 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Snowheads!
I wanted to get peoples opinions on the ski show in Battersea this year.
I have attended this event for the past 3/4 yrs and the events at the Olympia centre before that. There are elements I enjoy, like the checking out some of the new start up companies on the ski fashion scene and some of the talks by athletes etc. However the majority of the stalls were tour operators trying to flog trips to their resorts, just because some marketing guy has told them to go! I would love to see more hardware retailers on show, but have a feeling the show organisers are pricing them out of the market!
I have written. blog on my thoughts here - http://batterseaski.co.uk/i-learned-years-ski-show/
but would be keen to understand people's thoughts on the event if they attended???
Joey g
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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We haven’t been since it moved from Olympia. The last time we went I was lucky enough to win a set of Goodyear, really good, winter tyres which was something brilliant for us as we spend the winter in Les Gets. I think that OH fitted them to his car and put the previous set on eBay as they had done one season. So people do win competitions.
Bit I don’t think it’s been the same since the demise of the Drambuie stand.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Depends on what you are looking to get out of it - we went for the first time at Battersea this year. No there isn't the big discount kit sellers but they were all but gone from the final few times at Olympia as they are all online now or competing with TKMaxx and the Aldi lidl and sports directs of this world.
We went as we had a free afternoon, free tickets and the wife wanted to talk to the knee brace people who were very good. Didn't get a new brace there but they are getting one flown in from the US for her to try. Grabbed a bag of freebie odds and sods, watched a bit of the rail session and dropped about a tenner on 2 beers and that was that.
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What I don't like about the Telegraph show is that it is not at the NEC Birmingham. I attended this every year until they ceased using the NEC a few years ago. I have always wondered why because it was always well attended.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@TCSC47, snap
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The cost of the train fare to London from Northwest on the Saturday of the show was £378 for 2 in second class arriving after 12:30 in London. If we wanted to get to London before 12:30 the price was over £450 for 2. Perish the thought of first class at £750 and £980. We stayed at home.
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@TCSC47,
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What I don't like about the Telegraph show is that it is not at the NEC Birmingham
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+1. NEC must make sense. London, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Yorkshire, W. Midlands all within 2 hours travel.
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Not disappointed as we did not go! Only go if we blag free tickets nowadays as is perennially disappointing. And not just for us punters -
I felt so sorry for the guys from several tiny Italian resorts the other year. They must have paid a fortune - and for what?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Quote: |
I don’t think it’s been the same since the demise of the Drambuie stand.
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 got to get your priorities right, @Pamski.
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@TCSC47, now I think about it, the NEC event used to be the Daily Mail Ski & Snowboard Show (not the Telegraph).
Explains why it stopped, as the show inevitably involves foreigners.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Do you Brits ever stop whining...
The show has been going almost a halfcentury and gets 30k visitors and return rates over 80% and, still, folk can't stop being whingeing poms.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@Whitegold,
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Do you Brits ever stop whining...
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Of course not. Second only to queuing as the national pastime.
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@TCSC47, @joneski, @intermediate, the story as far as I understand it - pieced together from hearsay and rumour - regarding the show at the NEC:
The guy who had run it for years was looking for an exit plan and to this end had well developed negotiations with the outfit running the London show.
However, for a reason I know not, the venue had not been secured for the following year, someone got in there, effectively guzzumping them and declaring an all new bigger and better ski show.
The gazzumped parties then teamed up to launch the Manchester show on the same weekend, ensuring the new NEC show didn't get off the ground. I never went myself but by all accounts the Manchester show never really found its own momentum.
I agree though, the show at the NEC was fun and friendly. We were invited to have a snowHeads stand there for a few years and everyone who helped out had a great time and finished the weekend looking forward to the following year. The time we did the London show, everyone who helped out made it clear they considered themselves well stocked up on brownie points for the season - it was an altogether more arduous affair.
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You know it makes sense.
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I've visited and exhibited at Birmingham and London Shows.
I've enjoyed both, although the 10-day marathon at Olympia certainly isn't missed.
I think most people look at the past fondly, which may or may not have coincided with more freebies, giveaways and competitions prizes.
Those days for the most part are gone.
There's still an elite within the British Ski Industry who get pandered too at the show - who still get a free ride with plenty of sweetners - but for the majority it's an opportunity at a very basic level for a morning / afternoon / evening / day out.
For those living outside of London it's expensive - travel, ticket, food - but for those living / working in London it's reasonably priced.
Beyond the day out, if you're prepared to speak with people at the stands and broaden your horizons beyond the tried & tested resorts and products then it's invaluable IMHO.
