Press Releases

Prepare For Success At The Showman's Show 2006

With less than two months to go, this year's Showman's Show looks set to be another good event. Following last year's Show, many exhibitors secured their space early to avoid disappointment, with more new and previous exhibitors confirming their space as the summer has progressed. To accommodate this extra demand the Exhibition Hall has been increased in size.

Visitors to the Showman's Show this year will find a whole collection of new exhibitors that provide an entire spectrum of outdoor event services and products - from children's entertainment, main ring displays and branded clothing to state of the art lighting and sound as well as event & hospitality management. Amongst the long list of new exhibitors this year will be: Ridgeside Falconry, a different type of corporate entertainment with their spectacular display of Birds of Prey from around the world; Bananabrain Fun Shows, who provide children's entertainment including a fabulous Punch & Judy Show as well as 'mix & mingle' characters for corporate events; Sailflags, who provide a versatile eye-catching alternative to conventional signing; Overt Light to Sound, suppliers of state of the art audio and lighting equipment which will enhance any outdoor display area and AS&K Skylight Creative, who deliver stunning visuals and animations for any type of event.

To ensure your event is a success, make a note in your diary now to visit The Showman's Show, 18th & 19th October 2006 to secure the very best in outdoor event products and services. For more information please contact Lance Publications, organisers of The Showman's Show, on 01730 266624 or email at info@showmans-directory.co.uk.

Bring On The Clowns!

Stephen Grindle, the infamous Dingle Fingle, is teaming up with Michael Murty and his Monster Trucks, to provide the entertainment at this year's Showman's Show. Stephen has been in the entertainment business for over 20 years; he has performed all over the world and can count royalty and heads of state amongst his many and varied audiences.

With a lot of fanfare, bangs and whistles, Stephen and Michael will be launching the Showman's & Clowns Alliance at The Showman's Show this year. They will be revamping the entertainment at the Show and their plans are to create a 'Showman's Village' with a traditional circus atmosphere. Visitors will be given a taste of the very best in children's and adult entertainment; with mix and mingle characters, clowns of all shapes and sizes, traditional carousels and gallopers, look-a-likes, animal displays, motorbike stunt teams and many more.

However, that's not all! Stephen has plans to break records at this year's Show. Which record to be broken remains top secret but is guaranteed to be something extraordinary, whacky and amusing to watch. So come and join in the fun at The Showman's Show, Newbury Showground from 18th - 19th October.

The Showman's Show
Part of your Marketing Mix

To ensure a successful event every organiser knows just how important it is to have suppliers you can rely on implicitly for such areas as power, roadways, bridges, flooring, toilets and lifting equipment to name but a few. Due to the economics of hire, as opposed to purchasing for a one off or annual event, these services fall under the remit of the hire contractor. As a consequence a buoyant market has been created within the hire industry to accommodate the outside event organisers' requirements.

To increase your market share within the hire sector of the events industry exhibiting at The Showman's Show should be within your marketing mix. It is the only outdoor show of its kind in the UK, offering exhibitors a stage to display their products and services direct to event organisers. Last year's exhibitors confirm the Showman's Show is the place to be:

John Bailey of Moffett Limited, a lifting equipment supplier, says: "Excellent, the Showman's Show is one of the shows on our calendar that we never miss. Our success is due truly to that show as it is the one time in the year when we can see all our customers and make new contacts. We never miss it."

Chris Mitchell of Mitchell Bridges Ltd says: "Last year was a very good year for us. We cover a specialised market and the Showman's Show gives us a very good platform to meet our regular customers over a period of two days. In addition we always come away with several enquiries for new business."

David Noble of Midas Productions (UK) Ltd, a supplier of generators, says: "Last year's Showman's Show was the best we've ever had. We got a lot of excellent business some of which came in as confirmed orders within a week of the show. It was sensational, it's the best trade show we have ever done. This year we're booking double the space."

Be part of the essential services required for a successful show by including The Showman's Show into your marketing plans. For further information about attending The Showman's Show please contact Lance Publications on 01730 266624 or email on info@showmans-directory.co.uk.

Time To Start Planning For The Showman's Show 2006

Spring has sprung and it's time to start putting together all the ingredients for this year's Showman's Show, The Outdoor Event Services Exhibition. Whether you are an supplier or event organiser it should be a fixed date in the diary.

The Showman's Show is the largest event of its kind in the UK and with more than 4,000 visitors over two days, who are directly involved with organising outdoor events, it is a perfect stage to promote any products or services for the outdoor event industry. This year's Showman's Show is being held as always at the Newbury Showground in Berkshire on 18th & 19th October.

As an exhibitor there is enormous scope for promoting products and services both in an indoor environment, within the purpose built exhibition hall or outdoors where there is the freedom to erect vast temporary structures, lay the very latest in temporary roadways or even perform death defying acts in the main arena to the delight of the visitors.

As a visitor there is no better place to start planning an outdoor event for 2007. The Showman's Show plays host to over 400 exhibitors of products, services and entertainments for the outdoor event world. An added feature over the two days is the Showman's Show Auction on Thursday 19th October, which is a great opportunity to invest in show and exhibition equipment at reasonable prices. The Showman's Show Auction always has a good selection of outdoor event and exhibition equipment coming under the hammer - including quad bikes, marquees & tents, portable loos, fencing, various mobile units, generators, bucking broncos, and seating.

