ideal home exhibition

cazza1968

We have been going to the show since i was a little girl.. Anyone remember the silver jubilee year when they had the coach on display???
I took my mum as a mothers day gift, and we were really dissapointed. Booked online so got 3.00 off tickets which gave a free copy of the show guide each (£5.00! each). Free copy of daily mail, you only got the goody bags with the mars sweets in if you had a copy of the guide book. Not much in the way of food available to buy, a few coffee places. We went to the terrace restaurant, but wished we didnt £15.90 for two spag bols with garlic bread and a very limp salad.

Not much upstairs, no craft stalls, a few kitchen gadets. Even the beauty part-there wasnt much there. I bought some aloe vera cream, and the lady stallholder said, it was so quiet that most stallholders were running at a loss at the moment. She said they normally make the most money in the first few days, but not this year.
I will only go next year if i can get in for free.

PS we went yesterday Monday 23mar

tigergold

I heard one of the stall holders saying they were very disappointed with the number of people attending and how quiet it was (this was only the 1st day).
In the past it was such an event, now it just seemed there was no buzz. I think that tickets should be free, then they will get more people in and encourage more sellers if there are 1000s of people attending, but the trickle of people I saw are not going to make the money the sellers need.

reese

eng wrote: »

There is a free ticket inside each copy of Ideal Home magazine for the Ideal Home Show on sale now. Plenty in the shops.

I was disappointed that there was only one floor last year and it seems from posts so far it is not very good in 2009. I look forward to this every year so I am hoping it is not as bad as it sounds!

Hi, just checked the April issue of the magazine but can't find the voucher in it! :sad: Is this the correct issue or was it in the March one?

Regards

trinnylilac

It is the April isue . The ticket is pink and loose in the plastic packaging

valiant

I was dragged along a couple of times during the past few years, but only because I managed to get free tickets. It completely mystifies me why anyone would pay £14 (or whatever it is) to get into what is effectively a big department store. A free copy of that bigoted rag, the Daily Mail, is hardly compensation!

It really annoys me that entrance isn't free. As I understand it, the stall holders have to pay major bucks as well. Every recession has a very thick silver lining and the demise of the scam that is the Daily Mail Ideal Homes Exhibition looks to be a good example of more good things to come.

tigergold

I think this could go the same way as the motor show that they have cancelled for next year. I was going to suggest a credit crunch version of the home show: save the trip to Earls court, drive to your nearest retail park - check out the displays in Ikea, B & Q, John Lewis, Comet, Currys, a carpet shop, Boots to try out beauty products, you'll have a much better time and its FREE !

reese

trinnylilac wrote: »

It is the April isue . The ticket is pink and loose in the plastic packaging

Hi, thanks a lot for your reply. I have been to my local Tesco, Morrissons and 4 newsagents and they all have the April issue at a special price of £2.00 and it does not come in the plastic packaging.

Really annoyed that I can't get it at full issue price in the plastic packaging and after reading the comments on here don't want to pay the full price to get in!

Regards

dvs

I went to the show last year and thought it was awful (both halls but only on the ground floor). Sounds like this year is just as uninteresting. The Grand Designs show is more like how the Ideal Home Show used to be.

Just wondering if anyone noticed what EDF were doing at the show? Were they offering anything special if you sign up to them (such as a Smart Meter or anything)?

tigergold

I saw EDF there, not sure what they were offering, as they didn't offer anything to me, I heard them say if you fill this card out , you'll be entered into a comp! But i''ll be interested to know if I did miss out on the only freebie there ;-(

Lindy-Lou_2

I was there yesterday, if you went on Mother's Day and thought it was quiet well!! Yesterday (Monday) the exhibitors were saying that it was busier but today dead - when I looked down from the upper floor, I saw more bored people manning the stand than visitors!! I saw one chap sitting with his feet up on a nice chair and foot stool - promised to go back and wake him up at the end of the show - whoops I forgot - wonder if he is still there !! lol. Exhibitors were just wandering over to other stands for a chat because they were to bored. Last year wasn't great but this year is shocking - no Furnitureland, Tesco and as for freebies, go to the HM Revenue and Customs and get a free pen and trolley coin fob - seems they are the only ones giving anything away and no wonder, they can afford it lol!!

Sorry to anyone who has bought tickets but I did have a good time with my friend but so glad I didn't make a long journey or incur big travelling costs. If you are able to combine it with the Vitality Show that would be a real bonus - I think they are using the 2nd hall that was used for the IHS last year - hence you have to pay to go into both halls!!

I genuinely felt sorry for the people manning the stands and as somebody else mentioned the cost of rental per sq ft is astronomical - I really do not think there will be one next year judging by the comments, even the EDF organising staff where saying how many complaints they have had!!

By the way, Tigersgold mentioned the £1 for the IH magazine. The IH lady said to me 'well it is only a £1 and you do get a free CD and calendar' - lol 2009 calendar. My response to her was 'I tell my kids not to say it is only a pound and that to some people, especially at the moment, it is a lot of money'. They should have been giving them away since the stand was part of Dolphin, Sharps Group exhibition and adorned, in the main, by Next - they parked themselves in the middle and had the cheek to sell them for as much as £1 - they should have been free!!

As you go in there is a man selling the Evening Standard, he will ask you if you would like the supplement with the paper (no extra) and tell you that if you have an Oyster card you can have a neat little book about London all for 25p - worth having - if you haven't got an Oyster card don't worry because he won't just 'blag it' - it is the best bargain to be had as it is quite a good little book. (Eve Standard only available Mon - Fri)

Now I have had my rant, do take you own food and drink as the prices are astronomical - an exhibitor told me she had paid £7.60 for a Coke and a jacket potato!!

If you have already bought your ticket just go and enjoy it, I went with a friend I hadn't seen for ages. We caught up all the news, had a good laugh and escaped the drudgery of the chores!!

Have fun whatever you decide!!

Lindy-Lou

PS Normally there are lots of show offers - there was a Baumatic dishwasher (BFD66W) stated as normal price £449, show price £349 - checked the price when I came home and it doesn't sound that great but you do get a 5 year warranty which is worth c£130. Speak to them as you can pay a 20% (£70)deposit there and if you change your mind within 6 months they give a full refund of the deposit. (The stand is near to the Nissan stand.)