[MRCA] [MMRCG] Dayton Hamvention Signs 5-Year Contract with Greene County Expo Center

[Ray Fantini]

Xenia has some advantages, first you don’t have to deal with the traffic that was around the old Harr complex in the morning or driving thru the Hood. I always stayed over in Fairborn so it’s a small commute over to Trotwood. Yes have read much pissing and moaning about long lines and no parking but as a vendor always get to the venue before any signs of that and the drive in is not as bad as it used to be having to drive up the pot hole infested track that brought you into the tailgating lot at Harra.
Greene County did improvements to the site so you don’t have the ocean of mud that they had before. But not allowing overnight stays in the sale aria and the small size of the spaces can be a problem.
I have to buy two spaces in order to park the truck because my F-150 won’t fit in just one space, but had to do the same thing back at Harra.
The real issue is that in addition to the $140 for the space another $500 to $700 gets spent on the hotel, the cost of gas and of food it turns out that I am into the event for well over a grand  before I buy anything. 
But Xenia is the one place that I have sold almost everything I have brought to sell and that’s the only sale that I go to where people have huge amounts of money to spend. And I have purchased more bargains at prices that are a fraction of what’s involved with EBay or private sales.
Have to wonder how much longer if prices keep going up that I will be able to keep doing it?
Getting together and seeing everyone has a huge value along with playing with the radios but after this last show have to wonder what’s going on with that.
Last couple years have been evaluating lots of things, did stuff like un-subscribe from Millist being just that I was not where they were going. Not saying anything disparaging about them it’s just not going in the same direction that they are. And now am playing with the idea of dropping Dayton from the list, can’t imagine I won’t be there next year but beyond may be questionable. Closer shows like the one coming up in Gilbert allow camping on site at no cost and that’s a big plus.
Still Xenia is the big event of the year and it’s hard to dispute that.

Ray F/KA3EKH


-----Original Message-----
From: MMRCG at groups.io [mailto:MMRCG at groups.io] On Behalf Of Bob W9RAN via Groups.Io
Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2019 5:14 PM
To: MMRCG at groups.io
Subject: [MMRCG] Dayton Hamvention Signs 5-Year Contract with Greene County Expo Center

The Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) has signed a 5-year agreement to keep Dayton Hamvention^® at the Greene County Expo Center. 
The agreement was announced on September 9 by Hamvention General Chairman Jack Gerbs, WB8SCT.

"It has been a wonderful experience working with the Expo Center team in the development of this agreement," Gerbs said. "With the 5-year agreement signed, the Expo Center and Hamvention can move forward with additional enhancements to the facilities."

Dayton Amateur Radio Association President Ron Cramer, KD8ENJ, said the DARA Board, in approving the contract, noted that the relationship with the Expo Center and Greene County, the City of Xenia, and Xenia Township "has proven especially rewarding." Cramer said, "They all have worked hard to make Hamvention a success over the last 3 years. We look forward to a great relationship over the next 5 years and beyond." Hamvention's
2019 attendance was 32,472 -- the highest recorded since the move to the Exposition Center in Xenia in 2017, which was coordinated by Cramer, the Hamvention General Chairman in 2017 and 2018.

The largest Amateur Radio show in the US, Dayton Hamvention is held the third full weekend in May. The dates for 2020 are May 15 - 17.