Diversify With A Visit To The Showman's Show Auction

Diversifying can be a daunting prospect. Nevertheless, a visit to The Showman's Show Auction, on Thursday 19th October at Newbury Showground, could be a good place to start.

This Auction has been staged for the last three years, at the end of the outdoor event season. Each year it has become increasingly successful, with a good selection of outdoor event and exhibition equipment coming under the hammer - including quad bikes, marquees & tents, portable loos, fencing, various mobile units, generators, bucking broncos, and seating. This could be a starting point for a fledgling hire business, as an opportunity to invest at reasonable prices. With storage space already available on farms, investment can be focused on this type of equipment.

The Showman's Show, host to The Auction, is an exhibition for suppliers to the outdoor event industry where they can display their services and products to a wide audience of show and event organisers.

For more information about The Showman's Show Auction contact Bob Carey of Symonds & Sampson on 01935 812262 or email carey@twhsherborne.fsnet.co.uk.

The Showman's Show's A Winner

It's a winning time for The Showman's Show organised by Lance Publications. As the largest exhibition of its kind in Europe, the show has been recognised by two well respected associations for the outdoor event industry, National Outdoor Event Association (NOEA) and The Events Services Association (TESA). The awards presented have highlighted the shows excellent accessibility for its disabled visitors and also its continuing innovation.

The Accessibility Tribute, NOEA

Pro-active thinking has always been part of the agenda with the organisers of The Showman's Show particularly with regard to health and safety in such areas as disabled access. Legislation has been passed early this year on the criteria for disabled access in all public areas which includes public events. However, The Showman's Show pre-empted this legislation and had many of its areas of the show designed to include disabled access before legislation was passed.

This development caught the eye of the NOEA judges this year, who considered The Showman's Show as having made a serious contribution to providing first class facilities and services required under the Disability Discrimination Act.

TESA Award for 'Innovation'

With their joint expertise, Stephen and Jeremy Lance, organisers of the Showman's Show, are at the forefront of their field and are pro-active in their thinking towards the development of the event with respect to how both its exhibitors and visitors can achieve the most from their involvement with the show.

The Showman's Show has never lost its ability to be flexible in its approach to the set-up and running of the event, to the benefit of both exhibitors and visitors. Stephen and Jeremy have a long term outlook for the Showman's Show and are committed to its success for many years to come. Rest assured both exhibitors and visitors alike can look forward to a show that will be innovative and exciting year on year.

This innovative thinking matched the award criteria exactly as the TESA judges felt that the Showman's Show has helped to develop the market for the event industry significantly with their continual innovation.

Stephen Lance was proud to accept both The Accessibility Tribute from NOEA and the TESA Award for 'Innovation' saying:

"As organisers of a successful show we are constantly aware that our success is not only due to efficient organisation but also to the exhibitors and visitors who attend the Show. We recognise that we have an obligation not only to our exhibitors but also to our visitors, without whom the show would not exist. All of us at Lance Publications are very proud to have been recognised for two such prestigious awards."

Building Outdoor Events - Not for the Faint Hearted!

Few people know what goes on behind the scenes before an outdoor event opens its doors to the public? It's a world of tools, plant and heavy equipment. With outdoor events and their exhibits growing year on year, the need for heavy plant and machinery has become a necessity in the build up and breakdown of any outdoor show. Jeremy Lance, Logistics Manager, of the Showman's Show takes us through the build up of the event, where tools, plant and heavy equipment not only play a part in the setup and breakdown, they also make up a significant proportion of the exhibits during the show itself.

Newbury Showground, Berkshire, is the home of the Showman's Show, a site which is a mix of grassed and tarmac road areas. Hence, before each exhibition site is marked out the first machines required on site are the lawn mowers to ensure the grass is tidy before the exhibits are temporarily erected. Once this task is complete Jeremy marks out the showground using the traditional method of tape, string, pegs and paint, giving him the flexibility to treat each exhibitor's site as a separate entity.

The next piece of plant on parade is the fork lift, lifting and moving temporary roadway into place to widen the existing site roads. The fork lifts are also employed to transport materials in readiness to erect the show offices and exhibition halls before the exhibitors move in, at which point the 'heavy brigade' are called in, the cranes and cherry pickers, to erect some of the larger exhibits.

In past, tents were erected using pegs and sledgehammers, not so nowadays when 'tents' can be any size from that of a small house to that of a stadium! Most marquee companies hire their own cranes, cherry pickers and forklifts but if an extra pair of 'iron hands' are needed, to provide further mechanical assistance, these can be provided. A service supplied free of charge by the organisers of the Showman's Show, which is also available at the end of the event for breakdown.

The sophistication of the temporary structure has meant that forklifts and cranes have now become a common feature in todays outdoor event world. But let's not forget the smaller essentials! Once the main structures of the exhibits are up the task of constructing the interiors starts in earnest. This is where you come across the man's equivalent of a ladies make-up bag, packing all the electrical essentials that make the job a joy rather than a chore, from cordless electric drills and screwdrivers to electric saws and planes.

During build-up and breakdown of the Showman's Show the site provides the stage for an orchestra of machinery producing a symphony of sound, at the centre of which you will find the conductor, Jeremy Lance.