IWA waterways festival

[Sue68]

I've heard there is no waterways festival this august, what has happened?

[DHutch]

Cost of living crisis, traders moving online, rise in insurance costs following the pandemic.

 

Broadly the bottom has fallen out of these very large events, its very hard to make them pay let along make a profit, and so the IWA is focusing on smaller and directly campaign related festivals. They have for instance bought back the trail boat festival. 

 

https://www.canalboat.co.uk/news/no-more-iwa-national-festival-6243814/

 

 

Daniel

[Tonka]

Just now, DHutch said:

Cost of living crisis, traders moving online, rise in insurance costs following the pandemic.

 

Broadly the bottom has fallen out of these very large events, its very hard to make them pay let along make a profit, and so the IWA is focusing on smaller and directly campaign related festivals. They have for instance bought back the trail boat festival. 

 

https://www.canalboat.co.uk/news/no-more-iwa-national-festival-6243814/

 

 

Daniel

That was what killed the National Rally but they have had a smaller summer festival for the last couple of years. I think last years was at Pelsall Junction

[dave moore]

I think that the last major IWA festival was at Watford, several years ago. The festival site was a little way away from the boats and was next to a park offering free attractions. I was there to offer painting workshops, a friend had a stand for his marine electrical business. There was very little public footfall for the whole time and my friend had no enquiries at all for his products and services. A significant loss was experienced, I understand, and this cast a shadow on future bid events.

[David Mack]

My understanding is that for some years before the Cassiobury Park National, those held in the South made a profit, but those in the North a loss - put down to the generally greater affluence in the south of the country. But by alternating Northern and Southern events IWA at least broke even over time.  As Dave says, Cassiobury was a southern event that made a whopping loss - I heard that the absence of free parking near the site significantly impacted visitor numbers. As a result IWA decided there would be no more centrally promoted 'National' events, but they would nominate one local branch-organised event for 'National' status and publicity (but no financial support from central funds). Pelsall was one such event last year, as was Worcester the year before.

So for an event to happen now it needs a local branch to come forward with a suitable site and willing to do all the organisation and take the financial risk.

Edited August 16, 2024 by David Mack

[DHutch]

1 hour ago, Tonka said:

That was what killed the National Rally but they have had a smaller summer festival for the last couple of years. I think last years was at Pelsall Junction

It appears the link I provided is from 2013, post Cassiobury Park, however I think broadly it is all part of the same sliding decline in such events being able to make money.

 

Traders don't get the sales or publicity value, because its all online, so will no longer bank roll such events.

The public are increasingly hard up, and have more an more access to smaller local free to attend events.

Costs for everything have sky rocketed, insurance, equipment hire, fuel for generators and transport, etc etc.

[Stroudwater1]

 

30 minutes ago, DHutch said:

It appears the link I provided is from 2013, post Cassiobury Park, however I think broadly it is all part of the same sliding decline in such events being able to make money.

 

Traders don't get the sales or publicity value, because its all online, so will no longer bank roll such events.

The public are increasingly hard up, and have more an more access to smaller local free to attend events.

Costs for everything have sky rocketed, insurance, equipment hire, fuel for generators and transport, etc etc.

 

In fairness the IWA Worcester rally was free for the public to attend, which felt a bit of a mistake, a couple of quid would probably not have affected the attendance too significantly. 

 

I suspect that something is going on in general with large scale events, the Great Dorset Steam fair  is not going ahead for the second time, possibly forever, and a number of others arent happening such as the Lincolnshire Steam and vintage rally  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-68362306#:~:text=The Lincolnshire Steam and Vintage Rally has been cancelled after,for the past two years".

 

It could  be public liability insurance cost thats a killer. Such a shame as these events generally raise much money for charities and good causes, quite a few for air ambulances. It would be ideal if this  cover could be underwritten in some way by central government.  Is central government that have altered legislation so that claims against public liability insurance have rocketed. I cant see that happening. 

 

[LEO]

Interesting one, I used to get involved with the Wendover Canal Festival.........it like may others ran into problems over venues.........the need for for parking, near canals, input by volunteers and the real problem........insurance. Costs rose to crazy levels, the Wendover event lost the field by the canal, and like all these events a run of bad weather totally undermines profit...... sadly the popular Ricky Festival was cancelled last year..

 

It reflects canals in general, I am selling my boat and leaving he canals after 49 years of boating, things have changed, now the use as places to live have increased and dominated, the interest in canal history has gone, boaters......Hmmm perhaps that should be residents are not interested in supporting events to raise funds for restoration ( CRT are not really interested in increasing their liability in maintaining the network).  It's a shame, but I don't think the canal related interest is there anymore...

[Sue68]

Shame. We used to do Little Venice, Wendover. Rickmansworth then head for the National. Lots of memories. We found the small festivals weren't worth going to. I think the last was Milton Keynes but I may be wrong, definitely on the GU.

[Tonka]

4 minutes ago, Sue68 said:

Shame. We used to do Little Venice, Wendover. Rickmansworth then head for the National. Lots of memories. We found the small festivals weren't worth going to. I think the last was Milton Keynes but I may be wrong, definitely on the GU.

There is a 2 day Festival at Whitchurch August bank holiday. Have a look at the IWA website

[Tim Lewis]

9 hours ago, Tonka said:

That was what killed the National Rally but they have had a smaller summer festival for the last couple of years. I think last years was at Pelsall Junction

 

The Pelsall festival (Of Water) was in 2023, there was not one last year.

 

Tim

[stagedamager]

1 minute ago, Tim Lewis said:

 

The Pelsall festival (Of Water) was in 2023, there was not one last year.

 

Tim

unless i've missed something...... 2023 was last year????

 

They were looking at Gallows playing fields in Ilkeston again for this years rally on the Erewash and approached the Erewash Canal Preservation and Development Association to seek local volunteers to fill all their major organising committee positions, which i feel is a bit strange for such an organisation as the IWA?

[Tim Lewis]

1 hour ago, stagedamager said:

unless i've missed something...... 2023 was last year????

 

They were looking at Gallows playing fields in Ilkeston again for this years rally on the Erewash and approached the Erewash Canal Preservation and Development Association to seek local volunteers to fill all their major organising committee positions, which i feel is a bit strange for such an organisation as the IWA?

 

My mistake, am getting ahead of myself!

[PeterScott]

Festivals-of-Water (2015-2023) were organised by a (volunteer) national committee (plus local volunteers) and the reason quoted for the absence in 2024 was the absence of volunteers for the national committee. Festivals-of-Water were smaller than the Nationals they replaced, and were free admisssion, avoiding lots-of-expense in fencing and securing large sites ...

 

 

Upper Lode lock River Severn heading for the Gloucester National in 1990

[David Schweizer]

When I started boating in the 1960's the annual IWA "National Festival" was called a Campaign Rally. From recollection they were not commercial fund  raising events, but events held in places intended to draw attention to the need for improved maintenance and more traffic. They were well attended by both boats and the public, but I do not recall any significant emphasis on traders. When did the emphasis change to "making a profit?"

[matty40s]

When the IWA forgot what they were created for and sold out to a cosy relationship with BW/CRT.

[dogless]

Edgy stuff 🤣

 

Rog