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Can we change the bookfair location?

bookworm | 26.10.2003 16:45

Thanks to everyone who put so much effort into the anarchist bookfair at the University of London this weekend but can we have it at another venue next year?

It doesn't need to be in central London - why not book a big hall in Haringey or Hackney or somewhere less posh with cheap food and nice boozers nearby - maybe even local people coming to have a look!

ULU was far too squashed and I'm sure we could get a venue just as cheap which had one big hall for the books with a bit more walking room.

Even if a hall in a working class area cost a bit more (and I doubt it) running the bar instead of having all the takings go to a student union would make £100s anyway.

You could even have it outside London! Ok, I know, I've gone too far now...

bookworm

Comments

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not that squashed

26.10.2003 18:13

It didn't seem any more crushed that the old location as far as I could tell.

I'd be pleased to see it located away from the centre for the sake of a better and or cheaper location but not having been involved in setting it up, I don't really know the deciding factors.

I guess relocating out of london you loose the benefit of being at a public transport hub - but it makes it disproportionately easy for southerners to get to.

Are there other comparable events in the north? Would Birmingham be a fair compromise (it's got a train and bus terminus, I think)?

If there's a public discussion online, maybe someone would post the details here?

bobby

ULU - no space to gather

27.10.2003 11:58

Each venue has its own drawbacks - none of them have been big enough but the disadvantage with ULU is its layout. There was nowhere to just mill about and meet people except on the landings of stairs. Meeting rooms nice and big. Given that the book stall rooms were as crowded as any other venue, maybe the disadvantages of ULU outweigh advantages??? Nonethelesss thanks to everyone who must have put in loads of effort to organise it, cheers.

yes

too squashed

27.10.2003 15:28

I agree, it seemed far more squashed than last year's venue.

I suggest return to last year's venue or something similar.

And last year we had Veggies serving the food.

ULU was a mistake.

But, needs to be somewhere central in London, else difficult to get to for those of us outside London.

keith

please find a new venue

28.10.2003 17:37

I agree, ULU was cramped & not pleasant - you will find that people will browse more & probably end up buying more if they can get to the stalls with ease & not get barged around every few seconds- for the many years I've been going to the fair (and been a stallholder for most of them) its always been the same, the reason was always that there's not enough space, so I welcomed the prospect of a bigger venue. However I feel splitting the stalls into two halls 3 floor apart was a bad idea, the general feeling I got from people was that the in-house catering sucked (overpriced & overpackaged crap) & everyone wanted to see veggies back again.

I know the organisers will get a lot of winges - as an event organiser myself I know how difficult it can be, personally I would be happier with a bigger venue somewhere not in the centre of London - which will be cheaper anyway. If anyone reading this has suggestions of alternative venues (afraid I don't have much knowledge of London indoor venues) then I'm sure it would be appreciated by the organisers.

If central London is preferred then 2 options spring to mind - Freinds meeting house, on Euston Rd -  http://www.quaker.org.uk/pubsetc/rooms.html

and the Westminster Central Hall - just opposite the belly of the beast!!
 http://www.c-h-w.com/roomhire/index.shtml

gnome