Melbourne Model Expo 2010

The annual Melbourne Model Expo will run on the Queen's Birthday weekend on June 12,13, & 14 (Sat, Sun, Mon).




Venue is Sandown Entertainment Centre, Sandown Racecourse, Princes Highway, Springvale (enter from Princes Highway). For more details visit the Model Expo website, where you can fill in model entry forms electronically and print them out to bring along ready for entry and registration. You can also download a Model Expo Handbook in PDF format for all the relevant categories information plus lots more Model Expo stuff.

Model Expo website: www.modelexpo.com.au

Model Expo is a showcase for all types of static scale models primarily constructed from plastic. There are competitions, displays, demonstrations, traders selling kits, accessories, books and magazines and lots more. Melbourne's largest model kit Swap & Sell is also run on the Monday morning from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

There are many automotive modelling categories to enter, with awards and prizes to be won. This year the new Bill Hamer Award for Automotive Modelling Excellence will be up for grabs.

Full catering is available at the venue on all days, and there is plenty of free parking.

Assistance is also required from car modellers who want to learn more about the system of technical judging (i.e. judging to specified guidelines). This would take place on the Saturday night from around 5.30 p.m. onwards. A free pizza dinner is usually provided too. If anyone is interested in learning to judge just send me a PM.

Cheers,

Tezza

Seeing as I'm not entering any models, I wouldn't mind helping out with judging etc. HTH

I'd love to learn how to judge, but I can't make it this year.

Thanks guys. Paul you only have to turn up on Saturday to help out.


Tezza

Terry I'll be there this year I'm going to put my Unfinished scratchbuilt MV125 Agusta project on display Looking forward to meeting you and having a chat .

Sean

Could someone please tell me if a Display only model will still be accepted on the tables , I know the judged entries are closed not sure on Display stuff ? I don't want to get all the way there with the model only to be told I cant put it on the tables!!
I have tried to make contact through the expo website twice and not had a reply?

Sean

Sean I've sent you a PM about this. As far as I am aware there is usually one spare table set aside for display models, but things change constantly depending on trader's needs, etc. I've sent an email to the Expo secretary, and will post an answer as soon as I get one.

Ok Many thanks Terry I'll wait until I hear something .

Sean

Just bring it down Sean, they always put display models in the set categories from what I've seen over the years and they just don't judge it. They would be nuts to tell you they don't have room IMHO.

Paul wrote:Just bring it down Sean, they always put display models in the set categories from what I've seen over the years and they just don't judge it. They would be nuts to tell you they don't have room IMHO.

Yes I heard from the secretary last night they told me the same thing you've said here .
Thanks for all your help here guys!

Sean

If you are entering models in Model Expo this weekend (Queen's Birthday), model entry times are 5pm to 9pm Friday, and 9am to 12noon Saturday.

The Model Expo website has all the details including categories, entry fees, etc.

If you are visiting don't forget the huge model kit Swap & Sell on Monday morning from 10am to 12noon.

Cheers,

Tezza

tezza43 wrote:don't forget the huge model kit Swap & Sell on Monday morning from 10am to 12noon.

It's easy to find. Look for the door marked "broom cupboard"

Hey Fred, this year they managed to get two broom cupboards.

Seriously the area is 50% larger than last year's event area (thank God), but the lighting is crappy so watch out for pickpockets and kitnappers.


Tezza

Kitnappers

I won't be there but I hope all that are going have a great time and survive the swap & go mayhem relatively unbruised.

Thats a pity I was looking forward to meeting you Fred

Sean

You won't be missing much

Judging by the weather ATM i'd need to convert the zenmobile into a boat to get there anyway.

Well i went to view the work done by all here that entered along with others. I have to say i was very disappointed with the way that yet again the Competition Vehichles class was handled. All models no matter if it was OOB, enhanced or full on detail were clumped together. I was not an entrant so there is no sour grapes from my end, but when i 43rd scale almost curbside kit can win over a very details multi media kit that from what i could see was very well built something is terribly wrong. I am not sure what the thought process is of the judges, but i feel there has to be something done or entries will just keep dropping and for those who want to enter may think twice in the future and before we know it, this class will drop off. Just my on this.....

Thanks for your valued comments Shayne. Paul and I judged some but not all of the automotive categories, and unfortunately not the Competition Car category that you refer to. Someimes an observer subjectively looking at a model from the outside cannot easily see any hidden errors and flaws in its construction and finish.

In a technically judged competition the model is closely inspected by two judges, who are looking for flaws in construction, attention to detail, finish, reference material, and overall realism. Using these areas as a guide it is possible for a perfectly constructed and finished out of box model to defeat a heavily modified model. Why? Because the addition of extra after market parts and body mods alone does not guarantee the builder a win. It is the skill used to cleanly attach those extra parts and modifications that determines the outcome.

A model can have hundreds of extra parts on it and still be badly constructed and finished, as was the case in one of the categories Paul and I judged.

Although cumbersome the Model Expo judging system is fair and very detailed in all areas of inspection. If you saw most of the models at Expo, you may have noticed in the military diorama category, the huge German Dora rail gun to 1:35 scale. It was impressive at over one metre long, but it didn't win because it was poorly constructed and finished, yet many from the viewing public were asking why it didn't win over the smaller (but better finished) entries. So biggest isn't necessarily the best!

Unless you are a judge or prepared to have a go at judging, it is diffcult to accept some decisions because you cannot possibly know all of the circumstances behind those decisions without a detailed inspection of the model.

Just in closing, Frank Morgan and I had the honour of choosing a worthy winner for the new Bill Hamer award for automotive modelling excellence. We narrowed it to two models cars, both of which were equally super-detailed and finished flawlessly. How did we find the winner? The winning model (a Ferrari 250GT built by Steve Hansford) had etched after market parts that were so perfectly and cleanly attached to the model they seemed to be a natural part of the original kit. It was a mute point because both were excellently finished, but in the end it determined the winner.

I hope this helps to explain something about Expo's judging methods.

Paul thanks for your assistance on Saturday night. Your expertise was greatly appreciated by me.


Tezza

I won't get into discussion about Judging, I was also there , this is my first time at Melbourne Expo and I have to say I was very disappointed with the Automotive entries well lack of . Shayne is right if you guys don't support this class it will be dropped from the venue .
I had a very enjoyable but rushed day it would have been nice to have meet more of you Guys , was great to have finally meet you Terry, next time I attend I will be there as an Entrant and even a judge if they will allow and I'll make sure it won't be so rushed !!

Sean

So how was the swapmeet? Anybody get anything I was looking for?

As for the show, I prefer the NNL format where your peers choose based on what we like or whatever criteria we individually choose to use to vote for our choice.

Maybe next year, since there's no Country Cruise, I'll put some junk on the tables, I don't need 'em to be scrutinised as Tez has described, I build 'em for fun and if they make somebody visiting the expo smile, that's all the trophies I need.

Carps wrote:So how was the swapmeet? Anybody get anything I was looking for?

As for the show, I prefer the NNL format where your peers choose based on what we like or whatever criteria we individually choose to use to vote for our choice.

Maybe next year, since there's no Country Cruise, I'll put some junk on the tables, I don't need 'em to be scrutinised as Tez has described, I build 'em for fun and if they make somebody visiting the expo smile, that's all the trophies I need.

Well said Carps. Each to his own I say.

BTW there is a separate post for the 2010 Model Expo pics. Look further down in the Events topics (Pics Model Expo 2010).