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Old 16 Jan 2017, 13:06 (Ref:3702930)   #12
bella
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Join Date: Dec 1998
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bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!bella is the undisputed Champion of the World!
back in the day one of the family companies used to exhibit at some of the classic car shows. it wasn't so much about getting new customers there and then, it was hosting a pretty car and handing out brochures and awareness. the internet wasn't so googlable (it's totally a word) back then, so getting something in potential clients hands and on their desk was an important part.

now i think it's still about that, particularly if you're selling something tangiable like pedals or gearboxes or that kind of thing, but it's mostly an off-season opportunity to catch up with contacts you wouldn't necessarily call up, and to see if there's any business opportunities, actual or potential. i think the word of mouth nature of motorsport employment and business is vastly underestimated, and that's why it survives when the public may see little use for it beyond an opportunity to see cars and collect posters.

on another note, and i'm not sure how to address this without perhaps using problematic terms, but travelling to and from and at the show i encountered a lot of people with various learning difficulties and different needs for whom it's clearly a very important event. i imagine attending races can sometimes be beyond comfort for a lot of fans, and the show gives them an opportunity to see and photograph cars in the flesh without the risk of being overwhelmed or unable to cope. it's far easier to get to the nec by public transport than it is to all of the circuits in the uk, so it's one of the few opportunities non-drivers get to be fully independant.

our sport has lots of different enthusiasts from different background and who get different things from it than we do and i think it's easy to forget that sometimes.
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