Classic Motor Show (SBDR) moan

[na]

Note the following are my personal opinions as only an ordinary club member and helper at the event and NOT those of the club

IF you agree with me you might like to let the Classic Motor Show organisers know – http://www.necclassicmotorshow.com/contact.php

This year the CMS organisers gave the Sporting Bears Dream Rides a location at the a*se-end of nowhere which stymied the fund raising and enjoyment for the show visitors, spectators and potential passengers

the location was very poor, absolutely no chance (or room) for passing visitors and next to no room for viewing the only non-static element of the show and gave little room for passengers waiting and their family and friends to take photos

Note the above were my personal opinions as only an ordinary club member and helper at the event and NOT those of the club

IF you agree with me you might like to let the Classic Motor Show organisers know – http://www.necclassicmotorshow.com/contact.php

Despite this a great time was had by all and good funds raised for the charities the club was supporting at this event (details to follow)

Thank you to all helpers, drivers and passengers

ETA: floor plan

I've black marked the perimeter walls as they didn’t show up well without and I’ve put the line down the centre of the hall dividing Top Gear Live with it’s barriers and ceiling to floor curtains

as you can see Hall 3a is at one corner of the Classic Motor Show with just a small corridor of access (Top Gear Live is an adjacent but different show hence the security to it)

Edited by na on Thursday 17th November 20:27

[baz995]

Agreed,

during my lunch break i went out to promote the rides and the general opinion from the people i spoke said they either couldnt find the location or took ages finding the location. Not having been there before i had nothing to compare it too.

[firesafetydave]

Email sent to NEC

[djdestiny]

Being my first year I cannot compare it to previous locations, but hanging around near the dream rides board it seemed a lot of people were asking the same question over and over:

Is the price per person &
Does the driver get any of the money

One lad was even umming and ahhing about paying for a ride, he hadn't even realised it was for charity!
As soon as I said every penny went to charity he instantly said in that case I'll have a go then!

I know all of those points are clearly posted on the boards and posters so I was surprised to hear them being asked so much, but it did seem that either they were blind or the signs were not big enough?!

[marshalla]

I think SBDR were starting from the usual place - but everything else had been moved to give more space to Top Gear so they ended up in no-man's land. In previous years it was possible to see the paddock area while walking through the CMS, but not this year.


The show was bigger this year (I think) but much harder to get around as there was a road through the middle of it.

[clive993]

I thought the layout of the show made it more complex to get around than usual (was that down to TG?) and putting the SBDR out in a totally seperate hall made life very difficult for all. It is in effect the only moving car element available to the masses that pay standard entry and is in itself a large attraction, which this time round much less people found. Let alone reducing funds to the good causes they support in tough times.

I will be emailing NEC with views later when on home email !

[djdestiny]

Thinking about it, the space available was obviously small, but it seemed there was a lot of dead/unused space being taken up by the stand where there were one or two tables and then a big open space that never seemed to be used at all.
If that had not of been so big, the viewing area for the pits could of been a bit bigger?

[wijit]

I knew the location was not going to be good when we were making our way there. One of the Sporting Bears was walking around giving out flyers because of the location. This did not happen last year. For someone to have to go around with flyers for such a cause is disgusting, people who have read my posts regarding the bears and dream rides will know of my support for them but even if this was my first time (as it was my friend who was there with his son, my godson) the location was very poor.

As has been mentioned, there was no chance of passing trade, you do not just find yourself "passing" that corner so the chance of someone finding themselves there and thinking of making a spur of the moment decision to have a ride and make a donation is not only reduced, I would say that chance had totally gone.

Regarding comments about questions regarding price per person etc. I agree that more clarification could be made about it being price per car, not per person, but that is just one quick question which is very easily answerede. I told a few people myself at at the boards this was the case. This only made a difference as to what car they would choose, not whether to have a ride at all though I accept it may have swayed others. I do believe it is quite obvious it is for charity and it is also clear that the drivers give their own time, cars and pay for petrol.

An e-mail has been sent to NEC, the location was simply not good enough, and being next to the Top Gear track, some people were distracted by the loud revving and could have been put off.

[Warbbby]

Ok a few observations from a potential punter.

If being adjacent to the best hall in the show with access next to the live stage is not good enough I don't where you would expect to be.The signage which I presume is down to SBDR was poor.

Don't forget this was the Classic Car Show not the SBDR show and the object of most visitors will be to visit every Hall. If they see a big sign for the SBDR a number will wander in for a look.

Once inside the Hall it was chaotic (Saturday). Too many people with green tabards and glazed eyes, random stalls and poor signs.

I don't know how the numbers of cars available each year compares but the holding area is starting to look like a car park for owners of nondescript cars who are too tight to pay the car park fee and perhaps the show entrance fee. The cars need to be selected more carefully, reduce the size of the holding area and have a larger more organised public area.

