[CQ-Contest] Moving "Dayton" around - an idea...

[Roberts, Will]

Scott speaketh the truth...

For many years, the only hamfest that I have been to is Dayton. It has
nothing to do with where it is geographically. I don't like the city of
Dayton much at all, and the Hara Arena even less. It has everything to
do with the social aspects of seeing friends and many of the major
players in the worldwide contesting "industry" at a single gathering. In
real life, I go to several major telecom trade shows annually and I find
that the change of scene as they move from city to city is refreshing
and keeps things interesting. Why couldn't we do the same thing with a
"The Worldwide Contesting/DXing Trade Show & Family Reunion" (formerly
known as Dayton in May)? Perhaps the major contest clubs could step up
and organize a rotating annual gathering like they have with the WRTC.
The recent PVRC Contest University was a reported big hit. Add in a
couple more days of forums, vendors showing their latest gizmos, taking
in some D.C. sightseeing/nightlife and you have a Washington
Contestfest. I'm sure the W5s would have no trouble drawing a crowd to a
Contestfest held in New Orleans, for example. Perhaps with prior
planning, a large group of contesters could descend on an existing
hamfest in an interesting place like Florida or Las Vegas. We could also
piggyback a Contestfest in conjunction with the ARRL National
Convention. I can think of so many great places to visit, yet we all
head to Dayton every May like a bunch of grumbling lemmings. I want
variety...

73,

Will Roberts AA4NC    


>>>If the organizers really do care about keeping attendance up and
> > bucks flowing from contesters' and DXers' pockets into the vendors'
> > pockets, maybe they need to be a little more accommodating in the
> > assignment of meeting rooms next year.<<
> >
> > At root of this whole discussion is really this:  Dayton Hamvention
> > needs to ditch Hara Arena and move this national event to a
different
> > venue, in a different city.  Major shows like Comdex and NAMM change
> > cities every so often because it keeps the show fresh and gives
people
> > another reason to continue to attend each year.
> >
> > Each year, with rare exception, we see the post-Dayton handwringing
> > over show attendance dropping, sales flattening, venue issues,
> > organization issues - and yet THE thing that would revitalize the
show
> > is never considered - namely getting the show into a different venue
> > every third or fourth year, a venue that can or will accomodate the
> > entire needs of the show, the vendors, and the attendees.
> >
> > What kind of national trade show (and that's what Dayton is, a full
> > blown national trade show for amateur radio) blows the organization
of
> > the event to the point where forums of strong interest to the
community
> > involved have to be moved to an off-site hotel ballroom to
accomodate
> > the necessary crowd?  That's absolutely pathetic.
> >
> > Scott Robbins W4PA