Ekka 2011 - A harsh assessment by a big fan of the Ekka
by Spencer Howson
Ken's self-described "rant":
Hello Spencer, I have been attending the Ekka for as long as i can remember, and apart from skipping it a few times in my twenties, I have been going every year, solidly for the last decade, often going twice. I loved the Ekka, it was a beautiful thing to go to, however, after attending this years Ekka today (Monday) I am considering not going back.
I enjoy the animals, the dogs, birds etc. The prizes, cakes, paintings etc. However, having gone on the Monday this year thinking that the crowds might be a bit less, we found that there was a massive amount of people within the RNA grounds, and for the first time, I thought there was too many people in there... there were often "crushes"... areas where you were jammed in amongst people and couldn't move, such as outside the arena near the channel 9 broadcast area, and inside the Fresh food pavillion. I really missed the second stage (used to be the Nova stage), the international food court, and the Shenzhen pavillion, all of which have vanished. But the elephant in the room (to make it even more crowded) is the "new" showbag pavillion. This oversized camping tent is the joke to end all jokes. One of my great joys with my family was to venture forth amongst the showbag pavillion, study the contents of the bags, visit the QLD Bulls stand, browse the book stands, and weave our way to the bag of the showbag pavillion before exiting weighed down with bags of all shapes and sizes.
What a difference a year makes. Upon entering the showbag marquee, you immediately begin sweating, because it is like a sauna. You are halfway through an isle when you notice there are ridiculous "One way" signs above you, which are routinely ignored by most, and when you go out of an exit after one isle, gasping for fresh air, you are barred from re-entering by a blue shirted gorilla on the door who tells you to go back around to the front entrance. After battling your way through sideshow alley, you again enter the sweltering pavillion, which bynow is a heaving mass of people, and the whole experience is one of sweaty befuddlement.
Usually I spend upwards of $100 at the showbag pavillion... this year I spent 0. I could not wait to get the hell out of the place. We returned a few hours later to see queues 30 or 40 long waiting to get into the pavillion, so we turned around and left. As this is the first stage of the so called "reimagining"of the RNA showgrounds, I think that the Ekka will soon be beyond my imagination. I felt this years Ekka was cramped, overcrowded and uncomfortable, and I am seriously re-eassessing whether or not to return next year. As the entry price increases, I think the value of the experience is diminishing. Why pay $25 to be pushed and shoved and made to feel like one of the many sheep that we see at the show?
I am weighing up in my mind which showbag to present to the people in the RNA responsible for the proposed redevelopment and the appalling new showbag pavillion... and I can't make my mind up between the ORIGINAL IDIOT showbag, or the MEGA MORON showbag. Perhaps both will suffice. Thanks for reading my rant. Ken
