Make way for another Super Show
Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 1:07 pm
SHOWDOWN: Rival Operator Bringing Second Show To City
BRIAN WOOD
11/03/2009 9:34:00 AM
THERE is a battle looming for show supremacy in Bathurst.
The Australasian Showmen’s Guild has declared war on the traditional Royal Bathurst Show.
It has decided to bring what it calls a “Super Show” to town and has booked the local showground for the three-day event from May 8-10.
For the past two years the Guild has been on the outer with the show society which has opted to award the running of sideshow alley to its major opposition, Newcastle-based OFA Showstar.
In fact, the stoush between the two organisations is also a family feud between brothers Lew (Showmen’s Guild) and Les’ breakaway OFA.
It was a fired up Lew Osborne who told the Western Advocate of his grand plans for Bathurst yesterday.
“We’re going to bring the real sideshow alley back,” he said.
“The show society doesn’t want us at their show, so we’ll go it alone. We’ve had talks with the Showground Trust who hire the showground and have an agreement in principle locked in for May 8-10.
“Losing Bathurst Show our schedule has left a large void to fill. The Guild feels it’s now time it came back to Bathurst to maintain the integrity of the show circuit for its members.
“Sure, we have shows at Orange, Coonamble, Warren, Cobar, Yeoval, Wellington, Gilgandra and Warren, but they aren’t big destinations whereas Bathurst is.”
Mr Osborne said they would be bringing more than $50 million in rides to Bathurst straight from the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
“Our Super Show will be something special,” he said. “Entry will be $5 at the gate or $10 a family. You can’t beat that. There will be none of this wrist band stuff either where you pay $65 to ride over a set period of time.
“If you want to go on a ride, you just pay for it, the way it used to be.”
Mr Osborne dismissed suggestions people had stayed away from this year’s show due to the tough economic times.
“Our show circuit started in January and we’ve been to 15 or more shows and we are finding NSW is holding up great,” he said. “Bathurst can scream it’s the economy’s fault, but the fact is we believe the local show people have destroyed the basic workings of a great event.”
Richard Fraser from the Bathurst Showground Trust confirmed an agreement in principle had been struck with the Showmen’s Guild to stage the breakaway event.
“We’re waiting for the formal documents to be signed, but as far as we are concerned it’s a goer,” he said.
“The Trust’s role is to earn an income ... from commercial operations and we’re doing just that.”
AND.......
Showstar not afraid
BRIAN WOOD
11/03/2009 9:36:00 AM
MOVES to bring a Super Show to the city have not fazed the operators of sideshow alley at the past two Royal Bathurst Shows.
Daniel Osborne from OFA Showstar yesterday said the Super Show move was nothing more than sour grapes from the Australasian Showmen’s Guild at missing the contract for Bathurst.
“The most important thing residents have to remember is that the show is there for all the community,” he said.
“It’s a showcase of what the community is all about.
“The fact the Guild is calling it a Super Show is misleading. It’s actually a super carnival to put bums on the seats of their rides.”
Britt Osborne from OFA Showstar said she has no idea on how the proposed May Super Show will go.
“It costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to put on a local show such as Bathurst,” she said.
“They [Showmen’s Guild] can keep entry costs down because they have nowhere near the same overheads as the show committee does.
“However, this is not about giving Bathurst another show. It’s all about trying to teach the show society a lesson for looking elsewhere and sending them broke.”
Mrs Osborne said there was no way the Bathurst community could support both events.
“I really ask the people of Bathurst not to support this venture,” she said. “It’s being put in place to destroy the show society. Residents should stay loyal to an event that has been part and parcel of the Bathurst community for more than a hundred years.”
Bathurst Show Society president Bruce Hickey said it was not up to them to get involved in what amounted to a family feud.
“In regard to the showmen, we are entitled to employ whoever we wish to supply the amusements as to what suits us best,” he said.
“Over the past two years we felt OFA provided the best option and were given the job as our preferred supplier.”
Mr Hickey said the show society had not decided who would provide the rides in 2010.
“The committee will make that decision in due course,” he said. “However, we will probably go out to tender to get expressions of interest from both parties before deciding what’s best for Bathurst.
“We have the same policy for most of our major suppliers, be it in the dining room or the bar. We want to give everyone who may be interested the chance to show what they can offer us.”
