Sportsman Show March 14th 08

[CdnWrangler]

What a freaking joke...

Traffic was a cluster if there ever was one... there were no police directing traffic (busy protecting Timmy Ho's). The southbound lanes on 75th street were backed up from the Agricom, north over the Yellowhead overpass.

I moved 300 feet in 30 minutes and was probably another hour before getting to the entrance gates. One vehicle was making it through the lights at 118 Ave approximately every 4 to 5 light changes...

I heard the line-ups inside to purchase tickets were as bad as the traffic outside. People were lined up through the building and out the doors!

Hence, they did not get my money this year....

One must wonder if some much needed organization and forethought might be in store for next year.

 

[Mtn-guy]

You mean you did not want to wait in line so you could pay $10 for parking and another $14 to get in to buy something. I get so mad but I end up going to these things too, I know it is nice they are all in one place but still bugs me............Ahhhhh that feels better now that I got that off my chance.

 

[catmando]

Well I went as well and the line ups once you got off the street were more insane than the ones on the road.The Line up to buy tickets had to be a mile long.It was right out the doors as the picture shows and then it goes into the Agricom and winds its way through the arena and zig zags back towards the ticket booth.I'm not kidding when I say a mile long!The show was OK but I wont be back.From the intersection at the colisiem to when i walked in the show was over 75 minutes.Well set up once you got in!
catmando!

 

[Lococoin]

what time did you go?

 

[Bruteskeg]

me and a buddy whent at like 7pm last night never thought it was too bad, was busy inside buyt the wait for tickets and parking wear not that bad.

 

[CdnWrangler]

The money is not the issue..... its sitting in traffic for much to long (some of Edmonton's finest could have directed traffic.... hell, I'd even bought them donuts...) then waiting to purchase tickets...

Two of my brothers inlaw where at the Agricom... waiting in line. They were inside the building before I left home. After I'd been on the road for 45 minutes, they had still not reached the ticket counter.

We spoke via cellular and they were going to grab a ticket for me.... when I realized it was going to take me another hour to reach the entrance gates, I asked them skip the ticket (They had still not made it to the ticket counter)

I turned the truck around.... & headed home...

You mean you did not want to wait in line so you could pay $10 for parking and another $14 to get in to buy something. I get so mad but I end up going to these things too, I know it is nice they are all in one place but still bugs me............Ahhhhh that feels better now that I got that off my chance.

 

[CdnWrangler]

I was sitting in traffic at noon...

what time did you go?

 

[CdnWrangler]

Yup, that's the type of line-up they were talking about....

Well I went as well and the line ups once you got off the street were more insane than the ones on the road.The Line up to buy tickets had to be a mile long.It was right out the doors as the picture shows and then it goes into the Agricom and winds its way through the arena and zig zags back towards the ticket booth.I'm not kidding when I say a mile long!The show was OK but I wont be back.From the intersection at the colisiem to when i walked in the show was over 75 minutes.Well set up once you got in!
catmando!

 

[bigdawg]

Wrangler U seen to be worked up, you better sit back and and then a couple of and then for bed see if you can LOL

 

[Caper11]

I wanted to get in this year but I'm on call this weekend, With the long wait and traffic I'm glad I didn't get to go.

 

[CdnWrangler]

Hey.... BigDawg.... no beer.... (beer and I have agreed to disagree on everything since high school grad... but then Gibson's Finest, (25 year old) with or without chaser... mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

No... not worked up just venting... a wee bit...

Wrangler U seen to be worked up, you better sit back and and then a couple of and then for bed see if you can LOL

 

[bigdawg]

Im with you wrangler id be lucky to drink a case of beer a year, im a crown or gibsons man myself.

 

[BIGFOOT]

Im with you wrangler id be lucky to drink a case of beer a year, im a crown or gibsons man myself.

Me also !!! But Not the Crown so much ! ...This got nothing to do with the Sportsman show !

 

[bigdawg]

BigFoot is that why its been taking so long to drill the holes up there?

 

[snotterite]

This post is about the sportsman show. Not about booze. Now cut it out.
BAWAHABAWAWAWAWABAHAHAWAWAHAWAHAWHAWBAWAAAA

 

[plumbum]

just so you know. the exhibitors have the same headaches as you guys do. northlands better get it figured out because peoplea re eventually going to stop going. i myself have turned around and left when exhibiting. i waited once for 45 minutes to get within a half hour of the gate and then said screw it. i dont want to make money that bad. now i have a better idea. next year i will make brochures and just walk around the line ups handing out flyers and cards. save myself a couple of grand and less headaches.

 

[CdnWrangler]

I hope you and your fellow exhibitors gave Northlands a piece of your mind... about improving the event.... With all the gates into that place and all the potential parking pace.... there should be no problems. The east gates should easily handle 180 vehicles per hour.

With respect to line-ups for tickets.... they should opened both sets of doors (northeast & southeast), selling tickets at both entrances via multiple booths.....

Now Northlands could say they did not now how many people would show up.... but when you have a 6 to 8" snowfall the night before.... guess what.... duh!

It is easier and much better for business to have extra sales people come in and send them home if not required (after paying the 4 hour call-out) than to have thousands of pissed off people....

If they tick-off enough people it maybe years before these same people come back again.


On a side note; what do you sell plumbum??

just so you know. the exhibitors have the same headaches as you guys do. northlands better get it figured out because peoplea re eventually going to stop going. i myself have turned around and left when exhibiting. i waited once for 45 minutes to get within a half hour of the gate and then said screw it. i dont want to make money that bad. now i have a better idea. next year i will make brochures and just walk around the line ups handing out flyers and cards. save myself a couple of grand and less headaches.

 

[dragonlady]

me and a buddy whent at like 7pm last night never thought it was too bad, was busy inside buyt the wait for tickets and parking wear not that bad.

I as well, Went there with some buddies, $5, parking, $10 to get in,[ walked right up] got there aroung 6pm last nite. Bought two knives munched on a hotdog, got new maps and that was it. It was ok. Just depends on what time of day you go. All in all it was ok.

 

[plumbum]

i do plumbing heating and air conditioning. i was going to advertise on this site but havent gottten much good feedback, so i am waiting to see. i may do a 1 month thing to try it out. not sure though.

 

[Zar]

Ya the line up was brutal on Saturday. The line moved quickly at 11:30 but when we left at 2:00 PM the line up ( waiting to get in) was insane - just view Catmando's picture and that doesn't do it justice. I waited in line with my 3 yr old son and wife at 11:30 and it moved Okay - but I was worried that one of us would lose patience and give up the $10 parking and bolt for home. I have been going to the B&S show for years and I don't recall it being that busy. I think that the weather ( being dim ) made it the " Thing to do" on a Saturday. The show was good once you made it in. I am not a big boat guy but man their was some fine boats on display. Nice $92 grand Corvette Malibu boat. Good display of ATV's and antique gun display but it seems that fishiing lodges were less . Must be too expensive to be in the show. I think Northlands made a bundle this past weekend. My son loved the show - Too many quads for him to try out.