We spiked our People column this month to make room for Alan Morgan’s open letter because we think it’s important that everyone should think carefully about how the Earls Court Boat Show could impact this industry.

And this is the first we’ve heard from Those At The Top.

Hopefully, by the time you read this there will have been another missive from Egham pointing out the amount of support there is in the industry for the ExCeL show from the powerful boatbuilding and importers lobby.

Keep your eye on the BB Online Edition at www.boatingbusiness.com for the instant updates without having to wait for the next issue. Better still, log on now and register for the instant newsletter updates…

Hopefully I have already made my position on all this very clear. For those who are still not sure, I think the Earls Court Boat Show is the worse possible thing that could happen to this industry.

The show has struggled at ExCeL, but is showing signs of moving in the right directions.

The ExCeL area is set to undergo the most enormous development London has ever seen – and that can only benefit the entire area.

And the Olympics will add to the frenzy of development and add to the atmosphere of the entire region.

In short, the area around ExCeL will gradually develop with restaurants and shops and more hotels. And its own individual atmosphere.

A bit like Earls Court, hopefully…

But at the same time, I understand only too well why John Vincent and James Brooke are setting up the ECBS. And I respect their desire to set up a business running a boat show in London.

Had the industry’s wishes been taken into account from before we went to ExCeL, perhaps the show would be in a better position to defend itself.

Right now, it is wide open to attack. And we are in the strange position of having lots of ExCeL exhbitors telling NBS how much they want a fashion show to attract the crowds.

I wonder if they are the same Earls Court exhibitors who used to complain that the fashion shows on the hour, every hour destroyed their business?