Toyshow

Orion

This type of crap makes me mad. Just saw an ad during #vinb about the toyshow. Not the Late Late one - it's an expo in the RDS next month. What is it - it's a showcase for companies to flog their wares. Basically a big advertisement. That bit I have no problem with - it might be handy to go to it to see what to get for the kids for christmas.

But oh no - for the privilege of viewing ads, getting the hard sell and exposing yourself to child-centred commercialism you need to pay €25 per family*. They charge €125 per square metre for exhibitors and then have the bare faced cheek to charge families entry to this sales exhibition. That really infuriates me.

Thankfully my kids don't watch a lot of telly and rarely RTE/TV3 so they'll have limited exposure to ads for this but even if they did I would refuse to bring them on principle. To pay to be sold crap is something I will never do and my kids understand that to an extent. When we're watching tv they now automatically hit the mute button when the ads come on If they hear about this we'll just need to explain to them that it's not worth going to and they'll be cool.

I call for a boycott of this "event". I think it is a disgrace that parents should be even asked to pay to bring children to a commercial event. And I most certainly won't be doing so.

/rant

Fellow mods - I'm not objective here and I know it reads like a blog entry - if you feel this should be moved to R&R do so

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

*Family ticket = €25 on their website. It doesn't mention any conditions. But then you go to Ticketmaster and a "family" is 2+2 for that €25 ticket. 2+3 is €30, 2+4 is €35. That's before you pay another €3.15 ticketba$tard tax.

Moonbeam

There is one in the National Conference centre too.
Looking forward to the late late show one:)

D1stant

Going to Smyths is free (including tantrums)

Orion

The Convention Centre one costs more! And I can guarantee that it'll be the exact same stalls. But with 1 adult and 3 children you can save a whole euro by getting a family ticket!

At least their site has the list of advertisers. The RDS one has shag all. Still won't be going to it tho. I'd need a free family ticket to even consider it.

CrazyRabbit

If people are not willing to pay, then they will reduce their prices next year, or just cancel it.

But, more than likely, it will be a huge success. Smart business.

Oh, and BTW...all those adverts cost money. They need to recoup their costs somehow.

Fittle

I was tempted to go to the one in the Convention Centre as they are advertising that Jedward will be there (my 9yr old is Jedward mad..my apologies !). When I read the small print though, it's on for 3 full days over a weekend, Jedward will only be there for 90 minutes on the Friday morning from 10am to 11.30am....when every child over 4 is in school first of all, when parents who work, will be in work and so on...I thought it might be the cheapest way to see Jedward over XMas as their panto is working out at over 70euro for two tickets for us....

Anyway, my lad has gone off 'toys' this year anyway, but I agree with the OP, it's like a massive ad...

Orion

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

Oh, and BTW...all those adverts cost money. They need to recoup their costs somehow.

They're charging exhibitors 125 per sq.m. As they're the ones advertising they are the ones that should be paying not the consumers just to view the ads.

ash23

I saw this advertised on facebook. They were giving away tickets, then the chance to meet Jedward, then the chance for a child to become a representative for their county and then a draw for a trip to lapland for people who bought tickets. And all you had to do was share everything on your page.
I was going to enter the very first one I saw which was a VIP trip to the toyshow. But only until I realised it wasn't the Late Late Toy Show.

Thankfully my daughter hasn't seen this advertised (I blocked the posts on my facebook page which she sometimes uses). No way I'm paying money for her to look at toys I have to pay for. She can do that in any toy shop.

Das Kitty

Is it wrong that I really want to go and see all the toys? The baby can stay at home though.

:P:pac:

Moonbeam

no I do too:)
I just don't like paying to go in to shops.
There is a lot of crap on the the RDS that is like being charged to go in to a shop like the toys for big boys,bumps and babies and can't think of the names of others.

Das Kitty

Moonbeam wrote: »

no I do too:)
I just don't like paying to go in to shops.
There is a lot of crap on the the RDS that is like being charged to go in to a shop like the toys for big boys,bumps and babies and can't think of the names of others.

Knit and Stitch show.

I really want to go to that one, but I have to find someone willing to come!

ash23

I'd go no bother but I'm not paying!

