General Chat

Has anyone been to both WDYTA shows?

Leaving out the travel issues how did the two shows compare?

Looking at the floorplan for Birmingham it looked as though Ancestry didn't have their 'lounge' this year. I found that a useful place for a sit down and my packed lunch.

So it's a no!

If this means that travel issues were the reason then the show should not stay in Birmingham, but after a few years should move on to another part of the country. Maybe they could have a circuit of places, then London could be revisited sometime in the future.

I have never been but last year I decided I would try to get there this year. However I changed my mind when they decided to have it in Birmingham. Not that I have anything agaist Birmingham or elsewhere, just that I can't be bothered to go that far for it.

I probably won't be bothered to even go to London by the time it returns there.

Someone on another site went to Birmingham and said they much preferred it to London, it seemed more relaxed and there was room to move

They implied that they would prefer to go here next year.


It does seem that there were quite a few genealogy sites missing .............. GR was not there of course, nor were a number of smaller Family History Societies. The cost of rental for a stand was apparently very high .............. I have no idea of how much it cost for a person to go for 1 day attendance, let alone more than one!

Sylvia - it was £16-£22 for a day ticket and up to £33 for a three day ticket. I think Olympia charged about £25 for a single ticket.

I've no idea what the stand charges were but Olympia used to have some London branches of northern groups - so they wouldn't have bothered to go to Birmingham. The fact that no one on here seems to have done both indicates that there is very much a 'catchment' for the show. I wonder how many of the southeastern groups will take a stand next year?

For me to travel to Birmingham would cost an extra £10 (Saturday) AND I would be restricted to a particular train. I live on the outer reaches of London commuter pricing and cannot buy cheap tickets to London, but apart from time restrictions re over 60's card, I can get on almost any train.

Kense

The very first show I went to was in the days when the SOG FH fair was shoved in a corner. It was so cramped as to be almost impossible to move (bit like a jumble sale). Eventually they were given a much bigger area and it became possible to reach the stands.

I would say the crowds have dropped over the last few years and one could even get onto the big commercial stands without queuing for ages. Apart from that first time I've not had problems moving around.

I am playing catch up and have only just seen this thread.

I have been to both events. Last year I went over 2 days and it was a busy show with lots to do and many excellent workshops.

It was almost impossible to get to meet any of the experts unless you were among the first people to get in to the event.

Having said that I did enjoy it and learned a lot from attending

I also went to the Scottish one last August which wasn't as well attended both by exhibitors and public. Who knows this may improve if it ever visits again.

I liked the most recent one held in Birmingham. It wasn't as crowded and it was easier to meet with the various experts.

I spoke to a Military expert and he really helped to loosen one of the bricks from my wall :-D

As stated above some exhibitors were missing which was disappointing.

I attended a few workshops and really enjoyed the day.

I always get my tickets on the early bird offer.

I paid £26 for 2 tickets for a day at Birmingham.

Hi Linda

Thanks for that, especially interesting as you have also done the Scottish one.

I wonder which days you went to the last Olympia show. I went on the Saturday and thought it very quiet. Spoke to everyone I wanted to without a wait. Even sat on my own in the ancestry lounge for lunch - that was a first - usually it is crowded.

Regarding tickets, I usually get mine through the Ancestry offer, seems to be the cheapest, but didn't spot one this year.

Hi namelessone

We did Friday and Saturday at the Olympia .

All the meet the experts slots had been booked . You must have been faster off the mark than me :-)

I usually get my tickets from WDYTYA on the early offer