It is 25 years since the first show was staged, the 2010 event on October 20th & 21st at Newbury will be the great celebration!
In 1984, following 16 years of successfully publishing the annual Showman’s Directory, Stephen & Jean Lance
organised an event they called ‘The Showman’s Directory Comes to Life’ at the Newark Showground; there were
no more than 80 exhibitors and around 750 visitors attended. The Show grew and quickly became known as ‘The
Showman’s Show’. Initially it was held biennially and at different venues around the country but thanks, in part, to
the general and rapid expansion of the Event Industry, in 1993 the show settled to become an established and
annual event held at the Newbury Showground.
One of the greatest attributes of this event is that it offers unrestricted scope in the way exhibitors are able promote
themselves; huge stages, screens and multi-level structures can be erected, roadway laid and entertainment
performed in an environment in which they are likely to be used; the sky is the limit!
From its small beginnings in 1984 The Showman’s Show has evolved to become an event that attracts over 350
exhibitors and in excess of 4,500 visitors over two days and shows no signs of slowing down 25 years from its
conception. Each year suppliers apply for space as they realise that this is an exhibition that they should attend in
order to secure new leads into the events market. A visitor need not look further to ensure their event’s success; it
provides a stimulating and buzzy one-stop-shop for organisers of events large or small.
