. Food wasn't up to scratch and too expensive, parking either wasn't or was too expensive the venue was either too hot or too cold, not enough room in isles, etc. etc.

After a few years it moved to Jeffs Shed and there were more complaints than you could poke a stick at. However, for the first time the exhibitors actually started to make real money. Unfortunately as the years went on the shows got stale and so did the organisers, there were meetings with a specially selected group of exhibitors on how to rejuvenate the shows and bring back the excitement of the first ones, but instead of listening to those who really mattered... the exhibitors and the patrons, they chose to listen to so called marketing guru's. Because of this the spark that was these shows was almost extinguished.

Last year for the first time since those early shows, the spark was reignited.and we had probably the best show ever, this year was much the same. The people were mostly happy both exhibitors and patrons, the food and parking were still a problem but at least the parking was way, way cheaper than at Jeff's Shed and the organisers went above and beyond to try and make it better.

For Phil the shows seem to have lost their spark and turned into a shopping mall or similar.

However for someone who has never been to a T&WWWShow before it's all new and exciting, full of wondrous things and demonstrations never seen before. Just as it was for those of us who were at the first shows.

It's all relative......

That doesn't mean that the show or organisers should rest on their laurels. I doubt that this will ever happen with the EEE team. They have a burning desire to make these shows bigger, better and more vibrant then they have ever been before.

As for no new stuff, there was heaps of it all one had to do was really look around. Pop's Shed for one, was there for the first time with something new and some really great bargains along with a number of other new exhibitors, new tools new finishes and ideas from Organoil and even that bloke from Bendigo (well near Bendigo) had new Foodsafe Oil being demonstrated. More demonstrations and demonstrators than you could poke a stick at and there was quite a bit of interaction with the kids including sessions with Tim Skilton and Big Stan Ceglinski along with other activities for those who came with their schools on the Friday

And for something different I organised for a Woodchopper mate of mine, to come in on Friday and Sunday and have a couple of races against sawing teams. Lots of fun and hilarity especially with the school kids.

There will always be some complaints, no matter how good a show is, someone will find fault with something. I'd rather see people find solutions instead of faults. Now wouldn't that be something.

Cheers - Neil

Well said Neil.
I am relatively new to woodworking,just over 4 years.I have been twice to Jeff's shed.
Not a good experience at all.
Twice at the Show Grounds.Well I have a ball at the Show Grounds.I am 63 and feel like a kid at Christmas time .I only spend a few hundred at the show on supplies I need Now or shortly,but I have a good look at the machinery and decide what I want later.I ask plenty of questions and watch a few demos if I have time.I sat in on part of yours Neil.I miss Timbecon and I think the Jet Guy was missing as well.
No real complaints,well the food if you could call it that.I never even sited the usual venue type food such as Chips,Dimmys, Hot dogs,Pies etc.
Could someone ,Maybe a club run a BBQ with sausages etc

Originally Posted by AUSSIE

Could someone ,Maybe a club run a BBQ with sausages etc

That's an excellent idea, maybe a different club each day.

Peter.

Yeah what was with that food. Toasted pidies...... who catches them, and are they like, daddy longlegs, redbacks, huntsmen, white-tails, or are they imported tarantulas, or NSW trapdoors. And when they catch them do the pidies scream out aaaahhhh there's a human in me and start waving their little legs uncontrollably.

Unfortunately the venue won't allow non contracted food sales. This seems to be the go at all venues.

I'd love to run a BBQ running or pie stand at the show. Instant riches beyond your wildest dreams. It looked like the venue opted for the healthy (yuppy) option.Not a pie, pastie or sausage roll in sight and the original Four n Twenty Pier tower outside the door taunting pie lovers from a distance.

Their excuse....... We don't have any ovens. Yet funnily enough, at the Friday night, after show, drinks, etc session, they served party pies and sausage rolls, oh and some disgusting little quiche things with shrivelled up mushrooms on top that even Big Stan screwed his face up at and declined to eat.

I think another important point is that the world we live in isnt like it was 20 years ago, from our homes we can see and compare things in ways would couldnt before. Emails can be sent and answered across the world in the blink of an eye. Our experiences can be shared with everyone not just with people in my local club.

The wonder of seeing and discovering a new gizmo now takes place well before the show comes along. I saw a saw stop demo on youtube a year before it was demo'd at a show.

This year I took my father for the first time, the first comment he made was that there were no young people and no one wants to work with wood anymore.

I think these are the people who need to come to the show, they are the hobbiests that will look on the exhibition in wonder, not some of us oldies who have seen and done 99% of it all before...