Don't go falling out with the organisers you need them far more than they need you and with the reports of the police being out in force pulling drivers for driving like kn*bs the organisers might might not be so charitable in future.

Apologies for a minor rant but I think the SBDR needs to have a serious look at how it operates at the NEC.

[wijit]

Sorry, but most of that is utter tosh. Had you been last year you would realise how inferior this location is. Being next to "the best hall in the show with access next to the live show" could easily (and in the opinion of many) less help than it may seem. The stage being there meant the entrance to the dream rides looked more of a backstage area. SBDR generate far more visitors than you give them credit for.

So far as the holding "car park" goes, what car park outside of Dubai do you visit where you are greeted by a Delorean, XJ220, Bentley Mulsanne, a Scuderia, Countach, two Gallardos, Astons, Lotus's, TVR...the list is huge? You seem to have completely dismaissed the fact that all of the drivers give their own time, pay for their wn petrol and are kept busy whichever car they have!

The SB's can only operate within the area they have been given, which this year was lacking. although I do agree better signage could be used.

Your insult aimed at the drivers is, quite frankly, not worth addressing.

[firesafetydave]

Warbbby said:

Ok a few observations from a potential punter.

If being adjacent to the best hall in the show with access next to the live stage is not good enough I don't where you would expect to be.The signage which I presume is down to SBDR was poor.

Don't forget this was the Classic Car Show not the SBDR show and the object of most visitors will be to visit every Hall. If they see a big sign for the SBDR a number will wander in for a look.

Once inside the Hall it was chaotic (Saturday). Too many people with green tabards and glazed eyes, random stalls and poor signs.

I don't know how the numbers of cars available each year compares but the holding area is starting to look like a car park for owners of nondescript cars who are too tight to pay the car park fee and perhaps the show entrance fee. The cars need to be selected more carefully, reduce the size of the holding area and have a larger more organised public area.

Don't go falling out with the organisers you need them far more than they need you and with the reports of the police being out in force pulling drivers for driving like kn*bs the organisers might might not be so charitable in future.

Apologies for a minor rant but I think the SBDR needs to have a serious look at how it operates at the NEC.

Make your mind up - you say it is a classic car show - but then you say we were next to the best hall in the show which really had nothing to do with classic cars.

The glazed eye comment - maybe its because most of us have been up since the crack of dawn for more than one day, then driven many people that have been kind enough to make a donation to charity and then driven many miles, i for one drove over a 1000 miles in a open westfield with no screen etc etc - hence the reason for my eyes perhaps being slightly glazed.

Dittoo the comments above - you show me another car park in Birmingham with the selection of cars that were there.

I think this one may run for a while !!??

[na]

Thanks for your comments and to all of you who have used the link to email the show organisers (it's not NEC)

Things can always be improved and this year a few items were not as usual but any comments are welcomed

To answer a few points:
the donation being per vehicle and not per person – the normal signage we use wasn’t available so on Friday the signs were missing, that night after the show my wife went into work after we got home to print and laminate some signs to replace some of those missing

even when these signs were on the boards people missed them I know because I put them at the top and middle of both selection boards and I put up the car details so I hear and answered the questions

there’s usually something to say every penny raised goes to the charities and I think it said that on the pull-up display but one was broken, these things can happen with storage, transport and use

there is only so much space normally available to use and only so much signage you can get on to the board, too much and people tend to ignore it anyway or it just looks too much and too daunting

there’s also a risk that if things look too professional that people will think it’s a commercial concern, which some do already

the open space on the stand is normally taken up by queues of people wanting to book rides and get information

even when we were busy this year it was nothing like the last two years at least, people who had not seen the last two years can’t really appreciate how busy it can get with the length of ‘the garage’ area two or three deep with spectators, queues for rides, friends and relatives waiting and taking photos, queues at the information and booking desks and lots of people at the selection boards

if we had been as busy as last year I doubt that the area given to us would have coped with the crowds

[plasticpig]

I didn't attend this year but I was there all three days last year . I suspect the crowds last year had something to do with Sporting Bears being moved this year. At it's busiest it was just way too crowded at that end of the hall. It was by far the most crowded hall in the show. It makes perfect sense to move SB to a location which would not interrupt the flow of the rest of the show.

[djdestiny]

Warbbby, I think most of your comments are pretty unfair TBH!
How you could say it was a car park for tight people is beyond me, there wasn't one "normal" car in there as far as I could see!

Regarding dead stand space, I meant the area behind the chains where the public could not get too (behind the Vauxhall on static display)

[clive993]

Warbbby said:

Don't go falling out with the organisers you need them far more than they need you and with the reports of the police being out in force pulling drivers for driving like kn*bs the organisers might might not be so charitable in future.

