[CQ-Contest] old room for contest forum at Dayton

[Tom Frenaye]

 From what I understand, the major problem with the big forum room, once used for the Contest, DX and Antenna forums is that the huge sound-deadening black curtain isn't available any more.   That curtain was used to block off the room (now a big open space) from the exhibit area, and to divide it in two pieces for forum use.   A replacement curtain is estimated to cost something like $25,000.    That room was the largest one available for forums and it was often standing-room-only with 300-400 participants.   There is no other large forum area at the Hara Arena - and the nearby school auditorium that was used for a couple of years is not available any more.

And in reality, that forum room was noisy, you often heard the group in the adjacent room louder than the one you were attending, and the acoustics could drive anyone crazy.

I know the DARA organizers even spent some time working with the local Chamber of Commerce trying to locate alternative forum locations.  I think K1DG and K3LR made the right decision to move the Contest and Antenna forums to the Crown Plaza Hotel - in particular they should be congratulated for the great list of people they manage to talk into being on the program year after year!

Oh yes, I'm part of the group planning the ARRL presence at Dayton this year.  We will be using part of that old forum room - information about it is on the ARRL web site under ARRL EXPO --> http://www.arrl.org/announce/nc/2005/    The Expo area will have a variety of specialty booths and exhibits - hope you will stop in and check it all out.    You'll find that just about all ARRL Officers and all but a couple of Directors will be at Dayton this year - a chance to directly voice your opinion on whatever topics may come to mind.

I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of friends at Dayton!

               73 Tom/K1KI
               

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e-mail: k1ki at arrl.org   ARRL New England Division Director  http://www.arrl.org/
Tom Frenaye, K1KI, P O Box J, West Suffield CT 06093 Phone: 860-668-5444