2012 Boat and Caravan Show cancelled
It is with great disappointment that a decision has been taken to cancel the 2012 Boat & Caravan Show, the UK’s largest event for individuals and families wanting to get the most out of the Great British Outdoors with a history spanning more than 50 years.
The decision to cancel the show has been taken because of a lack of support from the caravan manufacturers and their dealers, despite having strong support from all other parts of the show (marine, holiday homes & lodges, tourism, accessories and outdoor leisure). Caravans have always been an integral part of the show which attracted over 87,000 paying visitors at a highly successful show last February.
Earlier this year, following a failure to secure the Boat & Caravan tenancy at the NEC, the National Caravan Council, with the support of the caravan manufacturers announced plans to launch its own event at London Excel to compete with the 2012 Boat and Caravan Show.
Having consulted the market and in particular caravan dealers, Ocean Media Group, the owner of the Boat & Caravan Show, was convinced that a national show was needed to support the leisure sector. The show concept was fully endorsed by the Camping and Caravanning Club and leading exhibitors from all parts of the leisure sector – including a number of caravan dealers. Despite their enthusiasm, these dealers latterly felt unable to participate in the show; this undermined one of the main pillars of the show and renders it no longer viable.
The Outdoor Leisure Show was an investment made by OMG to deliver a new audience of outdoor enthusiasts to the caravan market. Although the show achieved it’s objective in delivering new unique visitors it was reliant on cross over visitors from Boat and Caravan to survive and so it too is unfortunately no longer viable.
Trevor Barratt, CEO – Ocean Media said that “loyal exhibitors, including a number of caravan dealers, and the shows many visitors will feel sorry that due to a lack of support from one element of the industry, the 2012 show has cancelled after more than 50 years”.
