The National Show

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National Show 2012 Cancellation

At a recent show meeting it was decided to cancel the BKKS National Show 2012 by 4 of the 5 Show Committee members, a unanimous agreement.

This decision was not taken lightly and will probably incur the wrath of many members but after a very lengthy discussion trying to work through the issues it was apparent that it was the only sensible thing to do.

The main reasons for the cancellation are as follows:

Manpower : the lack of volunteers to set up (minimum of 10 able bodied persons per day from Monday to Thursday prior to the show) , run the show over the weekend (Friday to Sunday evening) and take down the show (minimum of 10 able bodied persons on the Monday following the show) was very disheartening to everyone concerned despite numerous requests for volunteers.

Dealers/Main Sponsorship : Following the recent resignation of the person responsible for these positions it has been impossible to find a replacement to take on these tasks to ensure that we had enough dealers to attend and much needed sponsorship.

Also required are volunteers to cover other specific roles which include: Dinner Dance, Accommodation / Meals Co-Ordinator, PRO, Lecture Theatre, Night Security, and with the end of the year looming we are between a rock and a hard place.

With the lack of dealers/sponsorship for 2012 in place, due to the resignation, it was felt that the Show Committee would struggle to get the necessary finances in place to ensure either a plus or minimal minus figure for the show.

Also to be taken into account was the increase in costs of a number of items that were recently presented by Billing Aquadrome which we were not aware of prior to this meeting.

It was felt that whilst a small loss would be accepted by our members a loss that was greater than the 2010 loss would not. Therefore the Show Committee had to make a decision, based on the information we had and to ensure the solvency of the Society, as to the way forward for the Show. Without these positions and finances in place it was felt that we would not be able to provide a good show and a safe show for the Koi being exhibited.

Dave Pope
Chairman
2012 National Show Committee

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The 2011 BKKS National Show

CANCELLATION OF THE BRITISH KOI KEEPERS SOCIETY NATIONAL SHOW 2011

I regret to inform the membership that due to a series of unforeseen circumstances the BKKS National Show has to be cancelled for this year.

At the recent AGM, I announced that the show could only go ahead if it was financially viable and if that could not be guaranteed, then it would not be able to go ahead as the Society could not afford another large loss.

When the date selected for the show was revealed at the AGM as 17^th/18^th September 2011, (a date chosen as there were no known clashes in the calendar), Birmingham and West Midlands Koi Club announced that was the weekend they were planning to hold their show. To avoid conflict, as Show Chair, I rapidly tried to investigate the possibility of holding the show on another date, however every alternative caused other issues including increased costs in some areas, including marquees as the cheapest supplier would not have been available on other dates. This could have resulted in significant spend above budget.

Birmingham and West Midlands Koi Club later notified the Council that they had taken the much appreciated step of moving their show back two weeks which made the original date of 17^th/18^th September viable again. We were therefore finally in a position to announce the show as going ahead and, not wanting to delay notifying the members any further, we simultaneously made announcements and notified the venue that we would be holding the show on that date, as originally discussed with them. However they came back to us shortly afterwards to inform us that, as we had been investigating other dates, they had now taken further bookings for our original dates and would not be able to host the show.

The Council then looked again at the alternative dates, however the same issues previously noted still existed and deals which had been struck for reduced costs were not available so we are left with only one decision – the show cannot go ahead this year without causing a number of calendar conflicts and the serious risk of making a significant loss again. Attention was also paid to the negative feedback on a variety of forums about holding the show in September, which suggested the possibility of a dearth of exhibitors, dealers and sponsors, which would have added to the serious financial implications for the Society and the future of the show beyond this year.

The Council felt that more damage would be done by holding a loss-making show without the numbers of koi and dealers associated with the event. It was therefore decided to book ahead for 2012 and put all the effort into ensuring this show is properly planned and resourced at a suitable venue.

The next BKKS National Show will therefore take place at the Billing Aquadrome on 23^rd/24^th June 2012.

David Pope
Show Chairman

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National Show Feedback

In order to fully understand your thoughts on the recent National Show held in Stafford, we would like to ask that those who attended to complete this short survey.

Your answers will help us to understand both what we got right and what we could improve upon for future shows and all comments will be listened to and acted upon where possible.