Three-in-one show is a triumph

Jun 18 2007 By Graham Young, Birmingham Mail

ORGANISERS of the first three-in-one show at the NEC were celebrating its success today.

Despite some of the worst June weather in memory, visitors flocked to the combined BBC Gardeners' World Live, Good Homes Live and GoodFood Summer Festival shows, with coaches arriving from as far as north Yorkshire.

The total four-day attendance was expected to reach 130,000 - an anticipated increase of some 30 per cent on the last year's stand-alone Gardeners' World Live show, which this year was celebrating its 15th anniversary.

Celebrity chef James Martin admitted the treble showcase made it a large event to get round, but he thought it made perfect sense to combine the three main themes.

"Food and gardening is an obvious link," he said. "I've got my own 40 acres to grow produce in. I've been swapping tips with Alan Titchmarsh. And all the gardeners and chefs have been taking the mickey out of the home designers."

Marilyn Jarman, group marketing manager for BBC Haymarket Shows, said: "The whole concept has been very well received," she said.

"We'll make a decision about next year's event in a few weeks after we've sat down and studied all the focus group research we've done with exhibitors and visitors.

"Introducing the evening concerts with acts like Bjorn Again has been a big success.

"And, because the event was so big, we said that people could come back another day for just £10 and that was very popular, too."

Admission yesterday was £42 for families of four, with £8 parking on top. But business was still so brisk that some of the main concourse cashpoints shut down.