[SFDXA] Attendance Holds Steady at Hamvention® 2018

[Bill]

    Attendance Holds Steady at Hamvention® 2018

06/28/2018 *Hamvention* <http://www.hamvention.org/>®marked another 
successful year in 2018, General Chair Ron Cramer, KD8ENJ, told ARRL 
this week. At 28,417 visitors, Hamvention recorded its third-largest 
attendance ever in its second year at its still-new location in Xenia, Ohio.

“We had a slight decline in attendance, but we think people were waiting 
to hear about the upgrades we made, and some upgrades did not happen 
until the very last moment,” Cramer allowed. “Many were worried about 
the mud.”

The drop in attendance amounted to some 900 fewer visitors from 
Hamvention 2017. Hamvention attendance peaked in 1993 at 33,669, before 
the 1996 change in date from April to May while it was still being held 
at Hara Arena. Attendance in 2016 for the show’s final year at Hara was 
25,364.

Cramer said other events in the Xenia-Dayton area cramped lodging 
availability, but Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) organizers 
were “very pleased with the results and comments everyone has made this 
year.”

Hamvention’s 2018 theme was “Amateur Radio…Serving the Community,” and 
the event highlighted emergency communication forums — many put on by 
ARRL — plus a big display of emergency communication vehicles.

This was a year of “fine tuning the event” through critique sessions 
with committee chairs and evaluating comments, compliments, and 
criticisms from first-year Xenia attendees and vendors, Cramer said.

“From all the information we have received back already this year, from 
guests and vendors, we believe we have been successful and are working 
hard to prepare for Hamvention 2019,” Cramer offered. “We expect new 
additions to the show and finer tuning to make sure our guests keep 
coming back.”

Improvements this year at the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center 
included the use of frame tents for some activities. “These were much 
more stable in the wind and rain — a very big improvement,” Cramer said. 
“We installed asphalt millings in the Flea Market area to create roads 
and eliminate the mud we had last year. We will be widening and adding 
more asphalt millings to the roads this year.” In addition, he said, 
Hamvention on-site parking eliminated some of the muddier areas and 
halted the use of tractor-driven people movers, which were creating 
ruts. “We were not immune to rain, but it took less of a toll,” Cramer 
added.

Cramer also touted more on-site food options, expanding the variety and 
number of food vendors and cutting wait times. More seating was added.

Other improvements Cramer cited included:

More forums and a new forum room.

Improved parking access by moving the bus drop-off location closer to 
the main entrance gate.

More off-site parking with better signage to provide easier access.

A new Product Showcase to highlight new products.

Central State University opened its dorms for the event, offering 
inexpensive lodging that included breakfast and dinner.

“There was a shortage of rooms this year with the grand opening of the 
Memphis Belle Exhibit at the Museum of the Air Force,” Cramer explained, 
“but the Greene County and Dayton Convention Visitors Bureaus kept tabs 
on rooms and helped direct those who called.”

Cramer expressed his appreciation to Greene County, Xenia Township, and 
the City of Xenia, as well as to the nearly 800 volunteers for their 
assistance. “The Greene County Fair Board has been exceptional in making 
this our new home,” Cramer said. “We thank all who attended this year’s 
show and hope to see you again next year.”

http://www.arrl.org/news/attendance-holds-steady-at-hamvention-2018