Bracknell Computer Fair canned because of dayglo road signs

bod1467

prowla wrote: »

The second Sunday of every month is occasional.

EVERY month? For 20 years?

I wouldn't call that occasional, I'd call that regular. And something that will be well-known and so not need significant advertising.

I agree with others that it's probably a case of the organiser throwing his toys out of the pram because he's finally been told he needs to come into line with everyone else, and not still get away with it.

prowla

hollydays wrote: »

Paul from bracknell, your not really Paul driver owner of said company are you?

No, I'm not ; I already said I've no association with the company other than as a customer. Believe it or not, Paul is not an uncommon name.

prowla

ThumbRemote wrote: »

I assume the signs aren't just up on the day, but for a few days to a week in advance.

How many shops in Bracknell town centre? Should every one of those be allowed to advertise this way for 4 days a month? After all, they could claim their latest sale, or special offer, or new line is a specific event.

The fact is there are rules and 99% of business abide by them. Just because one business wants special dispensation to flout the rules doesn't mean those rules are wrong, it means that business is in the wrong.

So it's acceptable for 'Maggies Massage Parlour' to plaster the streets with signs advertising their monthly swingers night then, because it brings business to the town centre?

I think you assume wrong - I don't specifically recall whether they are/were up the day before though.

Again, "the rules", which were made up by a committee and are not an absolute right & wrong. If one or two people complain about some signs, which ruins things for a couple of hundred people, who is right, which greater good has been served? And where did you get the 4 days a month from?

We'll have to see whether the other occasional events which are held at the Sports Centre and other locations are allowed to put up their signage, eg. Psychic Fairs (you never know when one of those is going to be on), or Craft Fairs, or even events about the regeneration of Bracknell Town Centre, at least half of which has closed and been demolished (which has had a far bigger impact on business than some dayglo signs) in order to be redeveloped so it can look like the town centre of any other nondescript town in SE England.

prowla

bod1467 wrote: »

EVERY month? For 20 years?

I wouldn't call that occasional, I'd call that regular. And something that will be well-known and so not need significant advertising.

I agree with others that it's probably a case of the organiser throwing his toys out of the pram because he's finally been told he needs to come into line with everyone else, and not still get away with it.

I take your point; if it repeats then it is regular.

As far as the not needing advertising goes, I have to say that I went along without even noticing the signs weren't there and just got there to an empty hall. I would have noticed it wasn't on if I'd gone to the Sports Centre in the morning as I regularly do, but I had to miss it this particular Sunday because I had to go elsewhere for a presentation.

I don't think that the organizer threw his toys out of the pram; I think that the ruling to disallow the signage made it not viable. I mean it's not a great big business; it's simply the hiring of a hall so that maybe 20 or so sellers can set up stands an flog some wares. They're not big players, just some blokes or families who turn up with a hi-loader with kit, possibly even 2nd hand.

Anyway, ho-hum, at least the car park won't be so busy every 2nd Sunday of the month now.

bod1467

The point is ... if it's happened every 2nd Sunday of the month for the past 20 years, the advertising will not be bringing in many (if any) new punters - the people attending will be those that know about it already - so the comment about no signage making it not viable is bogus (IMHO).

hollydays

I hope this wasn't an excuse for the stall holders not to get their money back if they'd allready paid.

WiggyDiggyPoo

RichardD1970 wrote: »

Still can't see how not having the signs up meant they had to pull the plug on the event?

Exactly!

To be honest given its a computer fair, and most people have the internet, I'd have though the organizers could have come up with a better promotion than a sign stuck to a lampost.....

BAW30s

I go to the computer fairs in Croydon from time to time and came across this page while looking up the one in Bracknell for a friend. My impression is that the fairs are not as popular as they were and so any further restrictions on advertising could well be the straw that breaks the camel's back. The signs are not large and are placed in a few strategic locations around the town where they are likely to be seen. They are often placed with other similar event announcements and in my view serve a useful purpose. The fairs make available to enthusiasts a large number of items which would otherwise only be obtainable on the web, if at all, and it is certainly cheaper and more convenient to be able to buy a number of small accessories in one place than to have to place many small orders for them separately, with all the concomitant postage and packing costs. I would be sorry if Croydon took the same approach as Bracknell and this amenity were lost.

System

prowla wrote: »

As far as hobbyists go now, there is pretty much nowhere in Bracknell not the surrounding area to buy computer components from,

Well guess what? That puts you in the same boat as the vast majority of the rest of the country. Tough titty!