By Show Dragon
Firstly there has been quite a response to Choking the Dragon with several traders voicing their concerns over how the whole affair of Risk Assessments and the need for Public Liability Insurance in order to attend Scale ModelWorld has been handled by IPMS UK. As predicated this seems to have impacted the small foreign traders, who bring so much of interest and worth to the event, most severely. The bulk seem determined to attend this year, although there is much disquiet and there seems a very real possibility they will be much less prevalent next year unless change and/or more and better assistance is forthcoming. This is backed up by various traders making their views and situation known through the various mediums open to them, including websites, Facebook, etc. This led to further thought by Show Dragon about how the event is run and one cannot help but think that those IPMS members who devote and volunteer their time, and indeed a large part of their life, to ensuring it all happens must feel an inordinate amount of pressure, which must surely compromise their enjoyment of the whole weekend. This is undoubtedly down to the monster SMW has become both in terms of the size of the event and the ever growing administrative burden, which seems to require ever more time, planning, responsibility, specialist experience and knowledge. Is it possibly time for IPMS UK to think seriously about seeking professional help, at least in part, and finding an economic model that works for both parties? Doing such may be the only way SMW can continue to exist in its current form.
Secondly, let us all please appreciate and enjoy Scale ModelWorld for what it is, the biggest and best celebration and festival of scale plastic modelling in the world. Even though Show Dragon has been attending for years the sheer scale of it all catches even someone of Show Dragon’s experience and standing out every time. Despite two long days it is never enough time to view all the club and SIG displays, peruse the vast amount of both new and used kits for display, wander around the kit swap (at least twice, trying to determine what to keep in your hand, what to put back or what to swap), flick through the boxes and boxes of decals (both new and previously owned), rummage through the boxes of resin, etch and white metal enhancements, find that new paint which everyone is raving about and perusing books for hours as it is impossible to decide which to buy now and which later in the year. And even if you do manage to make a return visit to a trader there is that mystery of how and why you missed such an item, whether a bargain or something which has been sought for many years, first time around. And then there is that mad rush (orgy even) during the final hours of the show when you really must spend that money left in your pocket and are heading like an arrow knowing on what it will be spent until that inevitable diversion because someone has slashed their prices as they have no intention of taking it all home. Yes, Telford, the Nationals, Scale ModelWorld, call it by any of these names, is to be thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated by all and no doubt IPMS UK make it shine once again this year.