Outdoor Leisure Show/ ExCel -v- NEC

[Mang]

I took my son on Friday to the Outdoor Leisure Show and had a great time. Like The Outdoors show at the Excel, Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazine had a large presence with their stand, and the 'Bushcraft Mall' made up of stands such as Ben & Lois Orford, Woodland Ways & Wilderness Survival Skills. Added to this there where the likes of Bonnie Moonshines, Nordic Outdoors & Springfields along with indirect bushie stands such as Wayfarer Foods.

Ben Orford turning a bowl with a Viking style lathe on the magazine's stand and...

...Perry McGee instructing my son in the art of making grass cordage.

Not sure if anyone else made both the ExCel & NEC shows but I wondered which was folks' favourite venue for seeing Outdoor Stuff?

The ExCel is close to me, easy to find, easy to navigate when inside and there's plenty of bars, cafés & restaurants outside the halls and a dedicated food area inside. On the down side the parking is dear (but cheaper than a train) and there was less bushcrafty stuff than the NEC.

The NEC also has easy parking (which is cheaper than The Excel...it's included in the ticket) and had much more Bushcrafty stuff. It is however a two hour car journey, there weren't many restaurants etc outside the halls and not much inside so The Excel edges it for me.

 

[John Fenna]

Too far, too expensive (even though I get free entry), too little of interest (despite my using it as a hunting ground for magazine review writing items), too crowded for comfort.
The NEC was close enough to warrant the effort - Excel is too far.