[SFDXA] HAMVENTION HOPES TO CALL HARA ARENA HOME A WHILE LONGER

[Bill Marx]

>From the ARRL List:
- Bill W2CQ


HAMVENTION HOPES TO CALL HARA ARENA HOME A WHILE LONGER

Although 2003 marks the last year of a five-year contract to hold
Hamvention at Hara Arena, organizers hope to keep the show there for the
indefinite future. Rumors crop up each year--and this has been no
exception--that this year's event will be the last to take place at the
venerable venue near Dayton, Ohio, that's served as Hamvention's home
since 1964. Negotiations on a new contract to retain Hara for future shows
remain in the offing. Billed as "the world's largest Amateur Radio
gathering and trade show," Hamvention 2003 takes place May 16-18.

"We haven't made any decisions yet," Hamvention Production Manager Garry
Matthews, KB8GOL, said this week. "We want to get this year's show under
our belt and then renegotiate the contract." At the same time, Matthews
said, there are no plans to go elsewhere, nor is Hamvention under any
threat or pressure to relocate. "There's nothing planned to move," he
said. "But," he conceded, "we've looked at alternative locations in case
something happens. Anything could happen to Hara."

Matthews says the sponsoring Dayton Amateur Radio Association has explored
several other possible locations for Hamvention, which has quietly dropped
"Dayton" from the show's official name. Matthews says no other site in the
Greater Dayton area will serve the purpose that Hara does. "None of the
other venues will support the show at its current size," he said.

Speaking of size, Hamvention reported that attendance for last year's 50th
anniversary event was 24,832--down about 5 percent from 2001's crowd of
26,151. 2002 marked the second year in a row that Hamvention's attendance
had dipped.

Attendance climbed to 28,804 in 2000, the year of the ARRL National
Convention at Dayton. Matthews has said that any crowd larger than 28,000
starts to push the envelope as far as Hara Arena is concerned--especially
the human comfort factor. Hamvention attendance peaked in 1993 at
33,669--before the event date changed from April to May.

As for continued use of Hara Arena, Matthews points out that the building
has never been sold, is not for sale now and never has been. As for a new
contract with Hara? "We'll evaluate the show after June 1, and we hope to
improve some things," he said, without revealing any details.

In the meantime, he's pouring his energy into the arrangements for this
year's show, but, he reports, things have been slower to come together in
terms of advance sales to visitors and vendors.  "If we go to war, people
might not want to travel," he said. "There's nothing to panic about, but
it's tougher this year."

Some changes already have been announced. Among other things, Hamvention
this year will replace its annual banquet and entertainment with a more
low-key award winners' reception at Hara Saturday evening.

Between now and show time, Matthews says Hamvention will--among other
moves--boost its advertising and promotion to counteract the sluggish
advance sales. "We're going to have a good show," he predicted
confidently.

For additional insights and information on Hamvention, see "How Hamvention
Happens," in April 2000 QST and available on the ARRL Web site
<http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2003/03/06/4/0004053.pdf>. For more
information on Hamvention 2003, visit the Hamvention Web site
<http://www.hamvention.org>.