York Show
Posted 24-09-2007 at 08:52 AM by Jim
On Thursday when we should have been erecting our stand at York, I had to drive from Wales to London for an 11 o clock meeting that I couldn't get out of. I Left Wales at 4am, Got back to Wales at 5pm. Then loaded the RV with all the banners, flyers, gazebo etc. Arrived at York at 2:30 am on Friday morning after driving 800 miles in 22 hours! We met Bryan and Suzy in a layby on the A64 and tried to get some sleep but the trucks whizzing by just inches from us and the resulting wooooosh and the rocking in the violent airstream certainly did not rock me to sleep and the couple of hours sleep I did manage were fitful.
At 6am I woke Bryan and we headed off to the show after filling a jerrycan for the genny. Sods law and Jobs-worth security guards ensured that we couldn't be parked further from pitch 244. But three or four trips with Bryans handy sack trolley got everything to the pitch. It started raining heavily.
I had borrowed the Gazebo from my mum, who had bought it from Argos, if it had been made of tissue paper it might of kept us dryer. There was no way that we could set up a computer and screen, or put up our display boards. Everything would have been ruined. We certainly gave the stall holders either side of us a good laugh as they saw that it was raining harder inside our gazebo than anywhere else in Yorkshire. The show opened!! and we did not have a stand. We needed a new gazebo. Half an hour later and with a wallet £200 quid thinner we had a nice new green and waterproof gazebo. The stallholder selling gazebos, couldn't believe his luck, to get a sale within the first 10 seconds of the show opening. I got back to our stand to find Bryan cheerily handing our flyers to anyone brave enough to peer out from their brolly or anorak hood.
We had some dead space behind our stand so I started to erect the new gazebo behind the soggy one. Reinforcements arrived in the shape of Marie and Rex. Marie wearing a very fashionable pink bin liner, and Rex with a bit of knowhow with regard to gazebo erection. Marie got stuck in handing out the flyers whilst Rex and I got stuck trying to follow simple erection instructions! After a prolonged struggle we beat the Gazebo into submission and it was up. Now all we had to do was carry out a swap! By now the aisles were teaming with wet but smiling visitors as quite a few stopped to watch as we did a sort of barn dance with the two gazebos. We lowered the soggy gazebo by a foot or two and whilst some volunteers moved it backwards we moved the new waterproof one over to top and for the first time in an hour, all our display kit was out of the rain. The adjacent stall holders gave us a little cheer before they got back to work, their entertainment over.
Once we were set up, and dry we could get out the display boards, computers and 32 inch screen. The pitch looked good, and we set out on our quest to ambush every show-goer and give them a flyer, I think we succeeded, and most people got two by the end of the second day. On the third day we recognised almost everyone as they politely told us that they did not need another flyer to go with the 3 or more they already had, some people actually took a flyer from their pocket and waved it in the air to ensure that as they passed The MotorhomeFun stand they would not get accosted again, sometimes this ploy worked!
Motorhome Fun generated a lot of interest, and hundreds went into our dry gazebo and checked out the live website. We made friends with plenty of other stall holders who agreed to distribute our flyers from their stands. We even had another well known motorhome forum kindly display a large amount of our flyers on the display stand outside their pitch, though to be honest i think they removed them as soon as they noticed them.
In all we had a great time, and now a few more people know that we are here, it was a great success. I would like to offer a big thank you to...
Bryan, Suzie, Marie, Rex, Keith, Sharon, James, Sian, Ginnie and Katie as well as all those members who popped in to show their support. It was great, thanks. We must do it again some time
At 6am I woke Bryan and we headed off to the show after filling a jerrycan for the genny. Sods law and Jobs-worth security guards ensured that we couldn't be parked further from pitch 244. But three or four trips with Bryans handy sack trolley got everything to the pitch. It started raining heavily.
I had borrowed the Gazebo from my mum, who had bought it from Argos, if it had been made of tissue paper it might of kept us dryer. There was no way that we could set up a computer and screen, or put up our display boards. Everything would have been ruined. We certainly gave the stall holders either side of us a good laugh as they saw that it was raining harder inside our gazebo than anywhere else in Yorkshire. The show opened!! and we did not have a stand. We needed a new gazebo. Half an hour later and with a wallet £200 quid thinner we had a nice new green and waterproof gazebo. The stallholder selling gazebos, couldn't believe his luck, to get a sale within the first 10 seconds of the show opening. I got back to our stand to find Bryan cheerily handing our flyers to anyone brave enough to peer out from their brolly or anorak hood.
