Return of the "Original" Earl's Court Boatshow?
I blogged about how the 'London boatshow" lacked personality last year, having been a guest of Paul Streleckzi, Joint CEO of clothing brand, Henri-Lloyd there. Well, in under a year, things are a changing... Read on.
I was a guest at the "London" Boat Show today. Not the one held in ExCeL - the 'London' Boatshow, but the 'Whyte & Mackay' Earl's Court Boatshow. A "boatshow for the people". A "breakaway" boatshow. And potentially, a huge problem. Why? Well, the 'official' London Boatshow runs in personality bereft ExCeL in Docklands early January, Earl's Court boatshow is on right now, between 1-9 December.
So, what was my view? Well. I - enjoyed it. Sure, it didn't have Sunseeker or Oyster (I'm guessing it would have been hugely 'politically incorrect' for them to be there) but it did have a lot of other entertainment - just like the 'old' Earl's Court boatshow used to have. Now, the success of this breakaway boatshow will be one simple number.
Visitors.
Will enough visitors visit (hopefully buying pre-Christmas gifts) to give the ECB a 'long term future' or, will they come, browse - not see the 'luxury mega-yachts' and possibly a glimpse of an Eddie Jordan buying his latest Sunseeker - and go away....deflated.
A Show For The People is how the show has been marketed. The Guinness Tent (sorry, stand) is there. The pool is full of water. The show was even opened like it used to be, by members of HM Armed Forces abseiling (or should it be absailing?) down the outside. But, people love Luxury, and the chance - the oh so remote outside chance, that their Euro Millions ticket may be the 13 millionth to one that comes up, so they can afford a 'Sunseeker Yacht' or an "Oyster 72".
The organisers of National Boatshows (who also put on the must-visit Southampton Boatshow in September) must be on tenter-hooks. Will it get the visitors? Or won't it? Will exhibitors desert ExCeL (logistically better, but bereft of personality) or will they stay?
Well, competition is a good thing. But here, it is going to be brutal. It must be one or the the other succeeding. I'm guessing the organisers of Earl's Court are hoping that with property prices slowing and credit crunch biting, that their boatshow is 'more accessible' than the other one. The 'original' organisers will be hoping that this most certainly isn't the case.
Earl's Court Boatshow v London Boatshow. I wouldn't like to be the Chairman (or financial backer) of either right now.
