{"id":15011,"date":"2015-10-03T10:10:11","date_gmt":"2015-10-03T14:10:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=15011"},"modified":"2015-10-03T10:15:20","modified_gmt":"2015-10-03T14:15:20","slug":"alternative-sites-for-dayton-hamvention-proposed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/10\/alternative-sites-for-dayton-hamvention-proposed\/","title":{"rendered":"Alternative sites for Dayton Hamvention proposed"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Dayton<\/a><\/p>\n

Yesterday, the Dayton Daily News<\/a>\u00a0published an article about the problems with the aging Hara Arena, home of the Dayton Hamvention<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here’s an excerpt from the article:<\/p>\n

Fears about Hamvention leaving town because of Hara Arena\u2019s economic struggles has local officials scrambling to propose alternative sites for the economy-boosting event.<\/p>\n

Hamvention, the world\u2019s largest gathering of amateur radio enthusiasts, injects millions of dollars into the local economy each year. It has been held at Hara Arena since 1964.<\/p>\n

But the arena has struggled financially, and an Iowa-based consultant firm recently asked the city of Trotwood to buy the venue, which Trotwood officials declined. The venue\u2019s owner says the arena is on better financial footing today.<\/p>\n

A series of emails obtained by this newspaper through public records requests show that local officials fear Hamvention could pack up and move out of the region and highlight their efforts to keep the event in the Dayton region.<\/p>\n

The Dayton\/Montgomery County Convention & Visitors Bureau has worked with city of Dayton staff on a Plan B to ensure the event remains in the county if it needs to relocate, said Jacquelyn Powell, the bureau\u2019s president and CEO.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to make it clear that this isn\u2019t the first year that we\u2019ve looked at Plan B options,\u201d she said. \u201cThere have been other years where we\u2019ve had this conversation as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Hamvention board has no intentions of leaving Hara Arena, said Jim Tiderman, general chairman of the Dayton Amateur Radio Association, which hosts the event.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe do not have any plans whatsoever for relocating,\u201d Tiderman said.<\/p>\n

News of Hamvention\u2019s possible relocation was mentioned in an email dated July 7 that was obtained by this newspaper through a public records request.<\/p>\n

Continue reading at the Dayton Daily News…<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

As mentioned in the article, the thought of the Hamvention leaving Hara is not a new one. The Arena leaves much to be desired cosmetically and even functionally–it’s an old venue that requires a sizable investment to maintain.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Hamvention flea market is, without a doubt, my favorite part of the event.<\/p><\/div>\n

Earlier this year, I spoke to a long-time DARA<\/a> representative who assured me that the club wants to keep the Hamvention at Hara for obvious reasons. He did admit, though, that they’ve always had a “Plan B” and even “Plan C” in place, should Hara close its doors.<\/p>\n

He mentioned\u00a0that, each year, Hamvention attendees urge DARA to find a new home, but the fact is Hara is not only the largest venue around, but is the only one on one level<\/em>. With an aging ham radio population, accessibility becomes a higher priority every year. Those using scooters and wheelchairs would find it frustrating to compete for elevators and lifts in multi-level venues.<\/p>\n

As the Dayton Daily News<\/a> notes, one alternative would be to have two separate locations: one for the inside exhibits and one for the flea market. Selfishly, since I host an inside exhibit table, I appreciate the fact that the flea market is within easy walking distance. It would upset me if they decided to split the venues.<\/p>\n