And a day out which can save you hours of research online and hundreds of pounds off a ski holiday.
It's one of the few opportunities these days when you can talk with the organ grinder not the monkey.
This year I was on the Japan stand so had free entry.
Last year I travelled up and down in a day from Cardiff and even with the approx. £100 spend - travel, ticket, grub - came away with far more than £100 in freebies, info and savings.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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As Mike Pow says depends what you are after.
I had some interesting chats. We had a fun day out for not too much in London terms as I mentioned on the other thread on this. Would go back.
But I dont think for the time and cost it wouldnt be worth it to come from outside London.
Mike, I was looking for you to say hello at the Japanese stand but they said you werent there on Sunday. Pity.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Why would anyone pay to go into a shop?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| ster wrote: |
As Mike Pow says depends what you are after.
I had some interesting chats. We had a fun day out for not too much in London terms as I mentioned on the other thread on this. Would go back.
But I dont think for the time and cost it wouldnt be worth it to come from outside London.
Mike, I was looking for you to say hello at the Japanese stand but they said you werent there on Sunday. Pity. |
Sorry.
Had the 11th hour call on Friday for Joshua v Takam tickets in Cardiff, so was on the train back home on Saturday.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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No problem. Next time!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@admin, interesting reflections on and story about the NEC show. I remember it particularly fondly and would always take a half day off work to get in before the evening and weekend crowds flocked in. I picked up many pieces of great quality clothing, equipment and accessories at bargain prices. The best ski jacket and snowboarding gloves I ever owned came from there.
As @Mike Pow, highlights, talking directly with people who know and love the sports and mountains was very enlightening and enjoyable. 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Well its £40 (2 tickets) that could have been spent on something more exciting. It was the first year we went and it was crap IMO. We won't be going back
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Sorry, not quite on the topic of this string, but I was at the NEC Ski show, possibly the last one, and Graham Bell was demonstrating a ski fitness device. One of those things that has a little trolley with wheels on some rails that allow you to swing your legs from side to side a la real skiing - or you hope! Apologies, don't know how to post images here or even if you can.
Graham's aim was to exercise on the device for the duration of whole of the exhibition!!!
So I'm standing there watching this device, absolutely fascinated by the whole thing, when I realise that I had been staring at Graham's massive skiing thighs for some time! Embarrassing or what!
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Think I know how to post an image now but you quite sensibly ask us to refrain from cluttering up the forum.
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I suspect it is dead on its back bottom and won't exist in a couple of years time. I wonder if , in particular the longhaul destinations ever get significant payback from the investment beyond building general awareness. It's a downward spiral - the less there is the less people are inclined to make the effort to go.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| I suspect it is dead on its back bottom and won't exist in a couple of years time. I wonder if , in particular the longhaul destinations ever get significant payback from the investment beyond building general awareness. It's a downward spiral - the less there is the less people are inclined to make the effort to go. |
I think it's going from strength to strength tbh.
This year was much better than 2016.
The Travis Rice premiere and appearance was a big step forward.
An events driven 'winter' experience with retail and resort representation is the way forward.
No reason why future shows can't have
1. Ski / Snowboard Movie Premieres
2. Comedy Performances
3. A band playing every night
4. Make the jump area bigger and host British Championships
I was representing Kiroro this year and the cost to send two people to the show is comparable to a series of advertisments in a ski magazine.
The return is far better from the show.
Kiroro, Hokkaido and Japan will be back next year.
What most British visitors / observers / complainers don't consider is that the London Show not only 'talks' to British recreational skiers & snowboarders but also the thousands of international workers who call London their temporary home.
It's an awareness, branding and marketing effort more than a sales effort.
When those international workers return to their home country, Japan may be the closest skiing to them.
And the number of British people moving to Asia and Australasia to work is significant. Then Japan is top of thought for a ski holiday.
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@Mike Pow, But I think you're then talking about more of a festival with a bit of information on the side. Maybe it is getting there and the entertainment has moved from sideshow to the main event. Those of us that used to go because there was a lot of content and we might even buy something probably have to recognise its not for us anymore but more for the snapchat and instagram crowd.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| @Mike Pow, But I think you're then talking about more of a festival with a bit of information on the side. Maybe it is getting there and the entertainment has moved from sideshow to the main event. Those of us that used to go because there was a lot of content and we might even buy something probably have to recognise its not for us anymore but more for the snapchat and instagram crowd. |
There's certainly a push towards entertainment over getting primed for ski season.
And it makes sense.
