We’ve arrived at the 2017 Hamvention–the first year at the new venue at Greene County Fairgrounds in Xenia, Ohio.
By request, I’m posting photos taken today of the new site while exhibitors are setting up.
Since the Greene County Fairgrounds lack the number of indoor exhibitor space, they are using large white event tents to add covered square footage:
I hope we don’t have rain this year as many of the tents have open seams and some holes. Additionally, it’s quite dark inside. Perhaps more lighting will be added.
The flea market area is quite large–some flea market vendors have already set up shop.
Tomorrow, I’ll post photos of both indoor and flea market exhibitors. Stay tuned!
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I have been going to the Dayton Hamvention almost 40 years now and have only missed it 2 times. I was out o town working in 1987, and I had surgery in May of 2017. I look forward with great anticipation to May 2018.
Looks like a lot of fun. Wish I was there.
It sure looks like a “Cow Palace” where everybody is or should be checking the bottom of their shoes.
Oh no the new facility looks just as lacking as the old one. Maybe it’s time to move it to the “Big E” Eastern States Exposition facility in West Springfield, MA. It has unlimited covered space, plenty of parking and is only 40 minutes from the ARRL headquarters in CT.
http://www.easternstatesexposition.com/
I second that! The Big E is only about 1/2 hour from me. 🙂
But Dayton never set out be a “national” hamfest. It happened because of longevity and location, and a local group that put a lot of time and effort into it.
It wouldn’t be Dayton somewhere else. If you want a local hamfest, then get to work. I can vaguely recall reading about more deliberate attempts at a “national” hamfest, but they withered, Las Vegas may be good for conventions, but it’s kind of out of the way, especially when people want to sell stuff and bring some big items home.
The ARRL has their conventions, it’s a different thing, but they move it around, so it may come near any area of the US.
Michael
Great! When are you going to start organizing it?