To me it's like being expected to pay to go to a wedding fair or a baby fair. Or paying to go into a showhouse or pay to see a demo.


I just looked up the website and they're charging inside for facepainting!!! :eek:

Fittle

Am I right in saying that these are two completely different toy shows - one in the RDS and one in the Convention Centre - both being run by different organisations for 3 full days, two weekends apart??? (They have two different websites and don't seem to have any link to each other).

This, to me, stinks of a similar Xmas 'show' a few years ago - I can't for the life of me remember it - but there were nothing but complaints from those who had products on display and parents to attended after it ...what's the odds that after they are both over, Joe Duffy will be busier than ever!!

ash23

Fittle wrote: »

Am I right in saying that these are two completely different toy shows - one in the RDS and one in the Convention Centre - both being run by different organisations for 3 full days, two weekends apart??? (They have two different websites and don't seem to have any link to each other).

This, to me, stinks of a similar Xmas 'show' a few years ago - I can't for the life of me remember it - but there were nothing but complaints from those who had products on display and parents to attended after it ...what's the odds that after they are both over, Joe Duffy will be busier than ever!!

Ahhh you are correct.
There is the ToyShow in the RDS
http://www.toyshow.ie/ (this is the one charging extra for face painting and tickets are €10 for adults, €5 for kids and a family ticket is €25.


Then there is the ToyShow Experience in the convention centre
http://www.toyshowexperience.ie/
which is the one with Jedward and all the facebook crap and tickets are €12 for adults, €5 for kids and a family pass is €26.

They seem to be much of a muchness in terms of what they actually are....................

Fittle

...and jedward are only there for 1.5hours out of a total of 3 days!!!

Not everyone will read the details on the site and if you listen to the radio ads (which are on all the stations!) of Jedward advertising it themselves, there will be alot of disappointed children coming out of that show:(

Kent Brockman

I get contacted by these big shows all the time asking if I want to exhibit and they all get the same answer " Yes I would love to be there....BUT there is no way on earth I can afford it )

I don't know the costs involved in setting up and running these events but only the really big, established companies can afford to pay anything near the asking price to display there.

Maybe it is worth it for them but I cannot see how the smaller players can cover costs, let alone make money?

StarMom

Really want to go to The Toy Show but as you say the tickets are very pricey!!!!!!!! Im keepING an eye out on all the group deals etc here http://www.mydealpage.ie/ in hope that one of them do a deal
Id say it would be fun for teh kids and adults too hehe!
Yes the stalls are really dear too!

marley123

Its during Mid-Term Break - I am taking my LO in but NOT mentioning anything about Jedward as 90 mins is a short time & wouldnt want to get her hopes up on meeting them.

Fittle wrote: »

I was tempted to go to the one in the Convention Centre as they are advertising that Jedward will be there (my 9yr old is Jedward mad..my apologies !). When I read the small print though, it's on for 3 full days over a weekend, Jedward will only be there for 90 minutes on the Friday morning from 10am to 11.30am....when every child over 4 is in school first of all, when parents who work, will be in work and so on...I thought it might be the cheapest way to see Jedward over XMas as their panto is working out at over 70euro for two tickets for us....

Anyway, my lad has gone off 'toys' this year anyway, but I agree with the OP, it's like a massive ad...

Fittle

marley123 wrote: »

Its during Mid-Term Break - I am taking my LO in but NOT mentioning anything about Jedward as 90 mins is a short time & wouldnt want to get her hopes up on meeting them.

You're right of course! I had forgotten mid-term was after halloween this year. Last year, it was the week before halloween as I remember it was impossible to get my son to bed halloween night, for school the next morning!

