Would you attend/set up at a large 3-day show in Knoxville, TN?

[darkhorse9]

We are in discussion about bringing a three-day show to the Knoxville Expo Center. My question is, would people be interested in participating assuming the dates were good?

The positives of Knoxville.
Plenty of event space and FREE parking
An easy airport with lots of cheap flights.
Knoxville is a one day drive from 80 percent of the US population
Close proximity to Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Dollywood and the Great Smoky Mountains
A huge amount of hotels and other accomodations.
Other than Nashville and Chantilly there are no truly big shows in the Southeast.

How many Net54ers would be interested in being a vendor or a visitor at a show there. Your responses might help our decisions.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

I hope it works out for all involved. East of the Mississippi, Knoxville is among the most remote places to its nearest large cities, isn't it? +/- 3 hours to Nashville and Atlanta, and farther away from any other metropolitan area. I have to imagine such a show would be welcomed by people living nearer Knoxville but would also think it might be best to plan at the height of tourist season to the Smokies if the venue is available during that time.

[rand1com]

Depending on dates, I would be interested in setting up as a dealer.

It is about a 3 hour drive for me from the Greenville, SC area which is not bad.

I like the 3 day shows over the mostly 1 day shows in the area where I live. Too much work to set up for 1 day so I pass on them and primarily do the National and the Shriner's show in Boston.

Previously did Chantilly for years but as it became more of an in person autograph show over the years I dropped out as it was an 8 hour drive and just not worth the effort.

Good luck with the venture.

[Leon]

Good shows are still needed and fun to go to.
Best of luck with trying to put one together.
.

[griffon512]

Would attend as a visitor. Hope it works out.

[icurnmedic]

Originally Posted by griffon512

Would attend as a visitor. Hope it works out.

Same.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Because you'd be setting up in a fairly remote part of the country, I'd really hope this might attract a lot of regional dealers who don't have many opportunities to set up at large shows so close to home. It would be wonderful if the choice of site would encourage many people to set up for the first time in a long time, or even true first timers. There has to be a lot of material within a healthy radius that is typically hidden away, or at least doesn't leave the area.

In my ideal scenario, which is an obvious mix of wishful thinking and logic, vendors would have to be vetted prior to approval in an effort to have a healthy mix of offerings throughout the show. If personal profit matters most to you, then don't do this. It will end up being 95+% Pokemon and modern, but there will be no shortage of business. I think we've all conceded that this is just how it is now, but it would be great to have at least a moderate portion of the showroom devoted to pre-1980.

As a question for everyone else, what percentage would you think to be a perfect compromise between what we'd want to se vs. what makes the most business sense for the promoter? To word it another way, if you were a day's drive or less from this venue, what percentage of mainly pre-1980 tables would inspire you to make the trip? I personally wouldn't expect a huge percentage. I would hope for 20%, but that's clearly quite a lofty number given what we've been seeing/hearing lately. I wouldn't want to drive any length of time for a show with 100+ dealers and only 5-10 of whom aren't trading in modern.

[Jewish-collector]

Would you be competing with the Nash-ional Nashville Card Show ?

https://nashvilleparent.com/event/na...ow/2025-10-17/

[Kzoo]

If the very popular show in Shipshewana, IN. can thrive, then I'm sure Knoxville can do the same with the right mix of quality regional dealers.

[skelly]

I think shows are fun / hoping it works out. I recently watched Sammy Thunder’s video on the recent Long Island NY show. Got me thinking how a few years ago, I would attend these regional type shows, but I feel like it’s mostly the same dealers at Philly, White Plains, Hofstra, etc…
Is there a way to bring new vintage dealers into the mix at some of these shows? I feel like with all the horror stories of people getting things stolen, people just quoting comps from their phones, maybe hard to get new people motivated to set up. Need something to keep the show scene fresh.

[bcbgcbrcb]

Very good point that most of the big regional shows that are put on multiple times during the year (Philly, Chantilly, White Plains, Hofstra, Shriner’s, Nashional, Shipshewana, Dallas, Burbank) are primarily the same vintage dealers that have the highly desirable inventory. And, yes, it would be great to have some more “new” vintage dealers with interesting inventory at regional shows. As is the case with me, I think the biggest stumbling block is that all of these regional shows are just too far away from where many of us live to make the drive, which we have to in order to bring inventory. I would do it for Strongsville and the National because despite 14-1/2 and 19 hour drives for me, the money spent by buyers there would make it worthwhile for me to set up. Philly is another close to 14 hours drive and I would say questionable. Nothing else am I guaranteed to make big money by setting up there and I hate driving in general so never going to do any of those shows more than a few hours away from me. The only places that would qualify for me being in Orlando, FL are anywhere in FL, the eastern half of Georgia and southeastern South Carolina. And, all would have to be well established, long-time shows where I can count on others’ past experience.

All that being said, Knoxville is a good 10 hour drive and obviously a brand new venue, so I would never be able to set up there. Good luck with pursuing it though, may work for others. Wish there was something down here by me but there isn’t. We have a couple of primarily vintage shows down here but nothing with hundreds of tables that would qualify as a regional show. Fellow board member Bryan Dec runs one of the best down here in FL twice a year with roughly 100 tables and I always set up at those along with the 55+ Villages retirement community shows three times a year for this 75 table show. Needless to say, the hobby “whales” are not traveling to these two shows from across the country to buy sports cards so sales numbers are quite limited.

[Rich Klein]

Have you considered starting with a smallish 40-50 table show to get the mechanics of running a show down pat and then expand from there

[celoknob]

Would definitely attend.

[BillyC_KY]

I would attend a show in Knoxville.

[yanks87]

I’d make the drive from PA, my wife and I love Tennessee.

[bcbgcbrcb]

Wow, Chantilly qualifies as a southeastern show? Seems more like mid-Atlantic to me and infinitely closer to Philly, WP and Hofstra than central FL. Nashville seems more like borderline Midwest but, okay, I get that one.