OP
OP
Lee_M
Guru
to be fair to me, I was wondering why it was considered a rip off, rather than attacking his opinion :-)
NEC Cycle show
- Thread starter Lee_M
- Start date
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to be fair to me, I was wondering why it was considered a rip off, rather than attacking his opinion :-)
Steam Pig
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Queensbury, usually in thick fog
I'm sure I read that cameras and food were not allowed, maybe that was for music events rather than exhibitions
anyway, I do have something to hide.......egg butties which will have travelled all the way down from Yorkshire.
(Don't stand near me)
anyway, I do have something to hide.......egg butties which will have travelled all the way down from Yorkshire.
(Don't stand near me)
Big T
Guru
- Location
- Nottingham
To avoid the rip off parking charges at the NEC, park for free at Hampton in Arden station (about 3 miles away) and catch the train. There's a train every 20 mins or so and it costs £2.20 return. It takes 3 mins on the train.
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mickle
innit
- Location
- 53.933606, -1.076131
I went today. I found it excruciatingly boring. Once upon a time I'd have counted show going amongst my very favourite things.
I wanted to get a boner at the sight of Campag's new disc brakes but nothing stirred. A yawn fest of gravel bikes. Some electric mopeds. A hundred thousand energy bars. Mr Men themed lycra jerseys. Bianchis are still celeste.
I wanted to get a boner at the sight of Campag's new disc brakes but nothing stirred. A yawn fest of gravel bikes. Some electric mopeds. A hundred thousand energy bars. Mr Men themed lycra jerseys. Bianchis are still celeste.
Big T
Guru
- Location
- Nottingham
I spent about 4 hours there today and didn't find it the least bit boring. Hardly a fest of gravel bikes, plenty of road and MTN bikes too, plus a few touring bikes and e-bikes. Plenty of energy bars which you can sample for FREE with no obligation to buy. I thought the Mr Men jerseys were quite funny, especially as they seemed to be aimed at adults.
I saved the price of admission (£17.50 on the door) by saving £60 on some Assos shorts £80 instead of £140. I also bought a Fat Lad at the Back jersey. It's nice to see bikes, lights and clothing in the flesh rather than looking at pictures on the Internet.
Well worth it in my opinion.
I parked at Henley in Arden and caught the train, to avoid the rip off parking charges.
Jamieyorky
Veteran
- Location
- York
Brandane
Legendary Member
- Location
- Costa Clyde
What kind of bike show has no Specialized on it's list of exhibitors? No Giant either.
huwsparky
Über Member
- Location
- Llangrannog
Don't think they ever go...
Biff600
Veteran
My job is in events and exhibitions and you'd be suprised which companies don't exhibit at major shows.
Mobile World Congress in Barcelona each year is the biggest mobile phone show in Europe, I also do the one in Shanghai.
Apple do not exhibit, they think that their products will sell themselves. Pretentious ???
I've done some major motorcycle shows in the UK and abroad where makes like Suzuki and Yamaha haven't shown their products
Its annoying for the punter, especially if he/she has an affinity to a particular brand
Brandane
Legendary Member
- Location
- Costa Clyde
Maybe they just don't like being robbed by the show organisers, or the owner of the exhibition centre, or whoever it is who profits from these events.
I went to one of the first Scottish Bicycle Shows at the Glasgow SECC, and to say it was an over-priced sad excuse for a bike show would be an understatement (they were even charging to park bikes, FFS
). After my brief visit, I went to one of the bigger Glasgow bike shops (who had more of interest to me on display than the SECC did!) and got talking to one of the staff regarding the bike show. I asked why they (and other big names) weren't taking part in the show, and when he told me the cost of rental of a square metre of floor space, I soon realised why it was not popular amongst the trade. Thanks to their greed, I haven't been tempted to go back and try again at the new, supposedly improved, bike show.
mjr
Comfy armchair to one person & a plank to the next
- Location
- mostly Norfolk, sometimes Somerset
Same with most shows in most trades, I think. The key problem is that the control on the spending of the show organiser is usually very weak. If you can get your show to be a must-do, then you can profiteer horribly: high prices for exhibitors, gouge them for set up access and electric and internet, take a nice cut of food stall profits.
The worst are often those organised by the buyers' associations and free to the visitors, as ultimately, it's the buyers' employers who will be paying the inflated prices that result from the sellers needing to pay for the exhibition. Of course, that's especially bonkers when the buyers are mostly public sector and budgets are getting cut, as the buyers get laid off to help pay the higher prices, but few of them seem to realise the harm done to their own interests by "free" shows run by their association at a high event profit that gets hidden in the other running costs of a flabby association with flash city offices.
The worst are often those organised by the buyers' associations and free to the visitors, as ultimately, it's the buyers' employers who will be paying the inflated prices that result from the sellers needing to pay for the exhibition. Of course, that's especially bonkers when the buyers are mostly public sector and budgets are getting cut, as the buyers get laid off to help pay the higher prices, but few of them seem to realise the harm done to their own interests by "free" shows run by their association at a high event profit that gets hidden in the other running costs of a flabby association with flash city offices.
Slick
Guru
Maybe they just don't like being robbed by the show organisers, or the owner of the exhibition centre, or whoever it is who profits from these events.
I went to one of the first Scottish Bicycle Shows at the Glasgow SECC, and to say it was an over-priced sad excuse for a bike show would be an understatement (they were even charging to park bikes, FFS
After my brief visit, I went to one of the bigger Glasgow bike shops (who had more of interest to me on display than the SECC did!) and got talking to one of the staff regarding the bike show. I asked why they (and other big names) weren't taking part in the show, and when he told me the cost of rental of a square metre of floor space, I soon realised why it was not popular amongst the trade. Thanks to their greed, I haven't been tempted to go back and try again at the new, supposedly improved, bike show.
Stick to your guns, this years show was the exact same and will be my first and last.
mikeymustard
Guru
Oh my God, have you all just realised that modern society is a consumerist hell that as cyclists most of us subscribe to freely? 
Yes, it's a procession of plastic bikes with evermore outlandish colour schemes, but there is also a hardcore of enthusiastic small manufacturers and retailers that need the sort of exposure that a trade show can offer.
I'm a little bit miffed by the fact that the privatisation of the NEC (because the free market makes things more competitive and therefore cheaper) resulted in a 50% hike in car parking charges, but on the plus side the coffee was better!
Yes, it's a procession of plastic bikes with evermore outlandish colour schemes, but there is also a hardcore of enthusiastic small manufacturers and retailers that need the sort of exposure that a trade show can offer.
I'm a little bit miffed by the fact that the privatisation of the NEC (because the free market makes things more competitive and therefore cheaper) resulted in a 50% hike in car parking charges, but on the plus side the coffee was better!
OP
OP
Lee_M
Guru
Oh my God, have you all just realised that modern society is a consumerist hell that as cyclists most of us subscribe to freely?
Yes, it's a procession of plastic bikes with evermore outlandish colour schemes, but there is also a hardcore of enthusiastic small manufacturers and retailers that need the sort of exposure that a trade show can offer.
I'm a little bit miffed by the fact that the privatisation of the NEC (because the free market makes things more competitive and therefore cheaper) resulted in a 50% hike in car parking charges, but on the plus side the coffee was better!
sadly, while I enjoyed the show it was missing those independent small manufacturers in the main.