We had some dead space behind our stand so I started to erect the new gazebo behind the soggy one. Reinforcements arrived in the shape of Marie and Rex. Marie wearing a very fashionable pink bin liner, and Rex with a bit of knowhow with regard to gazebo erection. Marie got stuck in handing out the flyers whilst Rex and I got stuck trying to follow simple erection instructions! After a prolonged struggle we beat the Gazebo into submission and it was up. Now all we had to do was carry out a swap! By now the aisles were teaming with wet but smiling visitors as quite a few stopped to watch as we did a sort of barn dance with the two gazebos. We lowered the soggy gazebo by a foot or two and whilst some volunteers moved it backwards we moved the new waterproof one over to top and for the first time in an hour, all our display kit was out of the rain. The adjacent stall holders gave us a little cheer before they got back to work, their entertainment over.
Once we were set up, and dry we could get out the display boards, computers and 32 inch screen. The pitch looked good, and we set out on our quest to ambush every show-goer and give them a flyer, I think we succeeded, and most people got two by the end of the second day. On the third day we recognised almost everyone as they politely told us that they did not need another flyer to go with the 3 or more they already had, some people actually took a flyer from their pocket and waved it in the air to ensure that as they passed The MotorhomeFun stand they would not get accosted again, sometimes this ploy worked!
Motorhome Fun generated a lot of interest, and hundreds went into our dry gazebo and checked out the live website. We made friends with plenty of other stall holders who agreed to distribute our flyers from their stands. We even had another well known motorhome forum kindly display a large amount of our flyers on the display stand outside their pitch, though to be honest i think they removed them as soon as they noticed them.
In all we had a great time, and now a few more people know that we are here, it was a great success. I would like to offer a big thank you to...
Bryan, Suzie, Marie, Rex, Keith, Sharon, James, Sian, Ginnie and Katie as well as all those members who popped in to show their support. It was great, thanks. We must do it again some time
Total Comments 5
Comments
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Great blog Jim. We got home tired and worn out, but thrilled to have helped to hand out hundreds of fliers. We also spoke to lots of traders who were interested in the site and the opportunities it poses for their businesses, I am hoping to see some of them joining up over the next little while.
This was a fantastic effort by all and considering it was our first, the stand looked fabulous and certainly had plenty in it to show what we were giving away. Well done Jim, we hope that the success rewards you with the increased membership that we want. Keith & Sharon |
Posted 24-09-2007 at 10:43 AM by kands
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The stand still looked good at 4.30pm on sunday! I tink we must have been just about the last people to take a flyer! Only just found time to have a look at the site - so far so good.
We arrived home finally at about 6pm on sunday after a great time over two days at the show. This was our 3rd visit to the show and it gets bigger every year. We can never get over the sheer number of motorhomes parked on the racecourse especially if you look from the A64 bypass - amazing!! We were still full of our visit to the show - and it seem today that everyone we meet was there as well and I promise you where we met them had nothing whatever to do with motorhomes - every one has one it seems to me today!. dundreamin |
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Posted 24-09-2007 at 07:52 PM by dundreamin
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Best of luck with the site, we picked up a leaflet in the rain at York.
Paul |
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Posted 25-09-2007 at 07:48 PM by musicman
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It was our first motorhome show and we enjoyed everything - including the rain on Friday! The atmosphere was really good, the exhibitions and stalls were excellent including the evening entertainment. We found the organisation first class and would definitely recommend the York Show. We picked up one of your leaflets, well 2 to be honest and have joined today! We had not heard of Motorhomefun before this so thanks for the recommendation. Best of all was meeting and talking to so many people, we want to go to France next spring and we received lots of information and ideas.
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Posted 26-09-2007 at 11:34 AM by Teasy2007
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A very good Blog which may I also add showed your commitment to getting the site circulated many would have canceled attending with your problems on the day before.
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Posted 09-10-2007 at 07:14 PM by Sweet Chariot
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Recent Blog Entries by Jim
- Paying For It (06-11-2007)
- Dedicated Server (09-10-2007)
- The Grand Opening Meet (01-10-2007)
- York Show (24-09-2007)
- Well were open (18-09-2007)
