So I can now report on my first day at Futuresource - the new exhibition at London's Excel which replaces the CIWM exhibition whch was previously in Paignton, Torbay.
I think I did 16 consequtive years at the Paignton show. What I hated about it was the fact that it took so long to get there and that once you were there very few decent restaurants meant little choice and the good ones were packed out.
It actually took me longer to get to Excel than it would have to get to Paignton - but in fairness this was due to the truck strike. My visitor from Antwerp got there faster than I was able to travel from Leeds. There seems to be little choice as to places to go in the immedaite vicinity. In fairness it is not a great venue.
The prospect of Futuresource as a waste / water / energy show has not happened. It seems to be waste and recycling only and it seems to be much the same as September's RWM show at the NEC, Birmingham.
One of the criticisms of the move from Torbay was the lack of networking opportunities, but this sees to be unfounded. The networking is happening - just not in the pub.
I was not sorry to see the Paignton show consigned to history. But what we have how, although much more professional, seems to be the same waste and recycling show happening twice a year, once at Excel and once at the NEC. Everyone is too scared to miss one or the other - so we will no doubt all renew for next time. I don't think the industry can really afford this.
I really wish the CIWM and EMAP could get their respective acts together and have one major showcase exhibition a year. This really would be better for everyone.
I completely agree. The networking was good, but it mostly happened 'within the halls' (or perhaps we just don't get any of the good invites?).
ReplyDeleteTorbay was a pain to get to, even worse to get away from and was deeply dated. If it was hot then the pavilion was stifling and deserted, if it was wet then everyone was in a glum mood.
But for all of that we always 'did good business', which is the most important measure. Futuresource was well worth going to and will no doubt bring us business, but it wasn't a patch on the level of results we would expect to get at Paignton. Several of my local authority clients commented that they just couldn't justify the cost of an overnight to London set against the cost of doing the same in Torbay.
As you say, we'll go again. You have to be there, but the vision of Futuresource as a European show with a wide environmental remit seems a long way off.