Happening all across the ski world with events like 'Top of the Mountain', 'Snowbombing' etc
And I still maintain that there are plenty of pearls & savings to be had.
The Georgia example I gave on the other thread.
Or this little gem from Tomamu, Hokkaido for anyone doing a Hokkaido road trip
JPY 27,000 (£182) for a Tomamu seasons pass
Day pass prices cost JPY 5400 so 5 days skiing pays for it.
But it also gets you discounted lift tickets at other Hokkaido resorts
e.g. JPY 3500 to ski Niseko Grand Hirafu over the normal cost of JPY 5500
So if a 10-14 Hokkaido tour is on the agenda this saves way more than the cost of entry to the show.
Early pricing finishes today
https://www.snowtomamu.jp/winter/en/ski/seasonpass/
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Weird in your blog post that PreFit were at the show - I thought they had gone into administration?
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| timlongs wrote: |
| Weird in your blog post that PreFit were at the show - I thought they had gone into administration? |
@tomlongs yes they were there. I think they may be teaming up with/have been bought by/being incorporated with the tour operator 'Wasteland'. Interesting concept for a business, but it is heavily reliant on the big tour groups you only really find with unis.
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You know it makes sense.
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To be fair, all ski shows are crap. If you were disappointed then your expectations were naively high. People who organise events do it to make money. They charge a lot for a stand and tickets and invest little of it back in to the show. The people who've rented the stand space are then desperate to get money out of their investment so then try and sell the average punter everything and anything claiming it's a show special whereas the reality is, you're paying vastly over inflated prices to cover their huge stand costs.....
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Have not bothered with shows since the sH space hopper show in NEC. Seems to have lost the plot for me. Used to be about enthusiasts and gear with some pubs for resorts. Now just a f expensive ticket for a walk through advert for sh1te.
I stand to be corected though. I would love hte shows to be an environment where sHs and like minded people could get together to chew fat, network and talk nonsense but...
have we just changed shows for interweb fora?
I'd like to think not, because seeing and touching is good.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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I grew up in London and in my teens/student days my room was covered in ski-posters (the paper kind...not rob_rar and pamski  ).
I used to get them all from the Earl's Court show by turning up just as it was closing on the last day and asking the stands for their display posters...always got a whole new look each year.
Fun times, aspirational times...and in those days I had never even been skiing (first went when I was 19) as we could not afford to go on any holidays at all, let alone skiing.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| mcspreader wrote: |
Have not bothered with shows since the sH space hopper show in NEC. Seems to have lost the plot for me. Used to be about enthusiasts and gear with some pubs for resorts. Now just a f expensive ticket for a walk through advert for sh1te.
I stand to be corected though. I would love hte shows to be an environment where sHs and like minded people could get together to chew fat, network and talk nonsense but...
have we just changed shows for interweb fora?
I'd like to think not, because seeing and touching is good. |
I think back in the olden days the people manning stands had an edge in terms of information, content, help, usefulness. Now British skiers are probably better travelled and if they are keen better networked and tapping into lots of information that's just out there for free. Tourist offices and lift cos have pretty good websites. I can probably describe e.g. the St Anton bus system better than e.g. a random marketing rep from Lech. Plus the stands come across as a bit needy trying to sell stuff - "are you interested in a holiday?" from a TO is not a question that will draw me in and the multitude of GAP training academies are very samey and not for me.
Now I can see how that works for MikePow as certainly Japan is more of a black box as regards ski intel goes (partially because of language and indeed the alphabet), South America is another but I've never seen resorts from LatAm there (Probably because European skiers are a trickle whereas they can easily tap the enthusiast US market).
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| mcspreader wrote: |
| Have not bothered with shows since the sH space hopper show in NEC. |
Understandable as that was hard to top!
It all transpired from a conversation I had on the tube with Gregory.
"Oh God, it'll be the ski show soon. I need to find some way to make it more fun."
"Make the show more fun or you have more fun?" he asked.
"Well, I like to think the two are interlinked."
The Boy stared into space for a moment...
"Spacehoppers: they're fun!"
It took a moment for the concept to germinate and I realised he was onto something. All the stands either had stand-up tables at the front, strewn in marketing materials and slightly desperate and increasingly tired looking representatives standing, proffering these materials to passers-by, or they went the other way and had a sofa (or 2) at the back of the stand to convey a 'chilled out, relaxed' vibe which inevitably resulted in the staff sitting around chatting to each other rather than addressing the public at all.
Spacehoppers, would give a place to sit, while maintaining a more alert state and better still, if U got bored, U could have a wee bounce!