You do make some valid points, in so far as all views are usually valid. However i would take issue with the pointed comments aimed at drivers. If on any standard day the police decided to stake out and specifically target (with upwards of 6 traffic vehicles more than half unmarked) nigh on 1000 journeys in usually very fast cars they would be writing tickets every minute. In fact I would wager they wrote very few and on the whole found little fault. I would like to have sight of such reports claiming the drivers were driving like kn*bs?? Perhaps you could point me in the direction of them?? The relationship between SBDR and the police is usually excellent, yes they targeted the rides more than I have seen in the past but that does not make the drivers kn*bs does it. If we were i doubt one of them would have gone for a ride in one of the cars??

[redlancer]

Warbbby said:

Ok a few observations from a potential punter.

If being adjacent to the best hall in the show with access next to the live stage is not good enough I don't where you would expect to be.The signage which I presume is down to SBDR was poor.

Don't forget this was the Classic Car Show not the SBDR show and the object of most visitors will be to visit every Hall. If they see a big sign for the SBDR a number will wander in for a look.

Once inside the Hall it was chaotic (Saturday). Too many people with green tabards and glazed eyes, random stalls and poor signs.

I don't know how the numbers of cars available each year compares but the holding area is starting to look like a car park for owners of nondescript cars who are too tight to pay the car park fee and perhaps the show entrance fee. The cars need to be selected more carefully, reduce the size of the holding area and have a larger more organised public area.

Don't go falling out with the organisers you need them far more than they need you and with the reports of the police being out in force pulling drivers for driving like kn*bs the organisers might might not be so charitable in future.

Apologies for a minor rant but I think the SBDR needs to have a serious look at how it operates at the NEC.

From someone who helps /drive and helps at other events.
1st its so so easy to have a go when you are completley unaware off the time and effort it takes to organise such events.

adjacent to the best hall - ok but previous years we were in one off the main halls and I'd say the best draw and marketing for SBDR is the noise of the cars driving off and the viewing area to see this. members can then "work" the crowds
This year the noise off the cars wouldn't be heard in your best hall.

And the layout ment seeing the cars driving off wasn't possible which in previous years has people hooked for hours, an attraction. Don't forget the Health and saftey aspect when mentioning stand/car layouts.
As for signage there were huge posters over the hall entrance, a 20 foot flag, and 100's of banners.
The problem isn't signage IMO as the publics eyes are drawn to the cars and walking. If you are looking for SBDR you'll see the signage, if your a randomly walking around you quite often don't go to the corner of a hall

Our hall didn't have access or visability to the live stage

As for the cars - also remember some off the cars are the helpers who put them there just incase someone fancies a ride. I was there from Friday to Sunday and can't think off any car that shouldn't off been there, although I think only the gt40 didn't go out so you might have a point!!!! we shouldn't be showing iconic Lemans cars.

As for the cars out on the road and the police, this could go on and on but reports of the cars being pulled for the high speeds have yet to be SBDR. Going faster than the speed limit doesn't mean your are driving like a knob or even dangerously just braking the law. I am also unaware off any of the public going out in cars and complaining and there are around a 1000 rides in a weekend. The police tried to say we weren't insured, got the feeling they were just out to get us and quote a paying family member "hope he can sleep at night". It was different to anyother event I've done. They could take a leaf out of the merseyside police who come along with cars to help
and has been said one even went out in an ultima.


Also don't forget we are all volunteers, get no financial reward, no expensis, we pay for our own fuel, hotels etc etc
So we want to maximise money raised for the charities and don't forget they get every penny.

The organiser/s and hepers did a fantastic job, but we are always after ways to help improve the money raised.
Having been to a few of the places we raise money for and seen the terminal ill children you'd understand

[asbojohn]

Gents,

I was out driving on Sunday and from my view I saw few problems I am assuming the Bears don't have to give any money to the NEC who as a commercial operation will always be forced to respond to the likes of TGL more than a bunce of people rattling cans hooning in the aid of charity.

Many of the people I took out were certainly not Dream Ride virgins and had target lists of cars, to me the issue is probably one of pulling more paying punters in from elsewhere in the show. How many people spent 50 notes to look at Clarkson when they could if they'd know spent the money on a ride in a Lambo they've been dreaming of for years. One lad told me that the ride was part of his birthday present from months earlier.

Yes we want to encourage people to look at the cars, but in all honesty we want them putting hands in pockets and giving up some hard earned. Maybe next year someone could ask the NEC nicely if SBDR can have a stand in each of the halls with some nice pictures and more info about Dream Rides to capture the virgins (I'll volunteer to drive those). I'm confident that those that already know will find where SBDR is running from no matter what the challenges. This would free up space for the those that want to look.

