The discussions remind me somewhat of that saying: "You don't know
what you don't know." Sounds odd? When you go to a product fair
(like The Woodworking Show) the vendors have the challenge of
explaining to you what you don't know. That may be to explain to you
a technique - or it may be to explain to you their product, that you
have never seen before, and show you that it will "work for you" - so
you buy it. Up to that point you did not know about the product, nor
how to use it or how it would "solve a challenge" for you. Hence, you
did not know what you didn't know - and the vendor/sales
person/demonstrator changed all that. Wow.
That my friends is the VALUE of attending a product fair/trade show -
and I hope that they do not go the way of the TV repairman.
Mac
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
On Saturday, January 5, 2013 8:23:37 PM UTC-5, Curtis wrote:
You know what's funny here Roger. I total agree with your
assessment, But when I was reading you reply I was thinking of
Norm Abrams, and the Yankee work shop TV show. The power of the
media can get people moving in directions that are not even see
until much latter. Much like the Martial arts, when Hollywood
makes a hit movie the MA school all do well. but when there is a
loll , people loose interest.
JOE PUBLIC is One Flickered Dude! ;-) But don't feel bad, What
comes around will eventually comes back, (the big question is ,
will it happen again with-in our life time.)
I'm reading a book by John Jacob Hotzapffel Now. He made the world
move, and take a second look at woodworking back in 1780.Which I
am now starting to understand. So it happened before, and It will
happen again. ;-)
Thinking of Norm Abrams and John Hotzapffel in the same context.
Makes my mind spin.
I think Its time for me to go to bed NOW. ;-)
Have a Good night.
C.A.G.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
----- Original Message -----
*From:* Roger H Phebey <javascript:>
*To:* legacy-orna...@googlegroups.com <javascript:>
*Sent:* Saturday, January 05, 2013 6:16 PM
*Subject:* RE: The Woodworking Shows
Hi guys
As Bill noted down in Australia they have lost their show so
they are left with one of poor quality and crap products. Over
here we now have three shows that I would say are along the
lines of your shows and because I sell tools I invest my money
in supporting them and having a booth. For these shows to
succeed you need to look at a fundamental problem and that is
that three groups of people have to participate and they each
have different objectives and to be satisfied with what they
take away from the show be it orders, profit, knowledge or
even a bargain.
So you start with the organiser needing to cover his costs and
having an array of interesting demonstrations and
presentations to entice both the exhibitors and visitors. He
also needs to make a profit and build a base for the next year.
Then you come to the exhibitor, he pays for booth space,
hotels, wages, living costs and trucking costs. He also wants
to make a profit or at least see that he will get a return on
his investment.
Finally you have Joe public, they are looking for bargains or
at least a deal, and also to see what is new and to have the
opportunity to increase their knowledge.
In my opinion the shows of 12 to 15 years ago were the glory
days and they will never come back for a number of reasons.
·The first and, I believe, the largest problem is getting Joe
public’s interest. If you don’t stimulate that whilst they
are young you will not get them wanting to go to shows and if
your education system is like ours craft skills haves been
down played in favour of academic skills which is all well and
good but we are not all academic material.
·The next major problem is that none of the groups listed
above controls the cost associated with the hiring the venue;
and that is the first and probably the biggest problem because
that is where the show organiser has to start his costing’s
from and he has to pay what the venue owner thinks is fair.
·Now I believe the internet has not only transformed how we
get our knowledge and how we buy but it has also impacted the
show circuit. Just look at the interchange of knowledge of
this small group and I think that proves the point on where we
get knowledge from compared to 20 years ago. Because we buy
off the internet we have lost our local shops where we could
get the products and helpful knowledge but we thought paid too
much. How do these internet suppliers work, they basically
sell on price so that the manufacturers have to give them the
margin they demand, just like the big out of town warehouse
stores they are killing the small reseller of yester year.
·So when it comes to shows there is little or no margin left
to give to Joe public unless they are a company that sells
basically direct. So I think the way it will go is that Joe
public will go to the show to learn, but I am afraid he will
not save money. Further thought, over here we reckon that wood
turners have deep pockets and short arms so that does not
encourage potential exhibitors to take part.
·I do not know whether you have local retail stores running
their own shows, this again has impacted the national shows.
Again these are about selling product and very little about
showing and education.
As for DIY shows I cannot see what you are going to gain other
than how to clean carpets and ovens. The couple of DIY shows
I have been to were staffed by showman demonstrators, their
job was to sell the kit! They had zilch interest in educating
the potential customers. One company was selling kitchen oven
cleaner, we saw them painting the grease and grime on the
ovens they were going to clean when we came into the show
before the public came in, bunch of crooks!
