My parking ticket arrived and the parking ticket said park in South, East or WEST car parks....how can that be?  I thought NEC didn't own the WEST car park any more..

I'm told they're leasing it for Crufts.

They don't, but presumably it will be like last year -they rent it back for Crufts.

Perhaps they lease it for larger events that require more carparking or perhaps terms were agreed in the sale however it was still in use last year for Crufts (I used it :-) )

OK thanks.
I can never decide which, if any, gets me any closer. All seem a long hike away.

The only thought that springs to kind with that car park is the memory of getting stuck in it for around 5 hrs last year!

thats because the silly powers that be want us all to be prisoned there till 4pm when some of us are in at 9am or earlier and have to wait 5/6 hours should we wish to go after our class
Cant see the sense myself??
i know lots WANT to make a day of it, but those who want to leave earlir should be able to do so, might make the traffic jams at leaving time lighter?

That's because the KC charge an entrance fee so you the exhibitor are part of what the public are paying to see.
So if you can go home when ever you choose the public wouldn't be very happy paying the entrance fee or at the level it is charged at
when most of the exhibits will not be there to see.

If you got your wish of going home when you choose, then the exhibitor would have to be charged more to cover the loss of revenue rom the fee paying public that come in and to cover the cost of all the halls etc.
as I'd expect for the KC it's a revenue that it can't afford to lose.

Having been both an exhibitor and a spectator I can see both sides of the debate :)
When I enter Crufts I know I'm signing up for an all day event and know that I can't leave til 4p.m. or later.
It's just something that you accept when entering Crufts, all other shows I can leave after my breed judging has been completed if I wish.

Cat exhibitors have the same issues when they show, they aren't allowed to leave until the show has finished.

>So if you can go home when ever you choose the public wouldn't be very happy paying the entrance fee or at the level it is charged at when most of the exhibits will not be there to see.

Now that there is Discover Dogs that premise doesn't hold water.

> all other shows I can leave after my breed judging has been completed if I wish

Even the ones where spectators pay an entry fee, so again ....

Cavalier bitches start at 8.30am!
I'm in the first class so will need to leave home at 4 am.....groannnnnnn!
At least the car parks won't be too full.

Tooolz, poor you. On the other hand I sometimes think the early start is better than the long wait if you are in the ring late but still have to leave quite early because of the traffic which builds on the M1 as the day progresses- oh how I hate that road.

I don't know if anyone else on here shared the experience but last year the issue was after the event had stopped. I think there had been an accident on the motorway and I don't think we got out of the car park until around 10 pm. The toilets had been locked, all parking personnel had disappeared and it was hard to get a sense if what was going on. There was also nowhere to get a hot drink or food. To be frank it has rather put me off ever going again by car.

Welshie, I rather agree. Crufts is first and foremost a premier dog show and I doubt exhibitors would mind too much if the size of the event was scaled down. The public have the option to see dogs at Discover Dogs which is a dedicated event for that purpose. I don't think exhibitors should be made to stay any longer than they would at any other champ show, after all it is arguable that it is not that great for the dogs.

I am first class in and also last class of the breed I am going down with a friend who lives half an hour north of me, traveling in my car with five corgis two trolleys cages bags tables rec, but we are staying at the Britannia royal court hotel at Coventry after we have shown we are not fighting our way up to Durham on a Thursday night thank you very much, sharing diesel and a twin room and the driving the hotel is roughly 20 30 mins away, twin room dinner and breakfast for 119 pounds and yes dogs are allowed in the room for no extra charge driving home Friday morning

Cat exhibitors have the same issues when they show, they aren't allowed to leave until the show has finished.

Which is 5 pm at all shows (in fact I know of one where it is 5.30), with the odd show being closed early at the show manager's discretion, usually if it is a hot day -"early" meaning 4 to 4.30 usually. I can't see the point at most cat shows as so few get any visitors at all, and cat shows aren't publicised. But Crufts, people are NOT coming to see just a couple of dogs of the breed they are interested in at DD, they come to see LOTS of them.  Last year was the first year my son did DD with us, he went round all the breeds, but he still wanted to go to the Golden Retriever rings as he could not even being to imagine 500 odd dogs of his favourite breed all in the same place.

Of course, the NEC is VERY expensive to hire, so they do need the visitors. For the Supreme Cat Show, it had to change to cheaper halls than the main 1 to 5 that Crufts uses, and even then the entry fee for one cat is £40.

