Sportsmania Some home truths

[prendy9160]

If this show is to be a success you need to access better guests from the world of sport. The top guest should be a world leader in there sport, or the fiels that they represent.

 

The show should be headlined so that you can get the people to attend the shows and make the event popular, going on past events to do with sport signings they are not very well atteneded ? .

 

Thw winnning 66 squad are all legends to me and my age group, but people only want or can afford to see them at one show, pehaps it is now time to look further afield to attract the crowds and to get bigger guests in the show or it will fade into the past without a fight.

The show should be headed by a global star that the people of all generations would want to me, for me the guest to have would be Pele, easier said than done but i beleive that is the type of guest you need to have to kick start this show.

my other idea would be to merge this show with autographica 12 you would have a captive fan base in the show and i am sure that would be a great way to get a sporting legend to attend along with other guests from the world of spave films tv etc etc.

I know some popel may see this post and think my idea off the beaten track but there is a big growing army of collectors out there for sporting autographs, you need to supply the market and they will come back again and again .

 

Paul

[S1J0]

If this show is to be a success you need to access better guests from the world of sport. The top guest should be a world leader in there sport, or the fiels that they represent.

 

The show should be headlined so that you can get the people to attend the shows and make the event popular, going on past events to do with sport signings they are not very well atteneded ? .

 

Thw winnning 66 squad are all legends to me and my age group, but people only want or can afford to see them at one show, pehaps it is now time to look further afield to attract the crowds and to get bigger guests in the show or it will fade into the past without a fight.

The show should be headed by a global star that the people of all generations would want to me, for me the guest to have would be Pele, easier said than done but i beleive that is the type of guest you need to have to kick start this show.

my other idea would be to merge this show with autographica 12 you would have a captive fan base in the show and i am sure that would be a great way to get a sporting legend to attend along with other guests from the world of spave films tv etc etc.

I know some popel may see this post and think my idea off the beaten track but there is a big growing army of collectors out there for sporting autographs, you need to supply the market and they will come back again and again .

 

Paul

 

Right up to the penultimate paragraph I was shouting out - not literally - what planet is this guy on? To have someone who is global you need money and attendees. It is a catch 22 situation. However, your suggestion of merging this event with Autographica is a good one and something that could be wise to look into.

[Count Fooku]

I guess we will just have to be realistic that a new show will take time to grow. The other event that has sports guests has only really kicked into gear over the last year or so with international stars.

 

I think if the event does have a future then its best chance of survival is to keep it in the shopping centre. I'm not sure how much passing trade a show like CM attracts, by that I mean how many locals who are just out doing their shopping and had no idea the event is on get film and TV signatures? I'm guessing that as a lot of guests are from cult series and films (not all I know but a lot are), the recognition factor is lower than someone like a Geoff Hurst or Frank Bruno who are at least recognisable to the majority of the population.

 

There would be a similar thing with Autographica. At the moment that show is mostly geared towards people with an interest in Space, History and older TV shows and as such probably attracts about the level of customers they are looking for. If you added a new dimension into the thing then the risk of getting a whole new batch of people along would be that Autographica would lose the thing that makes it unique, i.e. shorter queues, more time with the guests etc.

 

Although that said, at an Autographica I went to a few years back, before SM became involved several members of the 66 team were in attendance so never say never I suppose!

 

I have to say I liked the idea of the Sportsmania zone at LFACC last year, there was a good sprinkling of guests who seemed to do quite a decent trade over the weekend.

 

I suppose my wishlist for next time would be a few more guests from outside of the London clubs, and if possible one or two non British players/

[mpharris]

I agree that Sportsmania should remain in the shopping centre. I noticed a lot of "casual" buyers last year who were out shopping and decided they "must meet" Frank Bruno or Jimmy Greaves or the 66ers. I was looking forward to this years show but the large number of repeat guests killed it for me and there is nobody there worth the expense of the travelling (for me).

 

For the show to prosper I agree that it needs strong recognisable guests, a Pele or someone of similar standing would be great, but it also needs a good variety of other guests. Whilst football is of course the most popular sport in the country I feel this year there is far too much emphasis on it, there are only 4 non-footballers at the show. Last year there was a great mixture covering Rugby, Snooker, Tennis, Athletics, Horse Racing and Boxing as well as football.

 

I'm still looking forward to SM3 and hope that there are guests there I'd like to see.

[lallen]

I agree that Sportsmania should remain in the shopping centre. I noticed a lot of "casual" buyers last year who were out shopping and decided they "must meet" Frank Bruno or Jimmy Greaves or the 66ers. I was looking forward to this years show but the large number of repeat guests killed it for me and there is nobody there worth the expense of the travelling (for me).

