The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

What overheads would the NRA need to cover to be cost neutral to themselves? If have thought it would be in their interests to keep it as cheap for all concerned in an effort to bring in greater numbers of retailers, which would in turn bring in a greater number of shooters from all over the place.

The NRA Bisley is in business of making money not subsidising shooters or other commercial concerns. Its priority is promoting the NRA Bisley not shooting or gun ownership.

According to the NRA website the cost is £210+VAT for a 2m x 2m stand .

So the question must be , how many people visited the trade show over 3 days ?

RDC wrote:What overheads would the NRA need to cover to be cost neutral to themselves? If have thought it would be in their interests to keep it as cheap for all concerned in an effort to bring in greater numbers of retailers, which would in turn bring in a greater number of shooters from all over the place.

That's what it needs RDC an investment by the NRA or some other body to get the trade show back to something like it was when it was the Pistol A.D. meetings. The trade show used to attract hundreds then purely for the trade show and who never entered any competitions.

What's required is a radical initiative such as the trade bodies and shooting organisations combining and covering the cost of display space in order to kick start things once again.

dromia wrote:The NRA Bisley is in business of making money not subsidising shooters or other commercial concerns. Its priority is promoting the NRA Bisley not shooting or gun ownership.

I don't know where you come from, but when one is told that a table for the weekend is £600 including vat. How can small traders afford to pay that sort of fees when trying to make money. The show was disappointing.
If Bisley is in business then they are in the wrong business, because they are cutting their own throats by raising fees which traders can't afford.

sniper3 wrote:

dromia wrote:The NRA Bisley is in business of making money not subsidising shooters or other commercial concerns. Its priority is promoting the NRA Bisley not shooting or gun ownership.

I don't know where you come from, but when one is told that a table for the weekend is £600 including vat. How can small traders afford to pay that sort of fees when trying to make money. The show was disappointing.
If Bisley is in business then they are in the wrong business, because they are cutting their own throats by raising fees which traders can't afford.

You must be new here. Dromia was not defending the NRA/Bisley.... his point was much the same as yours...

Yeah, well to avoid being called all sorts of things we are being diplomatic when we mention the NRA and Bisley

sniper3 wrote: I don't know where you come from, but when one is told that a table for the weekend is £600 including vat. How can small traders afford to pay that sort of fees when trying to make money. The show was disappointing.
If Bisley is in business then they are in the wrong business, because they are cutting their own throats by raising fees which traders can't afford.

The tables in the tent were £210+vat, not much for three days with tables, security, electricity and a roof over your head really. In comparison to the BSS and NSS it's a steal......if any punters turn up.

We were one of the three traders on the lawn, I really thought we'd have a great show by mopping up the trade from the missing dealers......but hardly anyone came. Last year we were 2-3 deep from 09:00 till 17:00 on the Saturday. This year we had two or three people passing every 10 minutes (if we were lucky). We won't be at the Trafalgar later this year as that's not really our market, I'm undecided whether we'll do The Phoenix again...

Dealer will only make the effort (and it's a huge effort) to attend if there are people to sell to, it feels like we're in a death spiral to me. < punters = < traders ...and continue.

Hopefully the NRA will listen to dealer feedback. I'm not holding any hopes of them doing so, but they might surprise us.

Sadly, any criticism people may have, constructive or otherwise, tends to be brushed off as the ramblings of disgruntled old farts who hate the NRA. Often very far from the truth though.

majordisorder wrote:

sniper3 wrote: I don't know where you come from, but when one is told that a table for the weekend is £600 including vat. How can small traders afford to pay that sort of fees when trying to make money. The show was disappointing.
If Bisley is in business then they are in the wrong business, because they are cutting their own throats by raising fees which traders can't afford.

The tables in the tent were £210+vat, not much for three days with tables, security, electricity and a roof over your head really. In comparison to the BSS and NSS it's a steal......if any punters turn up.

We were one of the three traders on the lawn, I really thought we'd have a great show by mopping up the trade from the missing dealers......but hardly anyone came. Last year we were 2-3 deep from 09:00 till 17:00 on the Saturday. This year we had two or three people passing every 10 minutes (if we were lucky). We won't be at the Trafalgar later this year as that's not really our market, I'm undecided whether we'll do The Phoenix again...

Dealer will only make the effort (and it's a huge effort) to attend if there are people to sell to, it feels like we're in a death spiral to me. < punters = < traders ...and continue.

I am sorry that the footfall was not there, the NRA were predicting 60,000.

As an ex Bisley trader, attending three fairs a year Phoenix, Imperial Historic weekend and the Trafalgar I gave up going five years ago as it was becoming unviable for me as the footfall and spend had dropped noticeably over that period combine that with the increase in space costs when the NRA took over and it just wasn't worth it any more. Although £252 per table may seem good value remember that if you are selling guns and ancillaries and want to put on a show then two tables are barely sufficient, I usually needed three which would be £756 for starters. Add to that travel and van hire, for me a 600 mile round trip and two days, four nights accommodation for two people. Then there is then at least one days loading up and paperwork and at least another day unloading cleaning and packing away so three days at Bisley turn into seven. The three to four days preparation and travel are days when you aren't earning at your premises as you are not available for customers.

I always covered my expenses when I went to Bisley but that did not include our time or loss of revenue when not open back home.

The economics of trade fairs are not just as simple as the cost of a single table especially when travel is a substantial part of the operation, one of the issues with Bisley being in such a remote part of the country.

At the end of the day businesses will each make their own decision but with increasing costs, the NRA's attitude and the enthusiasm for internet shopping then the halcyon days of Pistol AD and the Trafalgar meetings trade fairs are long gone never to return.