Our open shows tend to be in sports halls; 8 rings and a few hundred dogs and exhibitors in an area about the size of 2 basketball courts!

> instead  allocated each exhibitor  a certain amount of floor space around the ringsides -

but this would need more space than benching, and would have to be under cover.  Only difference would be that the dogs would not be raised off the ground as they are on benches (so often ground is waterlogged or cold and wet) crates of all shapes and sizes, which exhibitors would not want cheek by jowl as benches are with just dividers.

Surely the best solution is a layout like Southern Counties, and less wholesale at other shows like Birmingham, Bath etc, where they  have benching adjacent to your part covered rings give or take, so it is easy to get from bench to ring, change dogs between classes and have dogs comfortably off the ground in crates on the bench, if needing the extra enclosure.

Perhaps bench sizes should be bigger to allow for standard size crates, and isles wide enough for grooming tables and chairs in front of each bench.

> I think some shows get benching right, I just don't like the ones miles away or in another building, did anyone go southern counties?
>

I agree with you re both southern counties (favourite layout of shows I go to since they changed it two or three years ago), and Houndshow which I love attending, but hate having to take crates as you can't use your benching when rings are outside and you have more than one dog (besides the benching is so far from rings I wouldn't like to leave a dog that long unattended.

To be of use and used benhes need to be within sight or at least sound of ringside.

> The only unbenched shows I've been to are open shows, and they're chaos. Getting across the hall to your ring is difficult to say the least when you just have a bag and your dog

One reason I attend very few Open shows these days especially in Small venues with wooden floors.

> the unbenched shows tend to be much more organised in terms of the size and location of the grooming areas. That being said, they also tend to draw a larger entry and are held at larger venues than UK open shows.

Yes as they are championship shows.  Open shows can barely afford the small venues they can find to use, and exhibitors would not be prepared to pay much more for Open show entries.