Overland show 2017

[StarCruiser]

Good to meet you and Pat, Steve. Thanks for the kind words on the setup. We're only really starting out so it's seeing other people's stuff at shows like this that gives inspiration.

I wondered about Pat's connection with Portland as I'm bound to have some distant relatives there.

You've lost weight and are a lot less hairy in person than in your picture…

 

[SteveJB]

Yep suntan has faded a lot smiling a lot more and still like cabbage a lot Was nice to wind down with like minded people still got a smile and am looking forwards to next year to meet more members and going by those i have met so far i consider myself and my son very lucky to have met those of you at the ch AOS this year i really did enjoy the show BIG THANKS TO YOY ALL

 

[Olazz]

Hey SteveJB.... for you..

Eats Shoots & Leaves

 

[SteveJB]

Olazz do you mean eats everything in the house shoots you in the foot so you cant chase me and then leaves

 

[karl webster]

TWO AO SHOWS! Is there the demand for that? I'd have focused on devoloping the one show rather than diluting efforts across two. Humm....

Even more chance of clashing with our Lincomb meets.

Personally Scott. I think for those of us that make a 3 day thing of the event. Yes, it's worth having two. As we have said before the event is what it is. For a club to have another chance of a get together I welcome it.

As for lincomb I'm sure we can arrange around them around each other.

 

[GeekOKent]

Purely from the club perspective, 2 meets are good. What are the chances one might be further up north and the second a bit further south? Thats one way to increase audience as well.

 

[Scott]

Personally Scott. I think for those of us that make a 3 day thing of the event. Yes, it's worth having two. As we have said before the event is what it is. For a club to have another chance of a get together I welcome it.

As for lincomb I'm sure we can arrange around them around each other.

Just concerned that with two AO shows to chose from, traders and exhibitors might pick one or the other to attend and not both, thus diluting the show for the paying public. If that does happen people might not bother attending if they feel they didn't get value for money from the last time they came.

I'll be pleasantly surprised if everyone who trades/exhibits at the September show also attends the April show. On the flip side others that can't make the September date, the April date may allow them to attend.

From a traders perspective shows cost money to attend, stall cost, transport/logistics, stock, staff. There are only so many that they will attend in a year, due to cost and disruption to business as usual.

For us it's a venue for a club get together with other interesting vehicles to look at, some goodies to tempt the pocket, and like minded people to chat to. I welcomed the show when it was created as it got overlanders all together in one place no matter what your vehicle of choice, and long may that continue to be the case.

 

[Chris]

Frankly there aren't enough traders / exhibitors / attractions/vendors there for one show never mind two.
It's not an overland gathering, it's an overland adventure show.
The emphasis is on SHOW.

Scott is right, effectively the weekend is an event that the attendees make, not Tom

 

[Dave_S]

Hi all. Enjoyed the weekend - think it was a little better organised than previously, or maybe it was just the great weather that made the difference ;-) Was interesting being with the Overland Org guys this time - the beers around the fire in the big bell tent went down well, and the kids had a great time (even if they did keep trying to steal people's dogs). Always great to catch up with you, Karl

I'd echo the comments above - this event is really what you make it; I don't really think there is sufficient interest for two shows a year (and Tom struggles to organise one, so that's a worry), and yes, people tend to pack up Sunday afternoon - so why not make Sunday 1/2 price for day visitors? It would boost the numbers and maybe persuade the traders to hang on longer. Just a thought...

 

[Lorin]

Two shows is frankly moronic. The show is nowhere near as developed as it could/should be. What is needed is some proper advertising for next year starting now. Get the show properly known about well in advance. Numbers attending could be doubled easily I reckon. What would really make it good is if a proper event management company was employed to market and manage it. Good food options can really help make something like this - their options were appalling, again!

 

[Dave_S]

I'm not sure about the food thing TBH - pretty much everyone staying on site is a traveller - I'll cook my own high quality burgers rather than pay £4.50 for some horrible thin shite in a white bun, ta... I think most attendees are the same. But I take your point re organisation etc...