So folks go support what you have because otherwise you will
not have even those shows!
Regards
Roger
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
*From:*legacy-ornamental-mills+bncbdcyhnod5ukbbluoukdqkgqemwhs...@googlegroups.com
<javascript:>
[mailto:legacy-ornamental-mills+bncbdcyhnod5ukbbluoukdqkgqemwhs...@googlegroups.com
<javascript:>] *On Behalf Of *Louis Brown
*Sent:* 05 January 2013 20:04
*To:* legacy-orna...@googlegroups.com <javascript:>
*Subject:* Re: The Woodworking Shows
Hello,
Everything you say makes sense. I'm still new to this, and
the one last year in Fredericksburg was my first. My workload
does not allow me to take a half-day trip this weekend, but I
wish I could make it to Baltimore.
I thought the entry price was low, but I guess they believe
that raising prices would keep people away. From talking to
vendors last year, I also learned that the growth lies in
general home improvement rather than woodworking.
You would think that the home improvement DIY movement would
lead to people wanting more tools, but every time I go into
Lowe, Home Depot, and Sears, I see fewer kinds of models and
cheap ones too boot.
I don't know what any of it means, but let's hope it gets better.
Begat
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
On Sat, Jan 5, 2013 at 2:25 PM, Va Oak
The Woodworking Shows has begun their 2013 "Tour" - starting
in Baltimore, MD.
If anyone in the Group has been to it, please provide us with
feedback and photos (if you took any) - especially of what
Legacy presented there. I was told by Legacy that the Denver
Show will be the first where they will have the Evo/lution/.
Besides Legacy, what other booths, presentations, or products
did you find noteworthy?
Since I live in the DC area (N. VA.) I am bummed out that The
WWS folks cut out the DC Show.
They usually held the show here in March each year - either in
Chantilly or Fredericksburg, VA.
I have attended the DC area shows for the past 8+ years - and
every year I got a mailing from them promoting the event -
both the Baltimore one as well as the DC one. This year, I
received an email, which was in my Suspect email/Spam folder -
no mailings at all. I heard that the 2012 show in Fred'burg
was not that well attended. For that one, I think they
"missed the boat" by not advertising in Richmond - since
F'burg is half way between DC and Richmond.
I really don't want The WWSs to fail/have to cease operations
because they provide a conduit for companies like Legacy,
Kreg, DeWalt, Apollo, etc. to get their products in front of
potential owners at an event that concentrates companies and
venders for those of us interested in woodworking. It seems
to be a Win-Win proposition - we get a bunch of woodworking
focused manufacturers wanting to demonstrate and sell their
products and they get an audience that consists of folks
wanting to learn about/buy what they have to sell.
Let's all hope that "IF" our US economy ever turns around,
that the WWS is able to add MORE venues and venders and that
more of us will attend and buy.
In case someone says this is a chicken & egg situation - my
reply is more like "The Field of Dreams" - "Build it and they
will come". Over the years I have noticed that the numbers of
booths/venders and demos has been getting fewer - although the
number of seminars seem to have remained the same.
Unfortunately, the one vender that seemed to have been getting
bigger was a guy with a eclectic mix of "stuff" that seemed to
me to belong in a flea market rather than the WWS. I know one
vender that has a business that sells production machinery
(table saws - SawStop & others, band saws, lathes, etc.) and
he said that based on what it cost him to participate
(registration, trucking his equip. to & fro, and paying
employees involved in transport & manning the booth) compared
to sales, he lost considerable money and is unlikely to
participate again anytime soon unless the show makes changes.
Can't say as I blame him.
I don't know about others, but I feel the cost of "admission"
($10) is _very_ low if you factor in that it grants you access
for all 3 days and that you can attend so many VERY WORTHWHILE
seminars. (And you could win one of the "Give-a -ways" they
conduct at each show or The Big One at the end of the Show's
year.) If The WWS raised the ticket price by a few dollars
(like $10 for one day or $15 for all three), Expanded back out
to the cities they used to go to, AND brought in a Show like
they used to be (LOTS of venders & products) I would not complain.
Thanks for sharing.
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google
Groups "Legacy Ornamental Mills" group.
To post to this group, send email to
legacy-ornamental-mills@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
legacy-ornamental-mills+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com.
Visit this group at
http://groups.google.com/group/legacy-ornamental-mills?hl=en.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