Perhaps some of the advertising needs to focus on getting fresh blood into the hobbie and the show not just die hard woodworkers.

joez

Originally Posted by ubeaut

Having exhibited at all Timber and Working With Wood Shows in Melbourne since day one and approximately 45 of the others, I think I have a bit of a feel for and an affinity with the shows.
Cheers - Neil

You don't look that old Neil, is there a use for your waxes that you have not told us about?

I agree with Jeff's shed the shows were horrible there and the new venue is a big improvement.

I was not going to go to the show this year but my wife likes to look at the woodwork that might be exhibited their so I took her. There were some negative things about the show that we experienced and some positive none f these had any thing to do with Liz or EEE exhibitions. I will list the negative first.

• Car-parking, my wife is disabled and needs to use a wheelchair, the disabled car parking was too far away and to push a wheelchair up the hill after pushing it around the show was hard work, I also noticed other people with walking sticks struggling also. I think that whoever the moron is who allocated the parking for disabled people should have both their legs broken and stuffed up a rear orifice so they have to use a wheelchair and experience the difficulties that disabled people face, I also think architecture students should have this module incorporated into their courses. Mombuy Max didn't help much either.
• As usual it is hard for a person in a wheelchair to assess the stands, some times it is poor access, other times it is people pushing the chair out of the way or just not aware of what is happening below the level of their navel. My wife loves to look at the planes on the Lie Nielson stand she marvels at the workmanship and in the past she has made a purchase, this year there was a rude sod who pushed her out of the way so he could get to the planes, his need was more important than hers apparently. Lie Nielson missed out on a sale this year, I think he was working on the LN stand.
• Carba-Tec, just gave that a miss to much in a small area good for them, they sold a lot but a person in a wheel chair it is not worth looking at.
• I could go on but none of my gripes are any thing that EEE exhibitions can fix they are symptoms of a selfish self interested community.
• I didn't go into the Forum area as I did not think the wheelchair would fit comfortably I may be wrong as I only had a quick look I was tired and wanted to get going.

The good things we found at the show

• Liz Scobie, wonderful lady she spent time explaining her painting techniques to my wife, I now have to turn up some bowels to be painted. Thanks Liz you were very helpful and kind.
• The young European man in the eating area who jumped up to move a chair so my wife could navigate her wheel chair easily ( I think he was from Festool), I don't often see good manners, this young man's good manners and consideration was refreshing. this is not often seen from Australian men especially the older ones.

Generally I agree the shows at the show grounds are a big improvement, and there are things that can be things done to improve the show, there always are and that is the ongoing challenge. I would like to see more furniture as my wife likes to look at that, and stands with more space in them for obvious reasons. I don't think that any thing can be done about the bad manners of old Australian men. Seems that when they get together in a group the 'pillock' in them emerges.

After all my gripes I will be back next year.

Phil.
I think you have offended a large percentage of the WWF members.I am 63 Am I in the group that you call the older men and being told the pillock comes out in them or what ever you said.Have a look HERE.You bought up some good points,but ! I also figure you are not an Aussie?

Originally Posted by AUSSIE

Phil.
I think you have offended a large percentage of the WWF members.I am 63 Am I in the group that you call the older men and being told the pillock comes out in them or what ever you said.Have a look HERE.You bought up some good points,but ! I also figure you are not an Aussie?

You are right some oldies are better than that, maybe I should have said silly old farts, or blobs of useless pelican poo. Having said that this grumpy old man calls it as he sees it, and, always their is an element of the population that spoils it for the rest and I seem to always run into them.

As to not being an Aussie, my family goes back to the founding of Melbourne, one of my reletives brought his furniture factory including apprentices to Melbourne set up his furniture factory where Young & Jackson's now stands, choped the trees on the site where St Pauls Cathedral now stands and lived in John Batman's house so there!!!! I suppose I don't quite make it to being a true blue Aussie yet.

Now go ahead and flame me

I don't want to clog this thread up with non related matter, but if anyone wants to read of a number of incidents at the show involving some particularly ignorant male behaviour, just PM me. ... And I'm related to Adam who knew God intimately and, according to some, he built Australia.

Originally Posted by Woodwould

I ... And I'm related to Adam who knew God intimately and, according to some, he built Australia.

Did he know my grandfathers??

I've taken on board the comments about restricted access to the Forums coffee area. Although the privacy screen was easily moved to allow for wheelchair access it was not advertised as such. Next year I'll advertise it somehow. My apologies for the inconvenience.

Originally Posted by joez

This year I took my father for the first time, the first comment he made was that there were no young people and no one wants to work with wood anymore.

Joe, you should have taken him on Friday, there were several schools in attendance, they were getting involved with Stan and Tim, and even asking questions.