The fact is, no decision has been made yet. DARA still plans to host the 2016 Hamvention at Hara Arena and has no intention of moving anytime soon. That is, as long as the owners of Hara Arena can keep it afloat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Yesterday, the Dayton Daily News\u00a0published an article about the problems with the aging Hara Arena, home of the Dayton Hamvention. Here’s an excerpt from the article: Fears about Hamvention leaving town because of Hara Arena\u2019s economic struggles has local officials scrambling to propose alternative sites for the economy-boosting event. Hamvention, the world\u2019s largest gathering of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[545,3,43],"tags":[4275,1150],"class_list":["post-15011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ham-radio","category-news","category-shortwave-radio","tag-dara","tag-hamvention"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-3U7","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":20204,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/07\/hara-arena-to-close-dayton-hamvention-to-use-new-venue\/","url_meta":{"origin":15011,"position":0},"title":"HARA Arena to close, Dayton Hamvention to use new venue","author":"Thomas","date":"July 29, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Eric (WD8RIF) for passing along the following news via WDTN and DARA (the\u00a0Dayton Amateur Radio Association). (Source: WDTN) TROTWOOD, Ohio (WDTN) \u2013 The iconic venue brought sports, concerts, entertainment and special interest shows to the Miami Valley for 60 years is closing their doors\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Hara Arena (Source: Aesopposea via WikiMedia Commons)","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/HARA-Arena-Cropped.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/HARA-Arena-Cropped.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/HARA-Arena-Cropped.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20274,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/breaking-2017-dayton-hamvention-to-be-held-at-the-greene-county-fairgrounds\/","url_meta":{"origin":15011,"position":1},"title":"Breaking: 2017 Dayton Hamvention to be held at the Greene County Fairgrounds","author":"Thomas","date":"August 1, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Scott Gamble (W5BSG), who writes: I just saw this local news post about the venue for Hamvention 2017. (Source: WDTN) XENIA, Ohio (WDTN) \u2013 Days after Hara Arena announced it will close its doors, an announcement from Greene County officials revealed that Hamvention will\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Dayton Hamvention logo_2","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Dayton-Hamvention-logo_2.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Dayton-Hamvention-logo_2.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Dayton-Hamvention-logo_2.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6727,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/06\/dennis-shares-some-photos-from-the-2013-hamvention\/","url_meta":{"origin":15011,"position":2},"title":"Dennis shares some photos from the 2013 Hamvention","author":"Thomas","date":"June 19, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Dennis Walter, from the German radio manufacturer Bonito, just sent some photos he took at the 2013 Dayton Hamvention. Photos feature Bonito's booth in Hara Arena, inside exhibits and the outdoor flea market area. Click here to look through his album.","rel":"","context":"In "Retailers"","block_context":{"text":"Retailers","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/retailers\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"hara","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/hara-300x200.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":27415,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2017\/08\/on-the-auction-block-hara-arena-can-be-yours-for-a-starting-bid-of-850k\/","url_meta":{"origin":15011,"position":3},"title":"On the Auction Block: Hara Arena can be yours for a starting bid of $850K","author":"Thomas","date":"August 3, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to Dave Anderson (K4SV) who notes that the previous home of the Dayton Hamvention--Hara Arena--is\u00a0on the auction block for back taxes. Click here to view the Notice of Judicial Sale on the IRS website.","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/HARA-Arena-Cropped.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/HARA-Arena-Cropped.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/HARA-Arena-Cropped.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":43365,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/05\/massive-photo-galleries-of-the-dayton-hamvention\/","url_meta":{"origin":15011,"position":4},"title":"Massive photo galleries of the Dayton Hamvention","author":"Thomas","date":"May 17, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"This is the first year I've missed the Dayton Hamvention since 2009. As I mentioned in a previous post--besides hanging with my friends--I really enjoy browsing the flea market and inside exhibits looking for deals and cool innovations. In 2016, I took loads of photos of both the Hamvention Flea\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2018-Hamvention-Flea-Market-28-of-165.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2018-Hamvention-Flea-Market-28-of-165.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2018-Hamvention-Flea-Market-28-of-165.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/2018-Hamvention-Flea-Market-28-of-165.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":37974,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/05\/hara-area-damaged-by-tornado\/","url_meta":{"origin":15011,"position":5},"title":"Hara Area damaged by tornado","author":"Thomas","date":"May 28, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Note that Hara Arena is the former home of the Dayton Hamvention. Lots of memories in that old building! (Source: WHIO via Eric McFadden) [...]Hara Arena suffered extensive damage when tornadoes and severe storms moved through Monday night. Drone footage shows the roof and side of the structure blown off\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Ham Radio"","block_context":{"text":"Ham Radio","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/ham-radio\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Hara-Arena-Damage-1024x540.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Hara-Arena-Damage-1024x540.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Hara-Arena-Damage-1024x540.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15011"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15011\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}