From Bill Hughes

Dear Peter,

Much has been written recently about the London Boat Show, I mean the BMF one, and I just wondered if anybody had connected the fall in attendance over the past few years with a fall in the number of small independent manufacturers/suppliers that do not now attend.

This has been highlighted by our own decision not to exhibit at London any more which prompted me to look back at old show catalogues just to see who wasn’t around now and the number was quite surprising, names that had been part of the London show seen for more years than I care to remember.

So perhaps the question should be asked, which came first, the disappearing attendee or the disappearing exhibitor.

Our own case for not going anymore is I think quite typical, London at ExCeL is just too expensive for small companies, to get a reasonable position because of the layout you probably have to take a larger stand than is necessary (this year we had to take a four metre deep stand instead of our usual three adding nearly £1000 to our costs) or face the prospect of being buried in some god forsaken backwater that every show has had at Excel. This combined with accommodation and food costs is I think a major contributing factor for the decline in the small dedicated marine exhibitor.

Please excuse me but now for the cynical bit. I feel sure this decline won’t worry the LBS team, none of whom seem to stay around too long these days, they can fill the empty spaces with people selling any amount of different clothing, food preparation gadgets, copper rings to help with arthritis, or that lovely big stand this year doing showers and baths, just what is needed at a boat show.

It makes the assurance given last year about cutting out all non related marine exhibitors appear very hollow.

Goodbye Boat Show and welcome to the Exhibition, where you can look at boats, book a holiday or buy a gadget to chop carrots into wonderful shapes.

But to speak with dedicated small marine companies for advice and specialist products, forget it.

Kind regards

Bill Hughes