Poll: BUYERS preferred National Location
 

Lots of discussion about preferred National locations. Let's get some quick stats from a BUYERS (attendee) perspective. Even if you did not attend this year, where would your preferred venue be located? Second poll being created for sellers. Curious to see if the results align.

Jeff

Atlantic city is my preference. Simply because I live in the northeast and it is convenient and drive-able. Not a big fan of leaving the ground..

Purely because of where I live, Atlantic City. I live outside of Philly and it is only an hour and a half drive. When its somewhere else, I do not attend. Possibly in the future though when I retire I will travel more often.
Bob

Purely because of where I live, Atlantic City. I live outside of Philly and it is only an hour and a half drive. When its somewhere else, I do not attend. Possibly in the future though when I retire I will travel more often.
Bob

Anything in the South would be nice. Not that I'm holding my breath.

I wish they promoters would consider Indianapolis as a site. While there wouldn't be a whole lot to do there in the summer (though they do have an nice zoo and an excellent Children's Museum), most folks that come to the National are coming for the National anyway. Indy is a very accessible major city, by road and by air, with a nice convention center and many restaurants downtown (that now stay open well after 8 PM!!!). The convention center has air conditioning, and they have hosted Gen-Con there every year as well as the NFL Experience when the city hosted the Super Bowl.

The poll is just more of a poll of where people live and they will obviously going to choose WHERE one lives near. For example, Robert only wants Atlantic City because he lives near there. Right, Robert ? Attachment 582632

That is correct.
Now maybe when I retire, I will have more freedom to travel and might venture out to other locations.

Atlantic City. I like the convenience, my hotel room is always free or at a heavy discount, and you can't beat the selection restaurants (Both chain and small businesses). Its proximity to the rest of the Jersey Shore, as well as the chance that there might be a concert of someone interesting performing or a comedy show also gives it bonus points.

How is NYC as a location? Javits Center ?

Atlanta has everything the buyers and sellers need. It's a days drive from 80 percent of the US population

My vote is for the location where the Philly Show currently takes place. There is lots of space, contained within (four, I believe) separate halls. So, the cards, autographs, corporate booths, and breakers can have their own separate spaces.

Think about it.

Personally, I would love to just look at and buy/sell cards. No making my way around (or through) the massive lines for autographs, on-site grading, or corporate promotional thingies. And no breakers with their amped-up P.A. systems or friggin' cowbells.

Yeah, but it also takes a whole day to drive from one end of Atlanta to the other.

DETROIT! It's the Paris of the Midwest.

I was actually thinking about Detroit. Too bad Gibraltar in Mt. Clemens is a thing of the past; that building was huge and offered tons of parking. Unfortunately, not exactly ample lodging nearby from what I recall. Then again, it was too old, anyway. Just would have been enough square footage is all I was thinking.

I live in Philly and I am not sure how anyone can love the AC location. I used to hate driving to AC to play poker before it was legal in PA and its not that long of a drive. Having to fly to Philadelphia and then rent a car and drive 80 minutes both ways, meh.

Anyway, for a convention that is a "national" convention, the location should be in a place that is highly accessible via rail and air for at least 75% of the country. Having it in the suburbs or far away from a central travel hub seems not great. I'm an urbanist, so maybe I am biased.

Rosemont, given that it is right on top of O'Hare, makes sense, but it seems like the facility itself isn't great.

Vegas would be a pretty good location, though in a few years, you won't be able to be outside in July in Las Vegas without an extremely elevated risk of heat stroke.

Boston's airport is easy to access and services non-stop flights from all over the country, and it is very close to the center of the city, but I'm not sure they have an ideal space to host it. The Garden maybe? Also, Boston is too far from the west coast, which hits at my rule above about 75%

AC is a pit--I voted for Vegas

South
 

I’m biased as well, but I’m sure Dallas could put on a great show, and DFW has a lot of direct flights around the country…

I also like the idea of Atlanta. Weren’t there rumblings about a 2026 ATL show?

Why is the northeast and Midwest always pushed so hard? Tradition?

Las Vegas is the obvious answer. It checks all the boxes. Cheap direct flights from virtually every airport; great hotels; modern convention space; nice restaurants; & entertainment everywhere.

Agree the building was huge. Even the one in Taylor.
Cobo would be good.

+100

To be fair, I've never visited Atlantic City, but I'm surprised to see it declared the country's (world's?) top restaurant destination.

What happens in Vegas doesn't really have to stay in Vegas.

Let's get something west of the Mississippi into the rotation. Once every 4-5 years isn't asking a lot. :mad:

AC works for me only cause it is close by. Adding flights makes it more travel time, more expensive, and lets be honest, flights haven't been the most reliable lately. Vegas sounds fun on the surface, but the volume of dealers that would need to fly/extensively drive I think make it prohibitive. Below is what I posted last year on the topic with additional data from this year.

