Thread: What about the "Hands-On Expo"?

Originally Posted by Charleville

I am going twice - especially because I won two tickets in a radio station on-line competition associated with the Hands-on Expo.


Ripper!!!!


Oh - and I also won this stuff in the same competition...


Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch

Including the tickets, that is $855 worth, in all.

Awesome!!!!!






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and thats without spending a cent at the show

WOW That's a top prize.You couldn't knock that.
Congratulations Charleville

Originally Posted by Charleville

I am going twice - especially because I won two tickets in a radio station on-line competition associated with the Hands-on Expo.


Ripper!!!!


Oh - and I also won this stuff in the same competition...


Click for full size - Uploaded with plasq's Skitch

Including the tickets, that is $855 worth, in all.

Awesome!!!!!






.

Congrats on winning the Triple M and C & L Tools Centre prize. I just had Triple M down at the Expo and they said they were rapt with the promotion and really happy for you!
Cheers
Collette

Well I've just got home from the Expo. Didn't stay for a great deal of time as I'm a bit short on the stuff at the mo'. My impressions are that it is a bit better than the other one held in May. A fair bit more to look at and a fair few woodwork related traders there that weren't at the may event. Plenty of stuff related to other industries as well. The main purpose for my visit was to pay the balance owing on some chisels I ordered in may, pics to follow as I am allowing Trent to keep them on his stand for the balance of the show, and to say gidday to a couple of jokers I know. Overall, I reckon it's good value and hopefully will go onwards and upwards from here.
Cheers
Bevan

Originally Posted by Collette

Congrats on winning the Triple M and C & L Tools Centre prize. I just had Triple M down at the Expo and they said they were rapt with the promotion and really happy for you!
Cheers
Collette

Thanks, Collette. I am delighted with the prize. I just registered my name because I thought that winning a free ticket would be great. Getting the major prize, though, was awesome!


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Originally Posted by Enfield Guy

My impressions are that it is a bit better than the other one held in May.

I thought that it was pretty good also and so I am going back again on Sunday. (Well, I did win two free tickets. )


Part of the reason that it might have seemed better than the other one in May might be that the attendance would be well below the May show. For instance, whilst there were some school kids there, there were not the hordes of them that are to be found in the Friday attendance of the other show.

That lack of crowding meant, for instance, that it was possible to freely move around the Carba-Tec stand whereas in the May show, a person can barely move in the Carba-Tec stand.

Popular presenters like Richard Vaughan still had full house audiences though. I watched a couple of really good presentations. The one on box design by Steve Hayles was very good.


The downside for the exhibitors might be that they are not making the sales that they might hope for. I spent $8 with the old wood turner in the outside area near the food at about 1 pm after the show had been open for three hours and he told me that that was the first sale that he had made all day and he was expecting that more sales should have been made as Christmas gifts. Not so, it seems.

Nonetheless, as this is the first of these shows, I assume that the organisers should expect that it might take some time to grow the attendance numbers.

Parking cost $10 which is up a bit on what we might usually expect but with the limited attendance, it seems that everyone got an undercover park - which was pretty "cool" in more ways than one.

I saw a few useful show specials. I already have a good drill press but I noticed that Carba-Tec had a good show special on floor standing drill presses.

The lack of crowding meant that the usual stalls of tables with loose bits and pieces were not completely crowded out like at the May show.

Tool manufacturers and retailers seemed to be well represented; the seminars seemed pretty good; Access was good. All in all, it is a pretty good event I think. Better than I expected, anyhow.

The only bad thing is that I had forgotten the knapsack experience. That is, so many old blokes go to those things wearing knapsacks just like the school kids do - and just as with the schoolkids, every time that they turn around, ya gotta duck or otherwise be hit by a rotating cantilevered knapsack.


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i went today. Loved it. Got a heap of timber, some steel for a new scraper, some pen kits and some more pen blanks. Well worth the visit in my opinion. Agree that it was easier to walk around due to smaller crowds. It's a pity that if it's still quiet in the next couple of days that it could spell the end of this show. I'd hate to see that happen. For anyone doubting the "wood" aspect to the show, it seemed to still be the vast majority of it compared to metal/automotive/trade stuff.

