Re: Re: UKHA2003 - key learnings?

["Mark McCall" <mark@xxxxxxx>]

> In fairness though, you can't really expect that many people to commit
to an
> event when they have little or no idea of what might or might not be
there.
> Sure, there are a core of people who will go to anything and/or who
have been
> before and know what to expect, but there a lot of others who won't.

Agreed...but that "core group" need to pre-book at the earliest
possible
time.

> I know you were adding things on the day etc, but the list that was on
the
> website did not appear until farily near the event, and the schedule
of what
> was on when was only published a day or two beforehand, and that IMO,
makes it
> difficult for ppl to decide to go.

If this was a profit making exercise no doubt we could give even more of
our
time and resources to it's setup.  I was adding info as I had it.  It was
only in the final few weeks that we were green for go and I could actually
start talking to companies. I take your point though, and you are right.

> As you have said, this is not the ideal homes exhibition, and getting
companies
> to come and demo is difficult, (though hopefully less so each year),
but
> equally, it is not just a few blokes down the pub....

And there in lies the dilemma.  Plenty of people liked it because it had
lots
more stuff this year..but at then end of the day (or Saturday night at
least) it *WAS* just a few blokes down the pub.

If we decide to formalise the event, have commercial sponsorship etc, it
will be a totally different type of even.

> Certainly this year I think the difficulty has been that it outgrew
it's pub
> roots where a handful of people was enough to pay for a room and so
what if
> nobody turned up, but it is not yet at the level where you have
companies
> falling over each other to exhibit at it.

It was very nice to see a huge multi-national company like Clipsal there.
While we're kidding ourselves if we think we have the spending power to
make
a slight blip in most HA companies turnover, we *DO* have an interest to
them. - Being at the bleeding-edge of HA, companies are interested to see
what we
are doing. Companies will visit our meet for ideas, contacts R&D,
marketing, all sorts of reasons.

> never have found details of the meeting.
> IMO it really needs to have a prominent position on the site at least
3
> months prior to the event

BLIND MAN! The UKHA2003 details were a "Sticky Story" that stayed
at the top of the
front page for about 3 months!

> and right up to the end of the event, to maximise the no of
> ppl who might decide to turn up on the day.

It was removed 7 days before as all the welcome packs had gone out and
pre-booking was finished.  I can see that it should have stayed for the
final week - less the booking options

> Hopefully, with the spare cash from this yeah, and you being pretty
much
> guaranteed to get say, 50 people each day, you should be able to cover
the cost
> of larger premises for next year.

I can see us returning to Hatfield..with at least two of the big rooms.

> You could also look at maybe a small charge for having a stand, or
trying to
> get one or two companies to sponsor it.

Sponsorship - big can of worms.

> It's still at the level I think here the losses if it all went
titsup.com would
> be small enough that, say, Laser or LA or Simply would underwrite the
risk
> because they would get a lot of exposure for not a lot of money -
UKHA2004,
> sponsored by Laser.com or whatever.

TBH the retailers get very little from the list...never mind the 10% or so
that might turn up to a meet.  Which is why I am particularly grateful to
them for the support they already provide.

> I know a lot of effort went into the weekend, and it was thoroughly
enjoyable
> and I am grateful for it - please don't see this as a slagginng off of
the
> event (it's not), just an attempt to offer suggestions for improvement
> next year.

All constructive comments appreciated   And by way of a thank you here's
that URL again for anyone that missed it...
http://www.automatedhome.co.uk/london2003/images/slides/DSC00154.html

:)

> Mark, maybe you are just too close to the whole thing,  (as
> godfather of UKHA then of course you would be!) to be able step back
and see why ppl
> might be reluctant to commit early - when of course we all know that
anyone in
> their right mind would jump at the chance to go to an event like this!

LOL - believe me...if I WAS the GODFATHER of UKHA you'd have had a horses
head in your bed by now!

> I'll crawl back under my rock now.....

TF.  :)

M.



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