While moving the National around I think would be great, I can certainly understand why they stay in the Northeast corner and continue to rotate between the 4 current cities. Below is a break down of the dealers from this years national by name and booths. NY, NJ, PA combined are top 3 and make up 30%. Why not have it where dealers are? Also below is the US Census map from 2020. Again, population density looks to be in the northeast. Why not have it where most people are? To me it is only common sense to keep it in that area from a business standpoint.

2022 AC Dealer List by state
State Dealers Percent Booths Percent
NY 38 11.08% 64 10.63%
NJ 31 9.04% 61 10.13%
PA 30 8.75% 52 8.64%
FL 27 7.87% 56 9.30%
IL 27 7.87% 40 6.64%
TX 19 5.54% 37 6.15%
OH 15 4.37% 25 4.15%
VA 14 4.08% 24 3.99%
MI 14 4.08% 21 3.49%
CA 11 3.21% 22 3.65%
GA 10 2.92% 22 3.65%
MN 9 2.62% 11 1.83%
NC 8 2.33% 12 1.99%
TN 7 2.04% 10 1.66%
IN 7 2.04% 11 1.83%
MD 7 2.04% 13 2.16%
MO 6 1.75% 10 1.66%
WI 5 1.46% 8 1.33%
CT 5 1.46% 12 1.99%
AZ 4 1.17% 6 1.00%
WA 4 1.17% 9 1.50%
KY 4 1.17% 5 0.83%
IA 4 1.17% 7 1.16%
CO 4 1.17% 6 1.00%
AR 3 0.87% 4 0.66%
Canada 3 0.87% 4 0.66%
MA 3 0.87% 4 0.66%
ND 3 0.87% 7 1.16%
KS 2 0.58% 3 0.50%
ME 2 0.58% 2 0.33%
VT 2 0.58% 4 0.66%
SC 2 0.58% 3 0.50%
RI 2 0.58% 3 0.50%
NV 2 0.58% 6 1.00%
DE 2 0.58% 3 0.50%
OK 1 0.29% 1 0.17%
NH 1 0.29% 2 0.33%
NE 1 0.29% 4 0.66%
OR 1 0.29% 4 0.66%
WV 1 0.29% 1 0.17%
ID 1 0.29% 1 0.17%
HI 1 0.29% 2 0.33%
Grand Total 343 100.00% 602 100.00%

2023 Chicago Dealer List by State
State Dealers Percent Booths Percent
FL 29 8.26% 63 9.55%
NY 30 8.55% 57 8.64%
IL 32 9.12% 54 8.18%
NJ 25 7.12% 52 7.88%
PA 29 8.26% 51 7.73%
TX 16 4.56% 31 4.70%
OH 17 4.84% 29 4.39%
MI 16 4.56% 27 4.09%
CA 13 3.70% 26 3.94%
VA 14 3.99% 25 3.79%
GA 10 2.85% 21 3.18%
MD 8 2.28% 16 2.42%
WI 10 2.85% 16 2.42%
MN 8 2.28% 16 2.42%
MO 8 2.28% 15 2.27%
IN 9 2.56% 15 2.27%
NC 8 2.28% 14 2.12%
CT 5 1.42% 13 1.97%
TN 7 1.99% 12 1.82%
IA 6 1.71% 10 1.52%
WA 4 1.14% 10 1.52%
AZ 4 1.14% 8 1.21%
ND 3 0.85% 8 1.21%
NV 4 1.14% 8 1.21%
AR 4 1.14% 7 1.06%
NE 3 0.85% 7 1.06%
MA 4 1.14% 5 0.76%
CO 3 0.85% 5 0.76%
VT 2 0.57% 4 0.61%
KS 2 0.57% 4 0.61%
OR 1 0.28% 4 0.61%
RI 2 0.57% 4 0.61%
KY 2 0.57% 3 0.45%
WV 2 0.57% 3 0.45%
SC 2 0.57% 3 0.45%
ID 2 0.57% 3 0.45%
ME 2 0.57% 2 0.30%
DE 1 0.28% 2 0.30%
NH 1 0.28% 2 0.30%
HI 1 0.28% 2 0.30%
AL 1 0.28% 2 0.30%
OK 1 0.28% 1 0.15%
Grand Total 351 100.00% 660 100.00%

https://www.census.gov/library/visua...20popdist.jpeg

There are honestly some very good restaurants out there. They have a nice balance of places that got their starts in Manhattan and then expanded, and some local favorites that often go under the radar by tourists but are well known to most locals/regular shore visitors.

Prefer AC

Like to do these trips with my wife

Tons available hotel rooms within walking distance of convention center


Great Restaurants

Boardwalk

Great evening action between shows, Gambling etc

Would be nice if at least 20% of the "Nationals" were on the west coast. Especially since the first one was.

