The Photography Show returns to the NEC for its sixth year, between 16-19 March 2019, and tickets are now on sale I see.

 

Tickets £14.95 for most of us.
Parking £16 on the day and £12 in advance.
Or is the next 3 month subscription to AP better value?

www.photographyshow.com/registration

 

May I use the word "infinitely" here?

 

Fuel to get to the NEC & back would be more than that for me I suspect, and journey time (~4 hours each way) makes an overnight stay seem to be required. Then while going round there may be several occasions where temptation might get the better of me... ...I think even a years subscription might be wiser!

 

I would have a round trip of about 120 miles, so using a realistic cost per mile for a small hatchback, the total cost is more like 10 or 11 months AP subscription. So no competition really.

And I won't have to fight through crowds of people queuing to play with the latest essential/awesome/must-have mirrorless cameras I can't afford to buy. The most impressive new camera I've handled this year was a Pentax K1, but I didn't need to travel to the NEC for that, and I can't afford it anyway.

 

My round trip would be 650 miles. I think I'll stay at home and read the reviews.

 

I've been twice now , both times on a Saturday, neither times would I say there was a need to fight through any crowds as such and getting in was easy. I'd not be thinking of going again since the novelty does wear off as does the walking up and down the sales looking for something cheap and inviting. The Disabled Photographers' stands normally have something of interest if you are early enough.

 

I went 2 years ago and the crowds were more for the other events, which seemed to involve a lot of very strange people, not all of this world. Getting in was easy but I don't like busy, busy or noise so it wasn't enjoyable.

 

Well it's 20 minutes drive for me, and I get a free ticket, so apart from the usual NEC exorbitant parking fees, it's pretty good value. But aside from competition for discretionary income, I can't see how it's a rival to an AP subscription; they're very different animals. Sure, I get the chance to play with camera kit I don't often get to see anywhere else, but the real value for me is getting to see all the other stuff that can make my life easier or help me sell more. Further, there are often some useful masterclasses, and above all, it gives me a chance to meet people; I've met up with several forum members over the years, lots of AP staff, and several other industry contacts; plus I've made new contacts that have been useful. It's a trade show first and foremost, and it's quite a good one.

 

That's the impression I got from the website. I have made the effort to attend other shows like this in the past (but not this one), and was always frustrated by the crowds and the fact that anybody on a trade stand lost interest very quickly if I wasn't waving a payment card of some sort. I suppose this is the prime reason for these shows.

So, for those of us who would have to pay an entrance fee and have limited budgets, the AP subscription remains better value.
Anything of interest that is at the show will appear in AP, and if I desperately need to handle the hardware I can go to a retailer.

 

Well if you can find a retailer that stocks even a fraction of what's on show, good luck.

 

Only relevant if it's something I want or can afford.

 

Not the one I went to. The trade stands weren't all direct selling. The Sony store directed me to one of Camera World or LCE if I wanted to buy. Sony were only carrying demo stock. I was looking at an RX10 iii. Similarly, I think the Fuji stand, but I got elbowed off looking at a GFX-50 before I could have a proper conversation. The cameras were too tightly chained down to look at properly. I spend some time looking at EISO monitors but the EISO demonstrators were referring to the Colour Confidence stand (which I failed to find) for orders. I could have bought a load of permajet paper at a good price but didn't fancy lugging it back on the train.

 

With a lot of the stuff at the show, you might not know it existed if you didn't go...

Also, the credit card thing is just wrong. True about the retailers, not about the trade stands - most of them don't actually sell anything direct.

 

As I said, I've been to other shows.
If I lived nearby and had free entry, I'd go and see if it was an improvement on shows I went to in the past.

 

So you don't really know what you're talking about, but you feel a need to express an opinion anyway.

That's pretty much everything that's wrong with the world today.

 

As I was careful to say, I know about shows I've been to in the past, and from the website am suspicious this one may not be much different. If I lived nearby and had free entry, I'd go and see if it was an improvement on shows I went to in the past.

Re. feeling free to express an opinion when 'you don't really know what you're talking about'.
If I had never been to any kind of 'Photography Show', what you say would be a valid opinion.
Again... If I lived nearby and had free entry, I'd go and see if it was an improvement on shows I went to in the past.

 

So again, you have no knowledge of this show, yet feel qualified to pontificate on its value for money..

I don't think you're in any position to question which of our opinions is the valid one.

 

What makes you think only one of them is valid??
Chester had made it clear in his posts that his experience was at other shows.

If it was close to me & cost £5 to get in I'd certainly feel it's worth taking a days holiday to attend. Even though getting out again might end up costing quite a bit more!
Its quite possible that after attending once I'd be happy to pay more to get in. But I don't live nearby so I'll just never know if the seminars would actually be more useful to me than those I've seen in the past...

 

Because I've been, and I know he's got his facts wrong. He's perfectly entitled to an alternative opinion, but he's not entitled to alternative facts. As his opinion is founded on untruths, it's actually worse than worthless. Might be perfectly valid for the shows he's attended, but all shows are not the same.