Thoughts on Atlantic City 2016

[skelly]

In reference to post #80. To say that Atlantic City makes Camden look like Sesame Street is insane. Atlantic City has seen better days, but the only place I have ever seen that was as rugged as Camden... Maybe Gary Indiana. The Badlands in North Philly and The area around Dunbar Ave in Baltimore also in the running. I agree with many of the posts that AC is perhaps not ideal, but the are a tremendous amount of collectors within driving distance that will likely attend.

[buymycards]

I read some interesting info recently. I don't recall if it was from Rich Klein or if it was on the National website.

Chicago requires a commitment of 5000 hotel room bookings. Many other venues, such as NY and Las Vegas, require a guarantee of 10,000 hotel room bookings, and the National cannot make that guarantee.


There are several cities that require union labor to load, unload, and set up. Apparently this could cost each dealer as much as $2000 extra to pay for the union help.

Rick

[Cozumeleno]

Originally Posted by buymycards

There are several cities that require union labor to load, unload, and set up. Apparently this could cost each dealer as much as $2000 extra to pay for the union help.
Rick

This is absolutely true. In a couple of instances, I've seen trade show organizers not even allow you to plug in your own booth/display if it had lighting. Literally, you had to fill out a work request form and pay someone like $50.00-$100.00 to do come over to your booth and insert a plug into a standard outlet.

$2,000 seems a bit steep based on the trade shows I've coordinated with in the past - typically, my companies wouldn't need more than a few hundred dollars of service. But if you've got a giant display and required a bunch of services (i.e. assembly, etc.), I wouldn't completely rule it out. That could easily be a deterrent for many dealers and the organizers.

[Rich Klein]

Originally Posted by buymycards

I read some interesting info recently. I don't recall if it was from Rich Klein or if it was on the National website.

Chicago requires a commitment of 5000 hotel room bookings. Many other venues, such as NY and Las Vegas, require a guarantee of 10,000 hotel room bookings, and the National cannot make that guarantee.


There are several cities that require union labor to load, unload, and set up. Apparently this could cost each dealer as much as $2000 extra to pay for the union help.

Rick

Rck:

The article you mentioned was linked to from one of my Rich's Ramblings stories on Atlantic City. My editor, Rich M, interviewed Mike Berkus and that is where you read that information.

[packs]

AC is only an hour from Philly, so if you fly into Philly you can take a train into AC. Also most major cities involve driving out from the airport to actually get into the city. SFO is like 45 minutes away from San Francisco.

[Beastmode]

Originally Posted by packs

AC is only an hour from Philly, so if you fly into Philly you can take a train into AC. Also most major cities involve driving out from the airport to actually get into the city. SFO is like 45 minutes away from San Francisco.

Are you comparing SF to AC? that's like comparing a psa 9 to a psa 4.

[Beastmode]

I wanted to go this year, but had other plans. I plan to go next year and bring my son, but AC is not appealing to me. Honestly, a real crappy location for us west coasters, couldn't be worse. Just about any other city on the eastern seaboard, and we are in.

Wasn't this show in Northern Calif. a long while back. I thought I went to a national in the 80's, but not sure. Maybe it was LA.

I understand it's expensive out West, but pick a spot that we can all get to easily and keep it there. I'm OK with Chicago every year. Seems to me you can drive a better bargain for the attendees if you commit for several years. Onesy/twosy isn't getting any leverage for these guys.

Like every business now, it's all about scaling the costs.

[vintagesportscollector]

Originally Posted by packs

AC is only an hour from Philly, so if you fly into Philly you can take a train into AC. Also most major cities involve driving out from the airport to actually get into the city. SFO is like 45 minutes away from San Francisco.

Agreed. I understand AC may be less than appealing to some, but some of the these travel excuses are BS. The train to AC is quite convenient. Last week I flew into Chicago Midway for work, and it took me another 90 mins to get to my eventual destination in Chicago.

[4815162342]

Originally Posted by vintagesportscollector

Agreed. I understand AC may be less than appealing to some, but some of the these travel excuses are BS. The train to AC is quite convenient. Last week I flew into Chicago Midway for work, and it took me another 90 mins to get to my eventual destination in Chicago.

What about Butte, Montana? http://www.buttecvb.com/

All kidding aside, we've flown into Midway twice for the National in past years, but flew into O'Hare this year. O'Hare was more expensive, but well worth it. ... And that train to AC can't be that convenient.

[packs]

Why not? It goes directly there and runs at regular times. It takes a little over an hour and a half. An hour by car.

[vintagesportscollector]

Originally Posted by 4815162342

What about Butte, Montana? http://www.buttecvb.com/

All kidding aside, we've flown into Midway twice for the National in past years, but flew into O'Hare this year. O'Hare was more expensive, but well worth it. ... And that train to AC can't be that convenient.

It's not a hop-skip-jump, but Yes, it is that convenient. The point is far too much has been made of travel. If you don't want to go to the National because you don't like AC or have a negative impression of AC (admittedly, I am not a fan of AC either), then don't go - BUT if you skip it because you feel travel will be too hard, then you will be missing out.