Now that there is Discover Dogs that premise doesn't hold water.


The KC market Crufts as the largest dog show in the world so you will expect as a fee paying member of the public
to see lots of dogs. Not just the allotted 2-3 dogs max per breed booth at Discover Dogs and sometimes some of those breed booths are empty too
(yup have done DD too :) )

Even the ones where spectators pay an entry fee, so again ....
The entrance fees at these shows are only £5 for a visitor admission at general Champ shows, Crufts costs an adult £18 to get in.

If the KC sells all 6,000 tickets that their Crufts website says the arena holds at the lowest cost of £17.50 per seat
= £105K worth of revenue for BIS alone.

The website also states that there were 149500 visitors to Crufts if you say half of those were concession and half full price tickets.

74,750 x £18 (full price ticket fee weekday) = £1,345,500.00
74,750 x £14 (concession ticket weekday) = £1,046,500.00
Total gate takings potentially = £2,392,000.00

Obviously there are freebies entrance tickets and of course the KC have expenditure against the event.

They will not want to lose any revenue by lowering gate fee's.
They will argue that everyone knows when they enter their dogs (when you sign that entrance form) that you are required to stay til 4pm as you
are considered part of the show (whether it's liked or not).

So I guess the easiest solution is not to take our dogs if we don't want to stay until 4p.m. and if we do want to show at Crufts...
We accept that we have to be there til 4p.m.
It could be worse we could be expected to stay at all Champ shows where an admission fee is charged to the public.
At least it's only one show per year at present :)

>It could be worse we could be expected to stay at all Champ shows where an admission fee is charged to the public.

Many used to say exhibitors couldn't leave before noon. For Crufts I reckon 1pm would be fair.

>So I guess the easiest solution is not to take our dogs if we don't want to stay until 4p.m.

Which is what I decided. :-)

Yes me too Tooolz - splashed out on a guesthouse the night before though, and persuaded hubby to come and help too, don't suppose that'll work many years, but then unless I'm lucky and qualify Ellie again I won't need to worry haha!

Bit tricky with 4 dogs Lucy.

We're going to have 4 dogs, but with 3 of us (my friend is coming too) to keep them under control - if it's possible to keep Lottie under control, that is! :-p 4 dogs with 1 person would be a bit awkward - but that's the price you pay for having so many beautiful dogs! :-D

>But Crufts, people are NOT coming to see just a couple of dogs of the breed they are interested in at DD, they come to see LOTS of them.

Agreed, and many visitors who are perhaps researching the breeds will want to meet more breeders than at DD and they want to see the dogs moving and interacting with each other.

It is a bit of a pain to hang on but thankfully it's just this one show and I actually like the release of tension after judging when we can grab a chair, a coffee, and just sit with our dog/s and friends whilst we all do some relay shopping!  I tend to wait til 5pm at the earliest to leave as I appreciate a more relaxed exit :)

>That's because the KC charge an entrance fee so you the exhibitor are part of what the public are paying to see.

This is the same with a lot of animal shows.  I didn't mind staying until 6 at the 3 counties with the pigs because I knew the area well, and the drive home was easy.  I loathed Northampton Town show where, by the time we were told we could pack up the animals, it was another hour waiting in the traffic jam.  I stopped going for that reason, but it was the same at all shows where the public paid to get in.  Which is as it should be.

>many visitors who are perhaps researching the breeds will want to meet more breeders than at DD and they want to see the dogs moving and interacting with each other.

In most breeds the judging has finished well before 4pm and the dogs will all be back on their benches so 'the public' won't see any of that.

Hi Tooolz, was just wondering about West, as someone told me today that on their Crufts passes/paperwork it said they were not to use West car park, as they are keeping it for disabled only.  As my friend and I were planning to park in the West car park, we are not sure what to think now!  Hilda

Neither do I Sunbeams!

Not according to the schedule which states
Sorry edited to give a direct lnk to the full page Here

Yes, on the paperwork, which came with my passes it says that parking for exhibitors will be South, East or West. Please note that only a limited number of spaces are available in the west car park and it has only one exit so there may be delays in leaving.

Maybe this will clear up some confussion

Thank you!

I tend to wait til 5pm at the earliest to leave as I appreciate a more relaxed exit :-)

Me too! Might as well sit inside the NEC or do some shopping rather than being stuck in traffic. It's really nice and quiet then as well! :)