[slackline]

Not open to the public this year...

The 2014 British Bouldering Championships will take place at The Climbing Works, the world's biggest indoor bouldering wall, about a mile away from Cliffhanger. The event will be closed to the public and will belive-streamed to the park and onto a Big Screen.

Couldn't find mention of it on The Climbing Works site.

[psychomansam]

Well that's fucking bollox isn't it!? How come? Funding issues?

[weakdave]

When is it?

[Duma]

21/22 June

[davej]

Will you be able to watch it live online??

[bigtuboflard]

Can I stand in the car park and look through the window?!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GraemeA]

Well that's fucking bollox isn't it!? How come? Funding issues?

Don't fucking moan here, write to the Council instead. It MIGHT do some good for next year.

[old cheese]

  arse, not going to cliffhanger then!

[Jaspersharpe]

What's the council's problem G?

[Grubes]

Hi Graeme

Not a moan but why is it closed to the public?
Has this been requested by cliffhanger in a hope people attend their event and it not become a rival event?

[gme]

Without sounding like i am having a go at the event, which i am not at all, how much hanging off cliffs now goes on at cliffhanger. A quick look at the website seems only to show a mobile climbing tower that you get at any country fair in the UK on any given Sunday.

My two kids are off to the scouts county camp this weekend and i would suggest that there is more climbing there than this event.

I would have thought the bouldering comp is kind of essential? Bit like going to a beer festival to find it 95% wine and cider.

[GraemeA]

Grubes - it is all about spectating space at The Works. We can fit about 250-300 in so to control stuff it is ticketed.

Tickets are available from the BMC https://webforms.thebmc.co.uk/competitions/british-bouldering-championships/british-bouldering-championships-2014-spectator-ticket

[GraemeA]

Jasper - it is all to do your professional colleagues at the Council. Last year the income fell below the ridiculously high estimate for ticket sales. So even though the event broke even (so I was told) in the eyes of the bean counters it 'lost' money due to failing to hit targets.

So budget cuts for this year - no money to build a big tent with a wall in it.

[Grubes]

Thanks for that graeme I read it as no spectators in the works at all from slacklines post I did not read the link

[slackline]

Thanks for that graeme I read it as no spectators in the works at all from slacklines post I did not read the link

The link I posted is exactly the text I quoted, neither mention tickets.

I was unaware of tickets being available on the BMC site as I didn't think to check there (only to check the Climbing Works site for more information and couldn't find anything there).

[GraemeA]

It's a BMC event so we let them work out what to do about ticketing and they only sent us the link today.

You could argue that it is not to Cliffhangers benefit to advertise that tickets are available in the hope that people will go to Cliffhanger, watch on the big screen and wander round the rest of the show and spend some dosh. Not me though 

[slackline]

If the Council weren't willing to stump up some cash for the tent and wall I wonder why the BMC didn't step in?  Obviously its cheaper to use per-existing facilities of The Works.



NB - My original intention in starting this thread was to simply make others aware that there is a change from previous years, not trying to criticise anyone or anything.

[GraemeA]

Hiring the tent and scaffold, building the wall, getting security for 2 weeks, shifting the mats (okay Danny and his white van are very cheap but still a few hundred quid), renting a PA etc etc costs upwards of £20k.

The Works gets the standard BMC payment for hosting a national event (£500 although it might be £500 a day I will check that one!!)

[account_inactive]

Just seen this thread...absolutely disgraceful of the council. Does the BMC not have any spare cash to throw at this? I'm sure the Works will do a great job but it seems unfair to put the pressure on them.

[wMickey]

Just to be clear, Sheffield council are the ones stumping up the £20k to host the competition?? The BMC pay them £500? For a national competition seems a bit unfair to expect only Sheffield to pay for it even if it is part of their summer festival.

[account_inactive]

Why? I'd rather my tax money goes on this than giving fat people gastric bands (or some other drain on resources).  It's the selling point of the whole 'Cliff Hanger' strap line....as Gav said there's barely any other climbing at the festival and it does get people through the door. I agree the BMC should stump up more than £500 (is that true?) but then they've never been able to put money forward to climbing comps very well and have little clue now that Graeme has left

[wMickey]

Well yer Dylan I agree, I also would like some of my tax money going towards it too but I'm assuming the council are paying for it mainly out of council tax and business rates rather than money coming from the central government (I might be totally wrong - I'm just assuming). My point is that a national event should be paid for by a body that represents the nation rather than a local council.

[account_inactive]

J'agree

[GraemeA]

You are confusing a national event run by a national body at a national event run by a City Council with something else 

The BMC runs the BBC, it finds a host venue, pays it a small sum (until very recently some venues charged, some didn't, now the BMC pays a flat fee) and then the BMC pays for everything else - setting, prize money, volunteers expenses, vests, webcasting etc.

By luck (or was it by pure genius) the BMC Comps Officer back in 2006/7 was able to get involved with the fledgling Cliffhanger and Sheffield City Council agreed to pay the venue costs (ie build the wall with all that that entails).

This was all hunky dory but then we had 2012. Cliifhanger cancelled but as BBC tent/wall was already built the BBC went ahead. Result = rather large loss for the Council as no income but £20k+ spent on tent etc.

Personally, I blame Maggie

[Oldmanmatt]

Then throw it open Graeme.
I have no clue how many walls there are in the UK but I know we could pitch in £100 or so (and we're tiny). Already do this in for the SW youth squad kit etc.

A National comp, of National importance, supported by the walls that benefit from the sport's increased profile?