Shongweni Motor Show 2024 - Mr Clyde Lawrence rips off small businesses

If you're a vendor, watch out for this ****mer. Arts and crafts vendors were offered a spot in the market for R1000 for 3 days (Friday 19 July - Sunday 21 July). The space was advertised by a lady by the name of Diane Fismer, who says to have been hired by Clyde Lawrence ***ner of Shongweni Motor Show). As per emails received by Diane, the space was described as next to the event marquee, which was "Central to the motor show site". It is in fact NOT anywhere near central to the site, this craft market was stuck on the furtherest end of the site with no visibility and no signage behind a main marquee and a row of another marquees that hid the market. A big chunk of stall holders had zero sales and didn't bother returning on the Sunday to trade.

I emailed on Monday 15th July requesting information on the build up procedure - how to gain access, staff passes, parking instructions, etc etc. (note: to date, this information was never received) Diane rep**** to say I could set up on Friday (on the first day of trade) I advised that friday set up is impossible as it takes long to set up and that I need to set up the day before, that being Thursday 18th July. She responded that it was ok to set up on Thursday afternoon. On Thursday morning, the vendors received an email confirming their site number, no other information provided. On thursday afternoon I proceeded to the site to set up and was advised by Diane that I need to contact Brad on site regarding staff passes and any other information I needed. Brad's phone was off on every occasion that I called him. When asking other people on site where Brad was, nobody could tell me. The "security/access control" were also clueless.

Friday morning, myself and my staff member arrive for our 1st day of trade. What a shambles!!! The access control was non existant. I was still unable to get hold of Brad to answer my questions, phone went straight to voicemail. What was supposed to be the 1st day of trade (ie: public were allowed to enter) was still in fact a set up day. Note: this is a day that every single vendor has actually paid for to trade! Vehicles were allowed to drive in and out. Marquees were being dismantled and moved. Vendors were still setting up. There was a complete disregard for the safety of the public (including children). Again here, I voiced my concerns to Diane via whatsapp at 10.42am, these messages were ignored. Up until 3pm that afternoon the site was still "under contruction". Now it certainly doesn't take a genius to know that this was NOT safe for the public, but nobody seemed to care. This same day (Friday) I needed to exit the premises and return later in the afternoon. Again, still no word on how I was supposed to re-enter the expo. A "security guard" at the one gate advised me to just say my site number and I will be granted access (Very professional....note my sarcasm!) I returned to the event in the afternoon and things had gotten worse. The traffic jam at the gate to the farm was not manned so traffic was backing up. When I got to the gates, the various expo staff still had no idea where vendors needed to park. I was sent in one direction, when I drove to that specific gate, I was told I'm not allowed to park there. I advised the "security" that I'm just here to drop things off for my staff, I was then told I can "just drive in right to my stand". This "security" was actually directing me to drive through the very full food court where the public were eating!! (HOW!?!?) My staff on duty then brought to my attention that she was instructed to move her car, no idea why. She had to close the stand for almost half an hour as she had to move her car to the OTHER far side of the farm and had to walk back to her stand (quite a distance). After all the frustration of these events on the friday, with no answers from Diane, and no response from Brad, I messaged the Shongweni Motor Show facebook page to see whom else I could deal with. I was then given Clyde's number by their facebook adminastrator. I messaged Clyde on friday afternoon 3.15pm, but you guessed it, ALSO ignored!

On Saturday morning, now even more frustrated as yet again my staff were on the way to the venue with no instruction on where to park or how to gain access, I then complained on one of the facebook posts of The Shongweni Motor Show facebook page. Within minutes I was blocked. (Note: still nobody has bothered to address the various issues that have been raised telephonically/digitally at this stage) Upon arrival at the site, I was met with many vendors who were experiencing the same frustrations and complaints - zero sales, poor security, being stuck at the back where we aren't seen, poor communication, etc. Again I addressed the various issues with Diane via whatsapp. Diane personally came to my stall just after lunch time and explained that she has no control and she herself is waiting for answers from Brad/Clyde. Sadly this woman was used a front so that Brad/Clyde didn't have to deal with anyone. The day continued with the usual chaos, vehicles in and out as they pleased, vendors still setting up when they pleased, the electricity tripping and affecting the vendors (like the kids zone, whose inflatables were reliant on electricity). It was also brought to my attention by another vendor that when they arrived on site at 7am, that there was no security present, they just walked into the expo and to their stands without being stopped. Another vendor showed me the fence on the other side that had been cut and pulled open - vehicles were entering and exiting there, a make shift access point with no security. This made me nervous and I wanted to remove my stock that night, but yet again we were faced with the question of: How do we get our vehicles in at 5pm (when the market closes) whilst the rest of the expo still carries on (rugby and live music and food court open til late), as this is not safe for the public. I asked Diane, who yet again referred me to Brad, who yet again (you guessed it) ignored my communication. Around 3pm, some vendors had had enough and brought their vehicles in and packed up their displays and left for good, they did not return for the Sunday trade. Again here, no idea how vehicles were allowed into the expo to pack up when the public were still out and about. As we didn't receive official communication on how we were supposed to remove stock from our stands, I had to leave my stock at risk. I wasn't going to take the chance of knocking a pedestrian/child.

By the time Sunday came, you can bet I was so relieved to be finally done with this event. The same shenanigans happened on Sunday , cars in and out as they pleased, no sign/communication from Clyde, just nothing! 4pm closing time couldn't have come sooner!

So allow me to quickly recap, over 60 vendors at R1000 each = R60 000 in their back pockets. Vendors were **** to about their location of their stands. Vendors were left to fend for themselves and figure things out by themselves. Vendors were left with unreliable electricity. But who cares about these small businesses right?? As long as Mr Clyde Lawrence secured his R60k+, why should he give 2 hoots about these small businesses? OH, PS: the 4mx4m marquee that was broken down and moved out of the craft market on the friday that I mentioned earlier, was actually the site for Clyde's daughter. Amazing how family members can be moved out of the **** location of the market, but the rest of us were just ignored.

If you're a vendor, AVOID this event and this awful man at all costs!