One thing that did occur to me was if it would be possible to improve the SBDR links with the clubs present. I visited the Morgan stand late in the day and was asked if I'd been doing the Dream Rides. I counted probably 3 others Morgans running on Sunday but I don't think the Morgan owners club were championing the cause (happy to be proven wrong). This would be an ideal opportunity for the clubs or indeed those selling cars to get potential punters in vehicles being driven by enthusiastic owners.

My two pence worth, but I should add I did enjoy myself and I'm sure all those I took out did even though at times I felt like I was in an episode of Catch the Pidgeon. I'll leave you to guess who was playing Dick Dastardly.

[na]

Warbbby said:

Ok a few observations from a potential punter.

as a former Griff 4.3 and Mini owner myself I know Warbbby can't be all bad

and anyway we are intertested in your views and interested to know what prevented you from turn from a potential passenger to an actual passenger

Warbbby said:

If being adjacent to the best hall in the show with access next to the live stage is not good enough I don't where you would expect to be.

as far as I know the Top Gear garage and fire up area was next to us not the display hall so in my opinion that aspect was a hinderance and not a help

Warbbby said:

The signage which I presume is down to SBDR was poor.

well as you're assuming so will I, I assume you mean the one unlit banner that was hanging very high up out of normal viewing level above the narrow corridor in the very corner of the hall, this is down to the show organisers - I'll give that IF you know what the SBDR are and where it's located in the two/three area show then that banner if you look up will confirm the correct corner of the hall

Warbbby said:

Don't forget this was the Classic Car Show not the SBDR show and the object of most visitors will be to visit every Hall.

yes and I also remember that before MPH and Top Gear when the show was almost dieing on its feet for a couple of years the SBDR was a big attraction for the show and help it to continue

Warbbby said:

If they see a big sign for the SBDR a number will wander in for a look.

see above

Warbbby said:

Once inside the Hall it was chaotic (Saturday). Too many people with green tabards and glazed eyes, random stalls and poor signs.

things couldn't run as well as usual because of the space and layout, normally hundreds of people spectate or wait for their family or friends out on rides along the barriers to 'the garage' area this year they couldn't because of the space and layout

the tabarbs were yellow I think so just goes to show what those lights do

as for glazed eyes, how many of those did you see, they were probably on those helping for the first time in a state of shock

again I'm not sure what you mean about random stalls, what ones?

signage was there but much of it hidden by the crowds

Warbbby said:

I don't know how the numbers of cars available each year compares but the holding area is starting to look like a car park for owners of nondescript cars who are too tight to pay the car park fee and perhaps the show entrance fee.

I'm at a bit of a loss here, perhaps we you came you weren't able to see all the car and/or the cars that you consider that are not were out on rides - did you look at the 100 cars on offer on the two selection boards and read their details?

Warbbby said:

The cars need to be selected more carefully, reduce the size of the holding area and have a larger more organised public area.

I'm flattered you think we have such a resource available, allowence must be made for cars for various reasons not being able to make it on the day or the car or driver breaking down during the day

there is a range of cars for very good reasons, the selection might surprise you

as for more organised public area I'm not sure what you mean, I will say everyone is an unpaid volunteer, many doing something that they may not be experienced in to the best of thier abilities

Warbbby said:

Don't go falling out with the organisers you need them far more than they need you

as I put above this wasn't always the case in the past, my opinion, and may not be the case in the future

Warbbby said:

and with the reports of the police being out in force pulling drivers for driving like kn*bs the organisers might might not be so charitable in future.

you should get a job with one of our national newspapers with that type of reporting without evidence but pure superstition

Warbbby said:

Apologies for a minor rant but I think the SBDR needs to have a serious look at how it operates at the NEC.

you're right things could be improve but by no means anywhere near as much as you think

The Sporting Bears is a small club of only around 450 members everthing is done to keep the maximum amount given to charity at all events and at all times - at the SBDR every penny raised goes to the charities

let me repeat:
Note the above were my personal opinions as only an ordinary club member and helper at the event and NOT those of the club

people have commented and moaned to me about the location this year so I think the show organiser should know it's not just me that feels this way

[marshalla]

asbojohn - I know that the club I represent would be happy to promote the SBDRs, and probably even provide an extra car & driver if wanted. As they say up here "shy bairns" get nowt"

[na]

plasticpig said:

At it's busiest it was just way too crowded at that end of the hall. It was by far the most crowded hall in the show. It makes perfect sense to move SB to a location which would not interrupt the flow of the rest of the show.

yes I agree but we really were at the a*se-end of nowhere, behind a small corridor entrance at the end corner of the far hall

ETA: floor plan

I've black marked the perimeter walls as they didn’t show up well without and I’ve put the line down the centre of the hall dividing Top Gear Live with it’s barriers and ceiling to floor curtains

as you can see Hall 3a is at one corner of the Classic Motor Show with just a small corridor of access (Top Gear Live is an adjacent but different show hence the security to it)

Edited by na on Thursday 17th November 20:25