Dear Colleagues
Thank you very much for your insightful comments and posts this Summer, some of which
have been published in newsletters and Final Reports.
With the London 2011 Summer Events season now drawing to a close, and under final analysis,
I thought it might be an opportune moment to ask a few questions, concerning next year’s Season,
in order to establish the best needs and requirements of Exhibitors:-
1 . What do you see as the synergies between the three main London Fairs (Masterpiece, Olympia and Art Antiques London) ?
2 . What are your views on the timing of the three events?
3 . What were the highlights of the Show for you this summer, and how would you suggest they can be maintained, and even enhanced, next year?
4 . What do you think of the inclusion of the Modern, Contemporary, Design and Luxury goods elements to the fairs?
5. What would you suggest might create more of a ‘buzz’ around these elements at next year’s Fairs?
6. Which aspects of the Show, at which you participated, could be improved for next year?
As you are aware, the District Line at Olympia Station is facing possible closure. This could dramatically affect not only local businesses and residents,
but also every Exhibitor at Olympia. Would you, therefore, consider signing the Petition below?
We really appreciate all your help, support and most valuable contributions.
With best wishes,
Art, Antiques and Design Blog
Posted in: Uncategorized
Felix
July 20, 2011
Masterpiece London – Felix Marcilhac fondee en 1969
July 20, 2011 by Elliot Lee Leave a Comment (Edit)
http://www.marcilhacgalerie.com
Paris, le 8 Juillet 2011,
I have to say “Bravo” it was a very beautuifull fair, well organize, it is the next Maastricht !!!
I will propbably do it next year in different location if you accept me again after all I’m going to say . But for buisness many observations to make i’m afraid.
First the timing: after discussing with many other artdeaer on the fair, every said that it should be 2 weeks earlier, because clients are already in holliday, plus the windbledon game, etc…
Second, the floor plan is too complicated: people were lost, searching for the exit once the were at the end of the alleys. The Harry’s bar was very big and should not stop poeple from crossing from one side to the other.
Third, my location was not good : i want to be near the harry’s bar next year if I do it again, because where I was poeple stop walking and go back to the entrance with out pass true our stand. I want multiple choice next time.
Fourth, the advertissing seemed lacklustre I have to say : In london, when arriving from the eurostar, not one poster or flag or anything in the city annoncing the event ! Any taxi driver , never heard about a fair in the cheslea royal hospital. The logo is not expressive, anybody can understand what they going to see saying “the finest in the world”. It must have a picture with an objet or anything like BRAFA , MAASTRCHT or BIENNALE. It must say “the most beautifull piece of chinese, antique, decorative art, design…blablabla. so people they know what they are going to see and to buy! They should have flag in all the street near the chelsea royal hospital, annoncing the fair, so when they drive on King’s road or on the river side they can say “oh I m going there is a fair here !”
Fifth, the catalogue wasn’t quite good enough. Every good fair, and I ‘m sure the masterpiece fair will be the next maastricht event in the world, had is own “book”and not a catalogue. A real heavy book with 2 pages for each exhibitors so the can present propelly their gallery with a big picture and a long text and contact. See the Biennale book, the Brafa, the Maastricht… they all have fantastic book that collector use to keep. This time in masterpiece it was a “catalogue”.
Finally, the location… It is nothing to compare to Mayfair, it is an ‘empty people’ location so needs targeted and concentrated global advertising to encourage clients to visit. Nobody passes by. I know that it is complicated and that you need a large space for it , but we should in the future look to be more near the mayfair district or Berkley square. I hope these points are not seen as rude, I am purely sharing my observations with you based on my experience of fairs. These are the points I would address in time for next year if I were organizing such an incredible fair with such potential as you have here.
Best regards Félix Marcilhac JR.
Elliot Lee
July 20, 2011
I would like to suggest that the three fairs line up. Many of my clients simply did not come to London or preffered to go to Masterpiece this year in which case I missed them. I am sure that Patrons of June’s Art and Antiques Fairs, would like the opportunity to visit a selection of events during the course of the London season. I met some new clients at Olympia, and the visitor numbers were said to be up on last year. However, my takings were half of the previous year. This could be down to the economy, the obvious lack of advertising for the Summer Olympia, or indeed the fact that a good proportion of Summer Olympia Stalwarts had decided to give Masterpiece a try this year and their clients went with them, who knows?
