The Unsung Heroes of the HiFi Show

Last weekend, me, Lin, and a whole load of Team PiG had the pleasure of attending the North West Audio Show at Cranage. As ever, it was a fabulous celebration of music, audio, and the people who make this world of audio so wonderful. These events are more than just a collection of rooms filled with fancy speakers and amps – they’re a celebration of community spirit, music, laughs, and so much more. And it struck me, as we wandered the corridors and spoke with friends and new people, that while there’s often talk about the gear on display or the brands in attendance, the true heroes of these shows are so often unsung.

Let’s start with the exhibitors, because without them, there is no show. These folks spend weeks, sometimes months, preparing. It’s not just a matter of boxing up some kit and popping it in the back of a van. There’s careful consideration about what to bring, what will work best in a small hotel room, what music to play, and how to create an environment that feels inviting and sounds the way it should. Many of these companies come from across the country or even further afield, sometimes travelling hundreds or thousands of miles to make it to the show. And some of these guys are doing this week in, week out as they travel from one show to the other. I don’t know how some folk do this as they seem to be forever boarding a plane to a new destination somewhere in the world – I guess their Air Miles accounts are pretty healthy, mind.

They arrive early, usually a day or two before the doors open to the public, and that’s when the real work begins. Let’s be honest, hotel rooms aren’t designed for optimum acoustics. So, these exhibitors move furniture, tweak placement, sort cables, troubleshoot hums, buzzes, and gremlins. They get the sound sorted in as best they can, in spaces that weren’t designed to showcase high-end gear, or any kind of audio gear, for that matter.  Then, for two full days, they’ll be on their feet, often with no breaks, fielding question after question and dealing with issues like WiFi dropouts, broken amps – you get the picture. And when it’s all over? They pack it all up again, sometimes very late at night or into the early hours, and hit the road for another long journey home or to the next event. It’s exhausting and it’s physically demanding. Certainly, as I approach a significant birthday, I know it’s not something I’d want to be doing, though we cover our fair share of shows around the world.

Then there’s the hotel staff. Shows like the North West Audio Show take over entire venues. Hotel rooms become demo spaces, public areas become exhibition stand areas, and the bar becomes a hub for chatter and banter – some audio-related and some not so much. Behind the scenes, a team of staff ensures rooms are clean, ready, and functional for the exhibitors and folk stopping at the venue. They coordinate check-ins, deal with endless questions, respond to last-minute changes and problems, and make sure there’s enough food and drink to keep visitors and exhibitors sorted throughout the weekend. It’s a massive operation, and without their diligence and calm under pressure, the show would fall apart before the first note is played. 

But even above all that, perhaps one of the most underappreciated roles is that of the organisers. Events like these don’t just pop into existence overnight. They are often the result of an entire year’s worth of planning. Booking the venue, coordinating with brands, drawing floor plans, advertising, sorting out WiFi and signage, arranging insurance, licenses, health and safety gubbins. Then, in the days leading up to the event, there’s a whirlwind of activity in making sure exhibitors have what they need, handling late arrivals, managing set-up logistics, signage printing, car park access, badges, banners, coffee, and printing the show guide. And rest assured, each one of these holds the very real potential to go wrong, and if just one of these cards falls, it creates the potential for the whole house of cards to come tumbling to the ground with disastrous consequences. And once the show opens? They’re often the first ones in and the last ones out, solving problems, keeping the wheels turning, and somehow still finding time to greet visitors with a warm smile.

And let’s not forget the folks you might see directing you through the corridors, handing out guides, or managing the car park in the rain. The temporary staff, friends and family of organisers, volunteers, and helpers who all pitch in to make the event run smoothly. These people are absolutely vital to the success of the show.

Live music is becoming more common at HiFi shows, and rightly so; this is all about the love of sound and music, after all. The musicians who perform during these events bring something special to the proceedings: a reminder of what all this equipment is for. They turn lobbies and lounges into stages and reconnect us with the emotional thing that draws us into this hobby in the first place. They, too, are setting up, sound-checking, and giving their all. Their contribution is the heartbeat of the show. 

And finally, perhaps the most important group of all, are the visitors. The people who took time out of their weekend to come and walk around the show, speak to exhibitors, listen, learn, and most importantly, care. Without the public’s interest and enthusiasm, none of this would exist. Some people travel a fair old distance to attend, some even make a holiday of it. But whether you popped by for the afternoon or made a weekend of it, you’re a crucial part of this beautiful, chaotic, and very human ecosystem.

It’s easy to walk through a HiFi show and just see the shiny boxes and new tech. But if you stop for a second and look a little deeper, you’ll see a vast network of effort, commitment, and love that goes into making it all happen. So, here’s to the unsung heroes: the exhibitors, the hotel staff, the organisers, the helpers, the musicians, and the public. Without you, there would be no music-filled corridors, no chance encounters, no shared moments of “wow, did you hear that?” You are ALL what makes the HiFi community so vibrant and alive.

Thank you.

Stuart Smith

What do you think about the organisation that goes into a well-run audio show? Join the conversation over on our socials.

Read more Sunday Morning Thoughts