YOU MAY HAVE seen that there will be a brand new caravan show in town next year. The five main caravan manufacturers have joined with other members of the National Caravan Council to put plans in place for the Motorhome and Caravan Show next autumn.

 

The fact that the caravan industry has clubbed together to put on a large show in the South-East is a good thing. There are large shows in Manchester and Glasgow, plus two in Birmingham, but that leaves caravanners in Kent, Essex and Sussex a long way from any show. This new event at the Excel centre in Docklands solves that. 

 

I like the fact that the NCC is arranging the show on behalf of the industry. It explained to us that this means reduced cost to exhibit for the manufacturers as they don’t pay an exhibition company to put the show on, but consumers are set to benefit too. Cheaper entry tickets are promised. Anyone who paid £20 per person to get into the NEC last week will welcome some sanity on ticket pricing. The fact that both major clubs are supporting it is great news too.

 

But timing could be a problem. It is due to take place in October next year, and if the NEC show goes ahead, that will be the week before. It’s going to be a major logistical headache moving all those tourers to London’s Docklands a week after Birmingham. The NEC is already established as an excellent venue for a big caravan show, but it is hard to imagine that there is a need for a two major national shows in Birmingham and another in London.

 

It seems certain there’ll be big changes to the caravan show landscape in the UK over the next year or two. I welcome the London show but fear the congested market place will mean one of the NEC shows will be a casualty. Timing is against the October show, but the fact that many more caravans are sold there than in February means the decision won’t be cut and dried. I await developments with interest.

 

[email protected]