BRIAN WOOD
11/03/2009 9:34:00 AM
THERE is a battle looming for show supremacy in Bathurst.
The Australasian Showmen’s Guild has declared war on the traditional Royal Bathurst Show.
It has decided to bring what it calls a “Super Show” to town and has booked the local showground for the three-day event from May 8-10.
For the past two years the Guild has been on the outer with the show society which has opted to award the running of sideshow alley to its major opposition, Newcastle-based OFA Showstar.
In fact, the stoush between the two organisations is also a family feud between brothers Lew (Showmen’s Guild) and Les’ breakaway OFA.
It was a fired up Lew Osborne who told the Western Advocate of his grand plans for Bathurst yesterday.
“We’re going to bring the real sideshow alley back,” he said.
“The show society doesn’t want us at their show, so we’ll go it alone. We’ve had talks with the Showground Trust who hire the showground and have an agreement in principle locked in for May 8-10.
“Losing Bathurst Show our schedule has left a large void to fill. The Guild feels it’s now time it came back to Bathurst to maintain the integrity of the show circuit for its members.
“Sure, we have shows at Orange, Coonamble, Warren, Cobar, Yeoval, Wellington, Gilgandra and Warren, but they aren’t big destinations whereas Bathurst is.”
Mr Osborne said they would be bringing more than $50 million in rides to Bathurst straight from the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
“Our Super Show will be something special,” he said. “Entry will be $5 at the gate or $10 a family. You can’t beat that. There will be none of this wrist band stuff either where you pay $65 to ride over a set period of time.
“If you want to go on a ride, you just pay for it, the way it used to be.”
Mr Osborne dismissed suggestions people had stayed away from this year’s show due to the tough economic times.
“Our show circuit started in January and we’ve been to 15 or more shows and we are finding NSW is holding up great,” he said. “Bathurst can scream it’s the economy’s fault, but the fact is we believe the local show people have destroyed the basic workings of a great event.”
Richard Fraser from the Bathurst Showground Trust confirmed an agreement in principle had been struck with the Showmen’s Guild to stage the breakaway event.
“We’re waiting for the formal documents to be signed, but as far as we are concerned it’s a goer,” he said.
“The Trust’s role is to earn an income ... from commercial operations and we’re doing just that.”
AND.......
Showstar not afraid
BRIAN WOOD
11/03/2009 9:36:00 AM
MOVES to bring a Super Show to the city have not fazed the operators of sideshow alley at the past two Royal Bathurst Shows.
Daniel Osborne from OFA Showstar yesterday said the Super Show move was nothing more than sour grapes from the Australasian Showmen’s Guild at missing the contract for Bathurst.
“The most important thing residents have to remember is that the show is there for all the community,” he said.
“It’s a showcase of what the community is all about.
“The fact the Guild is calling it a Super Show is misleading. It’s actually a super carnival to put bums on the seats of their rides.”
Britt Osborne from OFA Showstar said she has no idea on how the proposed May Super Show will go.
“It costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to put on a local show such as Bathurst,” she said.
“They [Showmen’s Guild] can keep entry costs down because they have nowhere near the same overheads as the show committee does.
“However, this is not about giving Bathurst another show. It’s all about trying to teach the show society a lesson for looking elsewhere and sending them broke.”
Mrs Osborne said there was no way the Bathurst community could support both events.
“I really ask the people of Bathurst not to support this venture,” she said. “It’s being put in place to destroy the show society. Residents should stay loyal to an event that has been part and parcel of the Bathurst community for more than a hundred years.”
Bathurst Show Society president Bruce Hickey said it was not up to them to get involved in what amounted to a family feud.
“In regard to the showmen, we are entitled to employ whoever we wish to supply the amusements as to what suits us best,” he said.
“Over the past two years we felt OFA provided the best option and were given the job as our preferred supplier.”
Mr Hickey said the show society had not decided who would provide the rides in 2010.
“The committee will make that decision in due course,” he said. “However, we will probably go out to tender to get expressions of interest from both parties before deciding what’s best for Bathurst.
“We have the same policy for most of our major suppliers, be it in the dining room or the bar. We want to give everyone who may be interested the chance to show what they can offer us.”