 

For the show to prosper I agree that it needs strong recognisable guests, a Pele or someone of similar standing would be great, but it also needs a good variety of other guests. Whilst football is of course the most popular sport in the country I feel this year there is far too much emphasis on it, there are only 4 non-footballers at the show. Last year there was a great mixture covering Rugby, Snooker, Tennis, Athletics, Horse Racing and Boxing as well as football.

 

I'm still looking forward to SM3 and hope that there are guests there I'd like to see.

 

I also think the shopping Centre is the best place for this show to stay at the moment, and yes a global superstar, especially Pele, would be unbelievable.

 

I think Mark is doing a good job with this show, he is obviously a sports lover and would love to have Pele, but sadly at the present time I can not see this happening, can you imagine the fee that Pele would command to come over for a signing event, although he is coming to Stoke to unviel a statue of Gordon Banks.

 

I think the term "from little acorns" somes up were we are at the moment, and hopefully, one day, the mighty oaks will appear.

 

Me, I am happy to meet my soccer heroes from the sixties and seventies, and would like to see more of the team reunions from that period, Chelsea FA Cup winning team, Leeds United FA cup and European Cup finalists teams, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, the list just goes on, and that doesn't include the great European sides like the Ajax team of the early seventies. And what about the 1970 England world Cup squad, who knows, if you change a certain substitution, how far we could have gone.

 

I also think that these reunions would be extremely popular with the passing shoppers, especially since live football was not on the TV back then, except for the FA Cup and European Cup Finals, we only had Match of the Day on Saturday night and The Big Match on Sunday lunchtimes.

[bagpuss64]

Me, I am happy to meet my soccer heroes from the sixties and seventies, and would like to see more of the team reunions from that period, Chelsea FA Cup winning team, Leeds United FA cup and European Cup finalists teams, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest, the list just goes on, and that doesn't include the great European sides like the Ajax team of the early seventies. And what about the 1970 England world Cup squad, who knows, if you change a certain substitution, how far we could have gone.

 

I also think that these reunions would be extremely popular with the passing shoppers, especially since live football was not on the TV back then, except for the FA Cup and European Cup Finals, we only had Match of the Day on Saturday night and The Big Match on Sunday lunchtimes.

 

70's soccer teams especially like the winning liverpool teams would be a big draw i'm sure....i grew up on star soccer and match of the day and these were THE stars of the time

[lallen]

70's soccer teams especially like the winning liverpool teams would be a big draw i'm sure....i grew up on star soccer and match of the day and these were THE stars of the time

 

I bet you had the original first division and 1970 world cup sticker albums, Esso coins and the esso football crests and also the sun's football card album with the 3D card on the front.

 

As did every self respecting soocer fan of the time.

[18blue78]

I agree the show would be better staying at a shopping centre, but it might be an idea to go on the road. I realise Show Masters want to have the show at a central location to attract as many people as possible, but (and no offence to anyone) Milton Keynes isn't the first city you would associate with sport and I'd suggest moving to another city with a greater sporting heritage.

 

For example my home town of Liverpool. Two huge football teams to base a themed show around (i.e. footballers from one or both of the clubs) and a massive new shopping centre right in the heart of the city to stage the show.

 

A few other suggestions-

 

London - lots of shopping centres and dozens of teams (and different sports to football) to base a show around.

 

Manchester - again, two popular football teams plus the home of Lancashire County Cricket Club and Sale Sharks. The Arndale Centre could easily accommodate Sports Mania, but if you could get it into The Trafford Centre you'd do tonnes of business.

 

Birmingham - yes we all know about another show that's based there. But what about using a venue like The Bullring? Plus Birmingham is the country's central location as well as being a hot bed for football, cricket and many other sports.

 

While football players are among the most recognisable sporting personality's Show Masters should try to get stars from other sports. That is what was so great about the first Sports Mania.

 

Another thing Show Masters might want to look at is advertising. Not coming from Milton Keynes I don't know what was done locally, but I saw nothing nationally. I'm not saying it's easy or cheep but you have to get the word out. You can't rely on 1 web site, a few hard core collectors and what ever passing shoppers stop by. There are plenty of sports based publications with advertising space. Get Sports Mania in there.

 

Sports Mania has the potential to be massive, but it needs to be kept fresh and it needs to be known about.

[dijon1322]

problem with sportsmania is also this its down in milton keynes great for all you southerners but if they brought it up to birmingham or there abouts more people would go, i were going to go this year for frank bruno and henry cooper but after weighing up the distance etc it just not worth it... also merging it with autographica would be ideal kill two birds with one stone that would, i go autgraphica down in london simply because the guests are there ill be usually wanting ten autographs as aposed to two so it makes perfect sense merging them, i dont think it will impose on each others identity, as long as each show as its own entrance and one fee people can choose and truly make the whole event a great success

[jonathan]

You already have a rival show in birmingham that has sports guests so its great that Sportsmania is down our end as you say.

 

This will attract more and more visitors as it grows and as the guests get more varied.