Angling Shows- exhibitions or boot fairs?!

[Dick Dastardly]

At the weekends British Carp and Angling show there were a LOT of people moaning about both the big companies and the show itself! Quite normal amongst us small time companies!!! but this year it was the anglers them selves. In the old days "Tackle shows" were an opportunity for companies (both big and small) to showcase themselves and more importantly their new products. Gave anglers a chance to see what was available,what was new, chat to the guys who design/make/sell gear.... You couldn't buy (in general) at the shows. Many anglers started to complain about this and said how daft it was that you could see a new product but not buy it. For us in the trade the shows were all about promoting our companies and products. We initially would actually lose money attending them.As such the prices to exhibit reflected this so most could afford to come along,show their gear and treat the expence (cost of stand,staff,travel,accommodation etc etc) as a necessary expense. When the show organisers heard anglers complaining about not being able to buy so not coming anymore they lifted the no selling "rule"......this resulted in the shows becoming massive "tackle shops" Kind of good as anglers could buy discounted gear and get good deals.......but the downside was this appealed to the big retailers and they now attend all these shows! they take a LOT of dough and the organisers see this and the prices now reflect this!! so much so that many companies just cant afford to attend. My own company still does but we have to buy and sell a lot of items that we don't really class as "ours" to cover our costs to "promote" ourselves. The result of this is that most shows now resemble giant tackle boot fairs! Loads of bargains loads of big RETAILERS still the BIG manufacturers (who still incidently don't sell direct) BUT ALL THE SAME! nothing much new and in fact lots of cheap tat to just shift! This weekend I had lots of anglers actually saying this to me as well! So my question is who would prefer to go back to seeing the new gear and new companies and who is quite happy just to go along and see Eric's Angling ,Angling Direct, Fox Vale etc etc selling all the same gear and at much the same price?

[kirisute]

At 10 quid a ticket for what is essentially "dragon carp directs outlet store" but for lots of companies, the carp show can shove it!

Over crowded, poorly organised and stall after stall of same old tat! Not fun at all!

Was Wilson there selling his signature for £20 a pop again?

 

I'd rather walk round a few stalls selling different products or even innovative/ hand made/ bespoke stuff with a few clothing/ luggage stalls than see the end of line free for all the carp show has to offer!

 

Its a shame really because I'm sure there are genuine people there, yourself included, which get over shadowed or just hidden amongst all the shite.

Good show if you want a cheap brolly or new chair, but for anything of actual interest very little to show.

[stivestackle]

My take on the fishing shows is a different angle again. As a small business I see a quiet spell approaching when ever a fishing show is on. Anglers now go to these shows where they can get a "bargain" at less than I pay trade for it. I think a lot of anglers wait till a big show is on and buy their tackle then but unfortunately the big companies are very short sighted as this is fueling the death of many tackle retailers as they just cant sell their stocks.

 

I do detect a sea change now though with some companies working much harder to support their trade customers. Palllatrax for one give us excellent support by not selling direct and referring customers to the nearest outlet.

Some of the shows are nothing more than a chance to unload all the rubbish cheap tackle that did not sell through the year. My own experience is that cheap tackle will only sell at rock bottom prices with very little profit made if any! Clearly people wont buy rubbish. A situation that can not last, but still the few keep churning it out. How much longer can it go on ?

 

I did see a scary figure of 8 tackle shops a week closing down, obviously I would hope thats not every week but its a frightening figure all the same.

 

I would prefer to see the old style show of new goods and ideas but find an outlet that sells it and buy from them.

[Dales]

I have only been to a couple of tackle shows and to be honest they are not my cup of tea. In general I like hobby/fan type events and have been to plenty of movie/sci-fi/comic type shows plus travel shows and the vibe and content is so different from an angling show.

 

I had high expectations of angling shows being full of small traders selling hand crafted tackle, curious items, odd gadgets the stuff you will not find stocked by the angling warehouses but as stated the reality is stake em high and sell em cheap. From attending other "interest events" I just thought the back bone of an event is the little dealers and stands promoting rare or unusual stuff or experiences.

 

I expect to be able to wonder about maybe buy something I have wanted but could not pick up in a normal store or chat to some tackle guy about fixing a broken reel or refurbing a rod. Check out the single species clubs like the PAC or Tench Fishers or pick up flyers and information about angling clubs keen to promote their waters/clubs. Maybe talk or even book a fishing guide be that UK or abroad maybe even find out about angling holidays or learn about hotels that have facilities to store your tackle, boat hire, etc etc

 

A show should be almost anything and everything but not a giant "boot fair". Attending a show should be a day out, can't say I class a day spent shopping a day out its more like work.

[Peter Waller]

I have good memories of the Chatsworth Angling Show. My wife and I used to make a weekend of it, one day angling and one day visiting the hall.

 

By the way I didn't go to the British Carp & Angling Show although it would have been good to have reminded Budgie of the day that he blanked on Fritton Lake. The title, the British Carp bit, rather put me off, guessing that Angling had just been added as an after-thought. Seems that I didn't miss much.

Edited January 20, 2014 by Peter Waller

[RUDD]

The only thing for sale at any show I have attended is a programme, refreshments and a few promotional items.

I go to Shows to be entertained.

If I want to buy something I go shopping or in the case of this thread to a Fair.

If I want to inspect and get technical info I go to an Exhibition.

 

To sum up, the organisers need to use the right description and make it clear of the event type.

[philocalist]

DD - I hear what you are saying very clearly, and tend to agree with you - they seem to have become (mostly) nothing more than 'events' at which you can generally buy 'tat' ... after paying for the privilege of entry. As has been said, the title of this particular show - 'British Carp and Angling' would appear to have been at best ambiguous and at worst simply misleading - it would have been enough to make my eyes glaze over.

Fact is, I've seen this show advertised heavily all over the place, and lost interest totally when I saw the word 'Carp' prominent in the title, to the degree I simply read no further into the advertisments.

The only exception I've experienced to this was when I attended the annual PACGB conventions, held at Harrogate these last two years - definitely a specialist event, but very friendly and focussed, with plenty of interest there for most anglers, and even more so for anyone interested in pike, or predators in general - talks / shows, info available and gear for sale too - new and second-hand - but a noticable absence of the tackle supermarket chains - overall an enjoyable and interesting day, with no hint of a supermarket atmosphere.

[Vagabond]

Was Wilson there selling his signature for £20 a pop again?

 

 

How times have changed !

 

Here are a few signatures from a 1964 show I attended - "Angling" had a pile of magazines that were not selling. Dick Walker suggested that if all the exhibitors on the surrounding stalls signed a few copies it would help sell them (at the normal price of half-a-crown) - and for those of us signing, the deal was sign fifty, get one free.

 

I will let y'all try to spot who is there, before I give a list. If Wilson's signature is worth £20, then there is the thick end of five thousand quid on this mag !

 

Edited January 21, 2014 by Vagabond

[kirisute]

last time I saw him he was stood with his usual "holier than thou" look on his face, grimacing at people behind a table covered in his latest "bound toilet paper" best seller with a huge sign offering the book for £15 and his sig on it for a further £20...in very very small text there was something about funds going to charity but no charity number or definition of how much would go to said charity...

suffice to say he received nothing from me..and I don't think many other people either!

[Peter Waller]

Strange thing is that in Norfolk we have several angling stars, Derek Amies for example, that could have embellished the event . A few names, other than manufacturers or suppliers, wouldn't have gone amiss.