Sorry if I missed it if already posted somewhere within the dozens of National threads and all....but have they posted the results of the vote for the 2026 show?

I asked John Broggi (soon-to-be-former show organizer) this - how is it a "National" when the event can now only be held in 3 locations?

Mike Berkus once said Anaheim "didn't want us" after 2006 because it's a consumer show and they want, er, whatever the alternative is. Well, if you went to Rosemont in 2023, you know it's just barely a consumer show now.

Stop letting the dealers alone dictate where the show is held. There are fewer and fewer or them and they take bribes (looking at you, AC, with your payola).

Fanatics is going to save us all from these amateurs when they buy the thing and fix it. Maybe.

As far as I know, through the information that has been released, Fanatics seems to be setting up a show to "compete" with the National and not replace it. I certainly think there's enough room for two shows to operate. My hope is the fanatics show draws the interest of modern and breakers, and the National gets a little more back to its roots. I would not be devastated to see the nonsense of Whatnot leave the national. Breakers/breaking culture, is a plague on the Hobby IMO.

DC/Baltimore or Atlanta.

There's always a ballgame in the DC/Baltimore area as the O's and Nats switch off on who is home on any given day. Some large convention centers in those cities.

Vegas, baby!!!

I voted for Vegas because it checks all the boxes.

I understand a bit more after seeing some of the pics from the National this year why they keep it on the East Coast, seeing the sheer amount of stuff the dealers have to move is astounding. Do dealers drive everywhere with their product?
It would seem cost prohibitive to fly that stuff in.

This new National committee will need to figure out what they actually want the show to be going forward (ie more fan experience, more corporate, more dealers, trade nights, etc,...).

California or Vegas for me
I just dont go to east coast shows,
At least we have the burbank show now

+1,000. I live 20 minutes from Anaheim and wouldn’t mind that at all but as stated above, Vegas is the answer. It has everything.There is a reason tons of conventions are held there every year.

AtLanta would be nice

As of 8/2 @ 7:45pm pacific, Las Vegas is the favorite for BUYERS and a tied favorite for SELLERS.

Jeff

Vegas. As someone mentioned earlier, it checks all the boxes.

I have only been to Cleveland, Chicago and AC (all more than once). And though Cleveland is closest, my preference among the three is AC. I don't mind casinos, the hotel options are plentiful and the CC is very good. Never been to Vegas before, so I would not mind it as an alternative.

Boston has a huge convention center. It was paid for with state taxes. They will
only allow trade shows. But not a hobby type of convention. Because it was paid for with state taxes. The other problem is the unions that are used to set shows up have a lot of pull as to what happens with any show or convention there. Parking is a huge problem in downtown Boston.

I wonder if the taxpayers that funded that center would feel differently about what shows were allowed there. Pretty disgusting that working class folks paid for it but some knucklehead bureaucrat , who is also paid by the hard working middle class gets to decide who gets in.

Seattle!!!

a new suggestion
 

Why isnt Orlando ever considered? Fantastic convention center, tons of hotels, lots of stuff to do for the entire family while Dad goes 24-7 on the convention! Restaurants, International airport, you name it.....

Atlanta made a pitch for 2026, then AC said "we'll give the dealers $1,000 per table, plus you can have shuttles for attendees from parking lots". Guess where the show will wind up?

The wrong people are deciding where this show should be held. They're the same ones who'll take a free venue anywhere over one that they have to pay for. Vegas, Anaheim and other desirable places aren't giving it away for free.

Fanatics will destroy this show if they want to. They certainly don't seem to like competition.

One of the biggest knuckleheads in state government resigned a few years ago. The state hasn't changed much. :rolleyes:

I voted other as my favorite National was Baltimore. However, I think it would be only fair to have it on the west coast occasionally, probably Los Vegas or Aneheim

National
 

Forget NYC unless you are packing a firearm. New York City street crime is out of control. My wife and I live in Connecticut and would go down to the City 4/5 times a year on the weekends. No more. Mayors DeBlasio & Adams have turned it into a drug infested shooting gallery, and are more concerned with limiting plastic utensils than fighting crime!

I voted for Vegas because I think it checks all the boxes, but personally I would like that National to constantly be moving instead of jumping back and forth from one or two spots. Since it is like the Super Bowl of the hobby, I think it should be treated as one and hit all parts of the country over the years, such as the actual Super Bowl.

I agree, but the promoters have historically wanted the venue to be given to them for free. That drastically reduces options to the paltry few that some of us are truly tired of. Of course, Chicago's venue already hosts several other shows each year. Tiresome.

I prefer SW FLORIDA Because I live there & we know how to air condition our Buildings unlike any of the northern cities.:D. Lol