EXHIBITION OR SHOW?
Page 9
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By "The Inspector."
IHAVE COME back from the French Show very much impressed with the idea that a very great deal might be done to improve the attractiveness of motor -exhibitions or shows, as we know them nowadays. As a matter of fact, I am inclined to the view that displays -of this kind were a great deal more interesting 10 or 15 years ago than they are now, principally because the individual exhibits disclosed infinitely more variety than is to be discovered in the modern .exhibition.
A very great deal depends, of course, upon the relative desirability of attracting visitors who are solely interested from the trade or agency point of view, or, alternatively, of making a bid for big gates of the general public. If the only object is to assemble, for inspection by traders, the very latest things that will shortly be upon the market, it surely does not much matter whether the Show is otherwise attractive or not. Artistic sign displays and side attractions will hardly draw any increased attendance. The " trade " will be there, whether signs are standardized or not. But it seems to me that the day has not yet arrived when the ordinary public attendance should be lightly disregarded. For, after all, it is the public that. ultimately ately makes up its mind and that, sooner or later, fills the sales books, Whether of agents or manufacturers.
On the whole, therefore, there seems to be every case for making our motor shows as attractive as possible. And once that decision has been taken, it should be a very easy matter indeed to effect a great stride forward over either 'our own efforts hitherto or those of the French or American authorities. First of all, I would, once again, urge that no hasty decision be made as to the desirability of standardizing show signs. We are all.just a wee bit inclined to assume that standardization in all things must, of itself, be good. Standardization is a -lucky word to play with just now. It so easily soils off the tongue of all those who dabble in production, professionally or as amateurs. Many of us strive for reputation by its repetition, as we used to by our learned talk of crystallization of steel when we knew nothing actually of metallurgical fatigue and its actual physical effects.
It will do no harm to repeat some criticisms, that have already been made in these ,00lumns, of the effect that is actually achieved by standardizing show signs, ,particularly and definitely revealed at the recent French Salon. To the ordinary visitor, not tarred with the trade brush, all sta,nds look alike in such circumstances, and a very special and rather unfair advantage accrues therefore on account of central position. Viewed from the ranks of the visiting crowd, it is almost impossible to visualize quickly any particular display. Lancia looks very generally like 1.)elage, Renault like Darracq. Monotony, that dread factor in such display, very, very soon bores.those who have come to read, Mark, learn and inwardly digest. Gone is the advantage accruing to those exhibitors who, year after year, have displayed the smile taste and choice of decorative effect. No exhibitor is even allowed to benefit by the goodwill of his owe special trade mark or of the way in which he writes his name. All the mnemonic effect of diversified stand decoration is sacrificed for a fancied new art school aPcollective decoration, in which very few of thelsvisitors are at all interested, I always knew, in the3old.days, that I should have no difficulty in discovering the Napier stand, or the Daimler or the Rolls, and that I should carry away with me a photographic impression in my brain of the displays of which such signs were part. Not so nowadays. I shall not know one end of the Show from the other and I shall have to read dozens of names to discover the one I want.
As for general effect, I contend that there is a far brighter and gayer ensemble to be achieved by a miscellaneous collection of signs and lighting effects, that actually adds to the attractiveness of a show. It is most certainly to be hoped that those who are responsible for our own big exhibitions will not blindly vote for standardization. Nothing of the sort is attempted at great international exhibitions, with obvious. resulting advantages.
Then, again, would it not be an excellent idea to encourage the display of methods of making the hundred-and-one things that go to make up a motor vehicle? Would it not be advantageous, for instance, to show high-class bodywork being put together from the machined pieces? Might not a high-sped example of woodworking .machinery be included ? I would also have a-stand showing the making of ignition plugs, and, perhaps2 another showingkhe assembling of magnetos. A high-speed semi-automatic ma&Me tool turning out repetition parts for chassis would be an object-lesson of immense value.
All this kind of thing would not only have great eduCational value, but should go a long way towards demonstrating what costs so much money in the production of modern chassis. An exhibition, going so much further than the monotonous staging of so many. radically similar machines, would achieve great eminence in comparison ;with the more conventional displays so far contrived.
What an opportunity, too, lies ready to hand in the organization, with the co-operation of the competent military authorities, maybe, of a special display of our industry's show in fighting the Hun. Something of this kind was very poorly attempted as a side show at Paris. We might stage, with a little cleverness, examples of travelling motor kitchens, photographic wagons, bomb carriers, telephone wagons, workshop units, surgical wagons, dental wagons, bacteriological wagons, disinfecting wagons mobile laundry and bath outfits, sterilizing wagons, wagons, outfits, and so on and so on. Then as the centre piece of all, why not iisclude as a tribute to the British commercial-vehicle irraustry which evolved it, an example of the British Tankâwith photographs, if there were room enough, of all its inventors.
All this might require more room than Olympia would afford. It might best be done as the first postwar Commercial Vehicle Show. But a displae of this kind would be educational and would give our foreign competitors quite a lot to think about and our overseas customers grounds for renewed confidence. A commercial-vehicle show can, in the nature of things, .possess more variety than a pleasure-car show. Any-. thing much more unpleasant and less gratifying to the ordinary public than Olympia, choked full of nearly identical touring cars. I can hardly imagine, unless it be the Agricultural Hall full of bicycles