[Towertalk] First day at Dayton - Attendance continues to slide

[K7LXC@aol.com]

In a message dated 5/18/02 6:22:44 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
Jim@ShawResources.com writes:

> Thanks for the update.  A thought re your comment that
>  
>  "The bad news is that the Hamvention continues its attendance slide."
>  
>  This is a trend, particularly since 9/11, seen in conventions/conferences 
in
>  the business world as well.  

    This is not a recent development and has been occurring at least since 
1996 - around the time when it changed from April to May. I have worked at a 
booth every year since 1995 and attendance is visibly down just by seeing how 
many people are in the aisles. Comments in talking to other people with 
Hamvention history and Dayton people have provided corroborating info. 

>  Many articles in the business press have
>  addressed the substantial downturn in the travel and convention/conference
>  industries which actually started several years ago.  

    This doesn't have anything to do with the decline in the amateur radio 
hobby in the US which has been a topic of discussion for more than 10 years. 

>  Speculation is that
>  part of the downturn is due to the growing effectiveness of the INTERNET at
>  facilitating information exchange (TowerTalk is an example).  

    There are LOTS of factors. 

>  While I suspect there are many other reasons contributing to the Dayton
>  attendance slide that are related the overall drop in active hams, I just
>  wanted to observe that the emergence of Internet forums may better meet 
some
>  of our needs because they are lower in cost, consume less time, and are 
more
>  readily accessible (e.g. I can get year round access to expert
>  advice/information via TowerTalk) vs. the once per year "drink from a fire
>  hose" approach of Dayton.

    Well, I don't know of anyone whose primary reason for going to Dayton is 
to go to the forums. 
>  
>  Of course, the Internet is not yet a substitute for physically seeing new
>  product offerings up close at discounted prices or for attending the flea
>  market.

    The Dayton Hamvention is the biggest BUYING hamfest in the world. People 
come to Dayton to BUY stuff...and they do. The president of US Tower attended 
the Hamvention for the first time last year and the interest, traffic, and 
selling just blew his mind. He was with Ham Radio Outlet folks and told me 
that he helped them "carry the money out to the car". 

    More gory details later. And the sun is shining today!!

Cheers,
Steve      K7LXC
TOWER TECH