I can imagine the thousands of screaming teenagers waiting to see jedward...:p

ash23

Fittle wrote: »

I can imagine the thousands of screaming teenagers waiting to see jedward...:p

I brought my daughter to see Jedward last year. It was actually scary how OTT the "fans" were. :eek:

Fittle

ash23 wrote: »

I brought my daughter to see Jedward last year. It was actually scary how OTT the "fans" were. :eek:

I brought my boy to the Xfactor tour in the 02 earlier this year - it was VERY scary how insane the teenage girls got when One Direction came on...I remember going to concerts when I was a younger (Depeche Mode & East 17:D) and I went a bit mad, but I don't remember becoming THAT hysterical ......although maybe I did;)

foxy06

2 hours to see santa queues a mile long for anything remotely interesting. Couldn't see the stalls because they let in WAY too many people the place was jammed. Took me 20 mins just to get out of the building pushing the buggy. Everyone leaving was complaining. was an absolute nightmare. They certainly made their money though:mad:

doubletrouble?

we paid a visit to the RDS yesterday. got there about mid day. was hoping to get a few things for the new borns. the place was in complete chaos. on the right hand side when you walk in there was a massive line stretching the whole length of the building, one can only assume it was for santa. trying to get near any stalls was almost impossible. the place was clogged up with prams,buggies basically you name it and thats not taking into account the entertainment.i.e. punch and judy etc for the kids. we found in alot of cases people were just standing talking to one another at the stalls. the isles were not wide enough. the i think was the biggest problem, especially when you take into account lines of prams going up and down then factor into that people trying to have a look at things. we didn't stay that long. in fact as big as the place was, we only lasted about 45 mins.

Fotish

People on the Joe Duffy show now,complaining like mad.

silverharp

I cant see the point of the show, surely a trip to Hamleys or one of the bigger Smiths is a much more pleasant experience.

doubletrouble?

Fotish wrote: »

People on the Joe Duffy show now,complaining like mad.

listened to it on real player. funny thing was ,joe was going on about refunds. when you paid you got a receipt which in turn was taken off you. so if we were to go for a refund theres no proof that we were actually there. i loved the comment about only 5% dissatisfied or they were surveying people leaving :eek:. enough said.

lolli

It was totally over crowded you couldnt even get near the stalls. The queue for Santa was over 3 hours long. There were kiddie rides and my sister went to get into a teacup and she got pushed out of the way by a man in his 30s and he put his two girls into the teacup. My daughter was in her buggy and the crowding was so bad that people were pushing back onto Saoirse legs and we were worried cos her hips arent right. My partner asked one woman just to be careful cos she was pushing back so far onto Saoirse that she was about to fall back onto Saoirse and the woman told him to F off. It was the most uncomfortable place ever. Even the queue to change Saoirses nappy took over half an hour. It was just an indoor market basically which we had to pay 35 euro into

LegacyUser

Jamie that arranged this show.
March/April jamie will have EYE show
Payment for stands expensive, EXHIBITORS montessori/creche equipment + more.
Payment at door was expensive.
Jamie also has the magazine ''Childcare.ie'' migh see this in shops
Just letting all know

Orion wrote: »

This type of crap makes me mad. Just saw an ad during #vinb about the toyshow. Not the Late Late one - it's an expo in the RDS next month. What is it - it's a showcase for companies to flog their wares. Basically a big advertisement. That bit I have no problem with - it might be handy to go to it to see what to get for the kids for christmas.

But oh no - for the privilege of viewing ads, getting the hard sell and exposing yourself to child-centred commercialism you need to pay €25 per family*. They charge €125 per square metre for exhibitors and then have the bare faced cheek to charge families entry to this sales exhibition. That really infuriates me.

Thankfully my kids don't watch a lot of telly and rarely RTE/TV3 so they'll have limited exposure to ads for this but even if they did I would refuse to bring them on principle. To pay to be sold crap is something I will never do and my kids understand that to an extent. When we're watching tv they now automatically hit the mute button when the ads come on If they hear about this we'll just need to explain to them that it's not worth going to and they'll be cool.

I call for a boycott of this "event". I think it is a disgrace that parents should be even asked to pay to bring children to a commercial event. And I most certainly won't be doing so.

/rant

Fellow mods - I'm not objective here and I know it reads like a blog entry - if you feel this should be moved to R&R do so

_ _ _ _ _ _ _

*Family ticket = €25 on their website. It doesn't mention any conditions. But then you go to Ticketmaster and a "family" is 2+2 for that €25 ticket. 2+3 is €30, 2+4 is €35. That's before you pay another €3.15 ticketba$tard tax.