The Framers Forum

Obviously An Old Master was referring to the band The Great Unwashed - big picture framing fans and always first through the door at Spring Fair. Not to be confused with The Hoi Polloi who are more into macramé and scrapbooking.

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Should I stop washing now ready for my visit on Monday - it doesn't specify cleanliness in any of the relentless communications. If I am washed does that barr me from entry or does it up my status to exhibitor. Or do I have to have a large enough orifice to put my foot in for that position.

Kwik Picture Framing wrote:We are going Sunday, just out the Valiani

Hi Kwik. I will be demonstrating the Valiani CMC on the D & J Simons stand.
Stop by and say hello.

37 exhibitors taking one quarter of hall four.

I counted that yesterday.

And if I actually look at who I would want to visit I think I could count them on one hand. There are more suppliers that aren't there that I would want to see than are there.

Spare a thought for the exhibitors just now, the chaos that is 'setting up days' will be well and truly under way - aisles blocked with strategically placed rolls of yet unlayed carpet, no heating on yet, deafening noise of clattering trollies and the prospect of an 8.30 to 6.00 week ahead with a weekend thrown in for good measure. Happy days!

And I bet they will come back home and say why did I bother..........................

Like most of us who have visited over the last few years.

I'll be going on Tuesday - as someone who is new to the industry, I hope to pick as many brains as possible and hopefully make a few contacts.

Personally, I think it would be a shame if events like this fizzled out in future, so would it not be better to support and encourage them rather than doing them down?

I know, must be awful being a visitor.

Glimpse wrote:I'll be going on Tuesday - as someone who is new to the industry, I hope to pick as many brains as possible and hopefully make a few contacts.

Personally, I think it would be a shame if events like this fizzled out in future, so would it not be better to support and encourage them rather than doing them down?

A glimmer of hope. I really do hope you get all the help you are expecting, it's a great trade, with some of the best brains available to be picked with ease. Have a very good show.

Glimpse I have supported that show for the last 20 yrs. In that time I have missed only one, but over that last 10 yrs it has declined to a point where it is not viable for me to go. I know all the suppliers I want to see and there are no new ones exhibiting.

And in any case why should I support it at my expense. If the show organisers really wanted to see it survive then they would have done something about it along time ago. The fact of the matter is that they can fill the hallspace with exhibitors with other sectors without having to discount exhibition space.

Over the last 10 yrs all the major print publishers pulled out and that accounted for the majority of exhibited space in the hall. And with that decline many of the smaller ones left as well. Since then we have lost Mainline and Arqadia and a whole host of others and a reduction in stand size from Lion and Wessex etal.

It like the majority of trade shows around the world is a dying breed, and I doubt it will ever resurrect itself. But if it did manage to attract the big names again and actually be a worthwhile event then I would be straight there, but I am not holding my breath.

Climbs of soap box.

I would be more inclined to go if they didn't have in in the winter. There is snow and gawd knows what forecast for the weekend.

April would be better.

Don't recall you climbing on your soapbox P; must have been a very long time ago.

The last time I went was with a mate and the car parks were full. But they opened some overflow parking right next the the big loading doors behind the hall. Then we had to walk the 300 miles to the entrance and back to clock in.

It's always good policy to get there early to find parking close enough to the Piazza entrance. Unfortunately, that means that you have to be off the M42 by 07.30 am., which, in my case means leaving home at 05.30 am at the latest. The bonus is that you get to experience the serenity of the halls between 08,00 and 09.00. Long, long days though.

Yes and the geese are still asleep.

Not the morning that a young lady drove her Range Rover down one of the slipways and into the lake. When interviewed later on Radio NEC, she said that she'd had 'A blonde moment'.

Great weather predicted for the first day at Spring Fair. Get there early and beat the crowds !

An Old Master wrote:Great weather ......

Great weather in Birmingham is still very poor by national standards (except Manchester)