Barnes and Mullins

Barnes and Mullins

Kempton Park Show romps home – 2017 event confirmed.

Northern Guitar Shows’ first venture south – the Kempton Park Show held on Sunday 23rd – has been hailed a success by the trade and public alike and next year’s event has already been confirmed for 29th October at the same venue, writes Gary Cooper.

Doubts had been expressed about the choice of venue (Kempton Park racecourse) and whether a lower cost, ‘table top’ show format, despite being popular in the USA, would work as well in the south of England as it as done for the past twenty years in the north. But Sunday proved to be a triumph for NGS’s owners Peter and Gail Hoarty, their 130 exhibitors and, according to exhibitors contacted by MIN, the public, who turned out in force.

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Speaking with MIN, Peter Hoarty said: ‘The show on Sunday was a great success and we are delighted with the response we got from the trade – distributors, retailers, luthiers, amp and pedal builders, accessory and parts specialists and even private collectors all got behind the show and we had a bigger number of exhibitors than at any of our previous events. Altogether 130 of them set out their wares over two floors in the grandstand exhibition centre at Kempton Park.

‘The South of England Show was the 64th show we’ve run and came about due to popular demand. To quote our press release “We have been asked many times to bring our style of affordable, grass roots guitar shows to the South and we have now located a venue which ticks all the boxes. Our shows have always been based on the principle of value for money for exhibitors and the public. That includes an affordable entrance fee for visitors, moderate exhibitor prices with no added extras, great live music, free parking for all and good transport links”.

‘Visitor numbers were very encouraging and at times it was so busy it was difficult to get from one end of the halls to the other. We have had many messages telling us how much people enjoyed it and asking us to do another one. We are pleased to say that we have booked 29th October 2017 at Kempton Park for next year’s show.’

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Asked if NGS had plans for further expansion in the south, Hoarty said: ‘No, at this stage of our careers we think that’s enough. We decided to have a go and with hindsight it was the right thing to do but it was three or four months of solid work and we’re happy with what we’ve got so we won’t be doing any more than the five shows a year we now have.’

Industry soundings taken this week by MIN from exhibitors ranging from large distributors to individual guitar companies, reflected a highly positive reaction to the event.

NGS’s next event is the Merseyside Guitar Show scheduled for Aintree Racecourse on Sunday, 27th November. Info: www.guitarshows.co.uk

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