The addition of a Modern and Contemporary section definately seemed to benefit the show and the area in which most dealerships were concentrated, seemed light, airy, and lovely to look at. Perhaps the Contemporary and Design dealers in the Show, would have far more of an idea of how to bring a ‘buzz’ to this new section and perhaps the Antique sections can learn something? There certainly needs to be a ‘buzz’ created in the Antiques area’s during the middle of the second week.
There was a distinct lack of American trade and American retail clientele. The USA clients are the backbone of many of the businesses that exhibit at Olympia and more has to be done to encourage them to consider the Summer Olympia a destination event, during the course of a year. The middle of the show was dead as a door nail, and the international evenings were not particulary worth being involved in. I was told that there would be 200 wealthy Chinese buyers which is why I gave it a go, the attendance suggested nothing of the sort and guests had to purchase their own drinks? Come on, we can do better than that!
Overall, my fair was satisfactory as I just about broke even. Yes the meterage costs were down on the previous year, but without such legendary dealers as Gordon Watson, Finch and Co and Pelham Galleries, I felt the show was in turn, as expensive as the previous year. There is definately much room for improvement but it seems a relatively stable foundation is now available to build and improve upon.
Elliot Lee (stand A21)
Michael James
July 20, 2011
Art antiques London was a very good well organised show in perhaps the best location of any of the Fairs in London . It was my first Show in London for four years and I was very surprised by the results by the end of the Fair. I sold my most expensive item which was oin the £100 K range and i shall definitely be going back next year. I would like to say that the Haughtons are to be commended on not only the hard work and attention to detail that went into Art Antiques London, but also the fact that I met many new clients.
Michael James
Michael James
Founder & Owner
The Silver Fund
http://www.thesilverfund.com
Celia
July 20, 2011
Celia Lendis – celialendis.com
June 28, 2011 by Elliot Lee Leave a Comment (Edit)
Submitted on 2011/06/28 at 11:37 am
This was our first year at Olympia and the experience was both less and more rewarding than I had expected. We were introducing work by a number of fairly high profile contemporary painters, but all unknown in London and so were hoping to be the ‘baby’ in the new Contemporary section – and contribute freshness to an audience largely brought by bigger galleries based in London.
This was not the case and we found that while the response to our work was fantastic, there was not the critical mass of contemporary or big name galleries at the Fair to bring in the audience we needed. While Mayoral Galleries had some big name artists, they did not have a local audience either. The audience that did attend seemed, for the most part, to be ‘regulars’ and old clients. There were some comments that the Fair began brightly and then seemed to disappear into the gloom as you headed towards the back end – maybe mixing the stands up might be worth considering?
We made good sales in the early days, but also feel that the Fair was too long. The programme of tours and lectures could have been much more substantial and we received many comments from local people that they had ‘stumbled’ on the Fair and had not known it was on. Our three large sales all went to people who could walk the paintings home to their houses. None of them had seen any local advertising. Why are banners not hung on the poles?
I appreciate that this Fair has had many issues over the last few years – none of which I was actually aware of until I arrived, so I am not sure that I should congratulate or praise the organisers for ‘improvements’. Rather, if I consider whether or not the Fair represented good value for money and met my expectations in terms of marketing, sales and raising public profile, then I am afraid that I am leaning towards a ‘no’. If I could put that same amount of money and effort into sales and raising profile that I paid to Olympia, then, sadly, I know I could have achieved a better outcome elsewhere.
Having said that, I am still excited about the idea of giving Olympia another year – but this time I will be looking far more carefully at the marketing strategy, commitment to securing contemporary galleries, advertising spend and planning for the event.
http://www.celialendis.com
Ofer
July 20, 2011
Dear Colleagues
This has been the first year we exhibited in Olympia and we were generally satisfied with the outcome.
Our Gallery deals with Modern Masters and we were part of the small section called “Olympia Contemporary”. I think that it is a great idea to try and bring more Modern and contemporary galleries to Olympia but I’m afraid that it wasn’t enough this year. The mix of new and old is exactly what people are looking for at the moment but the mix needs to be more balanced if the fair wants to attract a younger and newer crowd that don’t usually visits this fair.
In my opinion one of the main reasons for the lack of Modern and Contemporary Galleries is the length of the fair. Most fairs that target this market last for 4 to 5 days only including one weekend. I don’t see any reason why Olympia should be different. We experienced a very strong start of the fair including the preview day and the first weekend. After that, we had very few serious sales including the second weekend. Being away from the gallery for 11 days (plus set up and break down) is a huge disadvantage and I’m sure that many dealers who actually have a gallery will consider exhibiting in Olympia if the fair was shorter.
Best regards,
Ofer Gildor
http://www.gildensarts.com