The London Ski Show Underway
The London Ski Show Underway
Published : 07-Nov-2015 02:10
The London Ski and Snowboard Show is underway at Battersea Park and J2Ski.com popped along to check out the all new venue. This was our 29th ski show so we had plenty of experience to compare previous versions with.
Before the show doom mongers had been pointing to the new location being some distance from public transport, particularly tube stops an that a more than doubling of the adult entry ticket cost to £25 (although that includes an annual subscription to the Telegraph Ski and Snowboard Magazine) might hit numbers. It is also moved to a slightly later date outside the English half term holidays and they also thought that moving part of the event to outdoor tents and a real snow slope might not be sensible in the English autumn.
As it is we found the 2015 show to have a much better 'feel' than recent shows in traditional venues Olympia and Earl's Court. The organisers have tried hard to create a more festival feel with outdoor events on the real snow slope, quality music events in the evenings, fashion shows and interesting talks. There are also comedy performances from stars of the annual Altitude Comedy Festival, film shows and sets from the team at the Snowbombing music festival. Rather than feeling loud, echoey and half empty, every inch of space was used and a starry ceiling gave the show a more intimate feel.
The new 'Genius Bar' was a particularly good idea, we thought, with the cream of British ski journalism including Gabriella le Bretton, Lesley Woit, Henry Druce of the Telegraph Ski & Board magazine and Dave Watts of annual guide book and 'skier's bible' Where To Ski and Snowboard among others giving free and independent advice to show attendees who were then in a position to just go over to the stand of a resort or equipment supplier to ask for more advice there and then, the perfect one stop shop.
How are the visitor numbers stacking up? On the one hand the PR company for the show are saying it's 'packed out,' on the other some long time show attendees are murmuring that they think numbers are well down in line with the doom mongers predictions, but it was hard to tell during our daytime visit and perhaps to early to do so.
It was certainly getting busier when we left at 4pm yesterday. On the other hand mailshots from the show's organisers are still coming through advising that tickets are available on the door – and with 80,000 expected to attend a firework show in Battersea Park tonight and perhaps looking for something to do before or the firework show, there could be a lot of people going in today.
London
Adult £25
Concession/Student: £15
Child (11-16): £10
Child (Under 11): Free
Après (Thurs & Fri only from 5pm): £18
Opening timings:
Saturday - 9:30am-5pm
Sunday - 10am -5pm
www.london.skiandsnowboard.co.uk
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