I looked into having custom snowHeads spacehoppers made but it was going to be a minimum order of 500!  We couldn't find a paint that would stand up to the flexiness, then Windymiller said, "Would the larger snowHeads t-shirts fit spacehopppers?" and we were sorted - 9 custom snowHeads spacehoppers of various sizes!
That was, by far, the most entertaining and worthwhile show we did. Every parent who lost a child came to check with us first! And usually only had to wait a moment before their little darling came bouncing into view, raced by half a dozen other 'missing' children
Wandering around the London show a week later, as a punter, I must have been asked more than a dozen times, if we had the spacehoppers 'at this one'.
I was actually, literally in mid-bounce when I was first introduced to Frank McCusker, then the new head of the SCGB. As I understand, 'someone' subsequently registered the domain "scgb.com" and declared on the home page that it was to become the new home for the "Spacehopper Club of Great Britain" 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| mcspreader wrote: |
Have not bothered with shows since the sH space hopper show in NEC. Seems to have lost the plot for me. Used to be about enthusiasts and gear with some pubs for resorts. Now just a f expensive ticket for a walk through advert for sh1te.
I stand to be corected though. I would love hte shows to be an environment where sHs and like minded people could get together to chew fat, network and talk nonsense but...
have we just changed shows for interweb fora?
I'd like to think not, because seeing and touching is good. |
I think back in the olden days the people manning stands had an edge in terms of information, content, help, usefulness. Now British skiers are probably better travelled and if they are keen better networked and tapping into lots of information that's just out there for free. Tourist offices and lift cos have pretty good websites. I can probably describe e.g. the St Anton bus system better than e.g. a random marketing rep from Lech. Plus the stands come across as a bit needy trying to sell stuff - "are you interested in a holiday?" from a TO is not a question that will draw me in and the multitude of GAP training academies are very samey and not for me.
Now I can see how that works for MikePow as certainly Japan is more of a black box as regards ski intel goes (partially because of language and indeed the alphabet), South America is another but I've never seen resorts from LatAm there (Probably because European skiers are a trickle whereas they can easily tap the enthusiast US market). |
Whilst you, and others, may well know more about the 'St Anton bus system than e.g. a random marketing rep from Lech' the better Tourist offices and resort companies have woken up to this and are now sending their better staff to represent them at the show.
Read staff who actually ski/board; staff who are customer facing during the winter months; staff who live in resort year round; staff who actually go on ski holidays themselves - paid for by themselves.
Anyone who thinks they can get better / more relevant information from a website over speaking with a knowledgeable representative who gives a poo-poo about their resort / company at the show is quite frankly deluded.
I've had excellent information on SnowHeads about lesser known ski resorts and countries which has given me the green light to visit.
Likewise I've had that same level of knowledge and information at the show.
Perhaps I'm just talking with the right people and asking the right questions.
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Fri 17-11-17 15:19; edited 1 time in total
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I was actually, literally in mid-bounce when I was first introduced to Frank McCusker, then the new head of the SCGB.
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PLEASE tell me you never stopped bouncing while having a very serious conversation re the direction of skiing in the UK, while occasionally exclaiming "WHEEEEE!" ... I think the London show was when we first met Admin and robbed half the stands blind with Sideways_Jnr doing his 'cute' routine.
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@Mike Pow, I'm not saying that good reps won't have an advantage over websites and forums with the specificity of their knowledge just that the differential is not as great as it once was.
And being ultra local is not necessarily an advantage - I remember quizzing a Jackson Hole rep on the best driving routes to Jackson after a day skiing at Snowbird. Because he lived in Jackson he'd rarely had cause to make the drive from SLC so was fuzzy at best whereas I could chuck the question up on a US forum and crowdsource a consensus from 20 odd people within a day
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
@Mike Pow, I'm not saying that good reps won't have an advantage over websites and forums with the specificity of their knowledge just that the differential is not as great as it once was.
And being ultra local is not necessarily an advantage - I remember quizzing a Jackson Hole rep on the best driving routes to Jackson after a day skiing at Snowbird. Because he lived in Jackson he'd rarely had cause to make the drive from SLC so was fuzzy at best whereas I could chuck the question up on a US forum and crowdsource a consensus from 20 odd people within a day |
Possibly. Lots of new resorts and countries these past 2-3 years.
Lots t explore beyond the tried and tested.
And I'm sure you would have had the same reply from an Austrian re driving from St Anton to Sella Nevea, Italy. Same distance.
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FAQ
