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

[Joe Subich, K4IK]

> From: K7LXC@aol.com
> Sent: Saturday, May 18, 2002 10:44 AM
> To: Jim@shawresources.com; towertalk@contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [Towertalk] First day at Dayton - Attendance continues to
> slide
> 
> 
>     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. 
> 

Even 1996 is recent in the attendance slide at Dayton.  Having been 
there every year from 1970 through the mid-1990's (before the move 
south), the decline really started in the early to mid-1980's.  
It really matched the decline in amateur license growth and the 
move toward computers/the internet by younger persons interested 
in technology.  Couple the drift in technology, aging of the amateur
population, and rise of the internet as a source of information 
(e-mail groups like TowerTalk, etc.) and flea-market (eBay, etc.) 
the large general interest hamfest may be an endangered species.  

While there may be some new technology displayed by niche vendors, 
the big boys (Yaesu, Kenwood, Icom, TenTec, etc.) have not exactly 
set the world on their ear in the last few years (the technology 
changes have been evolutionary rather than revolutionary). 

However, with attendance down and hotel rooms easier to obtain, 
perhaps I will have a chance to get back to Dayton next year! 
The "reservations a year in advance" thing has been a serious 
problem for those of us who simply cannot plan that far in 
advance. 

73, 

   ... Joe, K4IK