Grrr... Can't fit it into the schedule, so doesn't look like I'll get there.

Originally Posted by eisbaer

For anyone doubting the "wood" aspect to the show, it seemed to still be the vast majority of it compared to metal/automotive/trade stuff.

Yeah. Agreed. It was not the sort of show that I would expect metalworkers to get excited about. eg there were not too many milling machines nor metal turning lathes - probably none, in fact. A few welders were on display but not much more stuff of a metal work nature


'Tis a good show for woodworkers, though.


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Went there today and had a ball. Met heaps of forumites at morning tea/lunch/afternoon tea outside, but also whilst walking around. More forumites running stores these days, but that is more about more forum members than more stores

Sorry, no muffins today, my son finished the eggs off

No "hands on" that I saw. Pretty much the same as the wood show, but less wood, although extra stalls for cars, welders, epoxies, some stalls more aimed for women (handbags, hanging trinkets + others). Still plenty to see and fill my day. I could have stayed for another day, but only would have spent more

Got some more birdseye Huon and a few small pieces of outback Qld timbers I didn't have before (sorry forgotten names ). Bought a heap of small handy things, like special tweasers & locking pliers, a needle threader, magnifier, special aluminium welding rods, a few acrylic pen blanks, special 2 step drills (for acrylic blanks), pepper grinder mechanism, quick connect air duct connectors ......

One big buy was upgrading to a new Tormek wet grind. 's demo last weekend convinced me, but then there was Ken's demo at the show, Jim and the Tormek man hassling me, but the closer was when Jim set the cute young female sales girl onto me . Jim knows I'm a sucker for the good looking ones Oh well, early Xmas gift

__________________

I went today, it looked to be a good show but it lacked people. I asked at least four exhibitors and they all said it wasn't worth their time.

I had a good talk to a whole bunch of people, I met STAR, Dai Sensei, Froggie, Ken W, SuperBunny, Wayne Blanche, Jim Carroll, Autralis somethingerather, Carlo, Zarguld, Christopha, Munruben and probably some others

I went to Hare and Forbes' big sale before hand, after the show I ended up with, new digital calipers, a P&N parting tool, some tips for my metal parting tool, some HSS blanks, a polishers handbook, and an extra two years on my AWR subscription.
A also sold an awl to Raf Nathan

So a pretty good day overall, but I doubt the show will continue

Originally Posted by funkychicken

So a pretty good day overall, but I doubt the show will continue

Glad you enjoyed the Expo FC and the shopping! I went shopping too buying a Jock Fergus carving, way too much stuff from the Bayside Club - boxes, Xmas decorations and another very funky decorative piece! I really want to win their raffle - the prize an amazing set of floral carvings which looked simply beautiful.

The visitors came in a steady stream on Saturday but we'd love more! Don't worry the Expo will be around for quite some time. Paddy and his team spent years building the Timber Shows into a strong event. We know it doesn't just happen overnight and our passion, commitment and drive is all about creating a great event and experience for visitors!

I'll try to attach some images - I'm not a photographer so excuse the focus!
Cheers Collette

Originally Posted by Jim Carroll

....
Should be interseting to see Ken Wraight with his demo, new fresh face for most people.

I saw Ken, stopped to watch/talk a couple of times, he had LOTS of spare chairs.
There weren't very many people there on Friday but he did get a few people to watch, because there were only one or 2 at a time, they mostly stood right in front of him to watch rather than sit & use the video display.

Originally Posted by Collette

Glad you enjoyed the Expo FC and the shopping! I went shopping too buying a Jock Fergus carving, way too much stuff from the Bayside Club - boxes, Xmas decorations and another very funky decorative piece! I really want to win their raffle - the prize an amazing set of floral carvings which looked simply beautiful.

The visitors came in a steady stream on Saturday but we'd love more! Don't worry the Expo will be around for quite some time. Paddy and his team spent years building the Timber Shows into a strong event. We know it doesn't just happen overnight and our passion, commitment and drive is all about creating a great event and experience for visitors!

I'll try to attach some images - I'm not a photographer so excuse the focus!
Cheers Collette

What Collette, no pictures of superbunny? Where do people go wrong I don't know.

SB