I'm not going to exhibit at the September Heathrow Show

[Neil McCauley]

It’s not just the many £1,000s we pay for a decent room, nor the standing up for hours on end talking happily to (in the main) very receptive, enthusiastic decent folk, nor the hernia-inducing activity of lifting, unpacking and so on. It’s not that, not really.

Moreover the rather happy feeling one gets as a successful exhibitor producing under the circumstances a tolerable-to-good sound is just not enough to compensate for the fact that for myself and many of my colleagues, it invariably ends up as a loss-making situation because when one tracks where the profit comes from (exhibition, internet, word of mouth), the exhibition does not bring in sufficient profit to cover the costs in my direct personal experience.

Obviously my own absence and that of a few others I know will not detract from the generally good feeling to be had by one and all through attending. And I really really want the show and subsequent shows to be a success. And perhaps for some, they are.

There’s no question that meeting customers, friends and family of customers, and so on is a pleasant and in some instances humbling situation. Nothing wrong with a bit of humility from time to time. But it seems to me that show visitors in the main value the experience as a convivial and well deserved day out and not part of the pre-purchase research activity. In the nicest sense, lookers not buyers.

Thus an accountant might take the view, and it’s one I find hard to argue with, that an exhibitor is paying for rash self-indulgence with no measurable return on time, effort nor money.

My own views are as follows:

1. My own view and that of other non-participating exhibitors would change if fresh faces appeared at shows. A influx of new blood. No one it seems, and I include myself in this, knows how to achieve it. any thoughts?

2. Shows as we currently know them are failing to deliver what visitors really want. But what do audio exhibition visitors really want?

3. If they have been asked, then why haven't shows evolved?


Meanwhile ....... http://www.chestergroup.org/index.ph...Itemid=31&id=8

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[purite audio]

I shan't be at Heathrow either, we are off to Milan , http://www.topaudio.it/ haven't been before looking forward to it immensely, perhaps if the UK had only one show a year?

[Togil]

Is dealers representing brands at shows ( eg Howard showing Harbeth ) a particularly UK phenomenon ? I don't remember any German dealers at the Munich show, I may be wrong.

[Marco]

Hi Howard,

Interesting thread (as usual). For me shows are simply for going to see what's new and interesting - to keep informed basically. I rarely have intention of buying anything that's exhibited because quite frankly nowadays I never (or rarely) hear anything that's better than my system at home. However, now and again some off-the-wall, non-mainstream stuff takes my eye.

When I attend the next show (possibly Heathrow) I'll be paying attention to any decent computer audio set-ups there, as I need to learn more about that side of things, especially as I intend to have some type of server-based set up in the not too distant future. I also wouldn't mind comparing my Spendor SP100s with your Harbeth Monitor 40s at some stage to see if I'm missing anything - if you're up for that

To be brutally honest though, the primary reason I go to shows is to buy new vinyl from the likes of Diverse and Stamford. I usually blow a couple of hundred quid on records as it's very difficult to obtain new vinyl in my neck of the woods, and it's nice to be able to flick through a physical stock rather than order on-line.

I'll come back to you later with some ideas about how things might be improved at shows for the benefit of the punter and exhibitor!

Marco.

[Neil McCauley]

It's quite unusual in the UK I think. I did this because I wanted the best possible sound and this could only be achieved by using selected products from a combination of suppliers. Only a retailer or a distributor with a range of products has this flexibility.

In contrast my guess is that even the most fanatical of Naim employees, knowing the obvious limitations of their speakers prefer a retailer to exhibit for them. Such a retailer is TomTom audio. No fool he. That's why he uses Kudos speakers in preference to the Naim ones I suppose. I certainly would!

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[purite audio]

Is dealers representing brands at shows ( eg Howard showing Harbeth ) a particularly UK phenomenon ? I don't remember any German dealers at the Munich show, I may be wrong.

I think the Munich show is aimed more towards distributors/ manufacturers rather than dealers. Munich is very expensive Euros 15k for the room we used.

[Marco]

Fifteen thousand Euros? Bloody hell! How do they justify that? And is that per day or for the duration of the show?

For that price I presume they unload the gear and set it up for you, and the room you get is the size of a football stadium with gourmet food served and unlimited drinks brought to you on request by helpful, smiling, stocking-clad girlies

At least that's what I'd be wanting for that bloody price!!

Marco.

[Togil]

Like these, Munich 2008

[Marco]

They'll do, Hans!

But honestly, that's a shocking price. I presume it's at least for the duration of the show and not per day?

Otherwise someone's having a laugh! But even then it's still a joke...

Marco.

[Marco]

I also wouldn't mind comparing my Spendor SP100s with your Harbeth Monitor 40s at some stage to see if I'm missing anything - if you're up for that.

Howard?

Marco.