 

[karl webster]

I'm not sure about the food thing TBH - pretty much everyone staying on site is a traveller - I'll cook my own high quality burgers rather than pay £4.50 for some horrible thin shite in a white bun, ta... I think most attendees are the same. But I take your point re organisation etc...

I agree dave.
I personally dont think it was started for the revenue side of thinngs.maybe im wrong though. I think it was more about people gwtting together for a camp.

Lorin.a proper event company bought the y not festival.this year its almost folded.i agree the show needs something doing for the people who visit for the day.

 

[Shayne]

I've said before and i will say again the show needs to draw in those who never even considered buying a 4x4 .

It's all aimed at the likes of us who have spent a fortune already to become self sufficient whether its in tesco car park or the sahara desert so we might see something interesting or pick up a few ideas but we are a vendors nightmare come true its like trying to sell water to a drowning man .

Make it a day out for the locals as well with candy floss and bouncy castles for kids stuff like that , you can't sell snow to Eskimos . The revenue is in the newbies whether its a kid who arrives on a scooter and goes home wanting a truck or an old guy who just found something that might make retirement interesting .

When the quids are in what we want will grow .

Hell post a few hundred free entry tokens locally and like as not food vendors will see takings treble .

 

[chapel gate]

I've said before and i will say again the show needs to draw in those who never even considered buying a 4x4 .

It's all aimed at the likes of us who have spent a fortune already to become self sufficient whether its in tesco car park or the sahara desert so we might see something interesting or pick up a few ideas but we are a vendors nightmare come true its like trying to sell water to a drowning man .

Make it a day out for the locals as well with candy floss and bouncy castles for kids stuff like that , you can't sell snow to Eskimos . The revenue is in the newbies whether its a kid who arrives on a scooter and goes home wanting a truck or an old guy who just found something that might make retirement interesting .

When the quids are in what we want will grow .

Hell post a few hundred free entry tokens locally and like as not food vendors will see takings treble .

Spot on there shane lad.

 

[GeekOKent]

at the show this year, did anyone clock the 50cm high ex-mod cylinders ( with a lined interior ) that were being sold at the nene-overland stand ( or might have been their neighbours ) ? they were meant to be waterproof and looked pretty solid ( inspite of being plastic ). Unfortunately, they were all sold out by the time we got around, and someone had bought 10 of them and left them at the stand to come collect later, which is how I saw it.

Maybe my google foo is weak at the moment, but cant seem to find anything / anyone selling anything like that anywhere.

am hoping someone had seen them and remembers what they were called / labelled ?

 

[GeekOKent]

I've said before and i will say again the show needs to draw in those who never even considered buying a 4x4 .

It's all aimed at the likes of us who have spent a fortune already to become self sufficient whether its in tesco car park or the sahara desert so we might see something interesting or pick up a few ideas but we are a vendors nightmare come true its like trying to sell water to a drowning man .

Make it a day out for the locals as well with candy floss and bouncy castles for kids stuff like that , you can't sell snow to Eskimos . The revenue is in the newbies whether its a kid who arrives on a scooter and goes home wanting a truck or an old guy who just found something that might make retirement interesting .

When the quids are in what we want will grow .

Hell post a few hundred free entry tokens locally and like as not food vendors will see takings treble .

there is certainly space for it

 

[karl webster]

Yes i saw them kb. Thought about them myself but soon talked myself out of it. They were cheap enough but i wouldnt think they were very good as a room saving bit of kit with the shape they are.

 

[StarCruiser]

Yes i saw them kb. Thought about them myself but soon talked myself out of it. They were cheap enough but i wouldnt think they were very good as a room saving bit of kit with the shape they are.

My thoughts entirely, I saw them and immediately dismissed them for that reason.

 

[fbnss]

Shane, they just need a few more Trevors and they'll be taking early retirement

 

[Shayne]

Shane, they just need a few more Trevors and they'll be taking early retirement

Doing twice the work for half the price you mean . Nah doesn't work that way with crowds - promoters want their name recognized and vendors just want to sell something , if you can get them competing for lucrative space all the rest will fall into place .