2024 National Table Space

[bcbgcbrcb]

Does anyone have a booth at the 2024 National in Cleveland that would be willing to offer enough space for me to display either one or two showcases?

Please send me a PM if this might be a possibility for you.

Thanks

[Exhibitman]

That's a big no-no under the new regime.

[Johnny630]

Happens all the time just keep it on the DL cash talks.

[jayshum]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

That's a big no-no under the new regime.

Why is sharing a booth not allowed?

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by jayshum

Why is sharing a booth not allowed?

One of many good reasons is they are not paying the promoter for that spot.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Originally Posted by bnorth

One of many good reasons is they are not paying the promoter for that spot.

Well, the promoter *is* getting paid for the spot; someone else is subletting part of it.

"You know, Kramer, I rented out half of my space to you..."

"...and I rented out half of that space to Newman!"

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

Well, the promoter *is* getting paid for the spot; someone else is subletting part of it.

"You know, Kramer, I rented out half of my space to you..."

"...and I rented out half of that space to Newman!"

That is how people that get paid and people that pay people see things differently. As a business owner I do not see the promoter getting paid anything for another seller in their venue. The person subletting is the one getting paid and the discounted space. That is complete BS when the others are paying full price and there is a huge waiting list of others willing to pay full price.

[JackR]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

Well, the promoter *is* getting paid for the spot; someone else is subletting part of it.

"You know, Kramer, I rented out half of my space to you..."

"...and I rented out half of that space to Newman!"

These are the kind of comments that keep me coming back…

[ezez420]

Maybe promoters should enforce the tax ids of the people that have tables. Watch how many bail and tables are given up.

It's not rocket science to know that is a big part of the issue.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Johnny630]

Originally Posted by ezez420

Maybe promoters should enforce the tax ids of the people that have tables. Watch how many bail and tables are given up.

It's not rocket science to know that is a big part of the issue.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The State Of Illinois does that....

[midmo]

The National's new management team talks a little about booth space starting with the question at 33:30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCjPy1d-No0

[prewarsports]

I am a priority 12 and BARELY get tables every year. Yet somehow, every single year the dealer list at the show is FILLED with priority 0-1-2-3 etc. How does that happen?

The National used to be 2000+ dealers and was awesome. It is all corporate space now and a massive "break" area which is just youtubers yelling into microphones and annoying the hell out of everyone for clicks. Maybe 500 actual dealers with stuff for sale and you can see the whole show in a day, easy.

There should not be an option to "sell out" of national space. The Stephens Convention Center in Chicago for example used to use two entire halls across the lobby from each other and it was amazing. That other hall sits empty now every year while a thousand dealers are begging for tables. You already have the infrastructure in place, what is the marginal cost of adding another 500-1000 dealers over there? Not much, but then the big corporate areas would complain that they were not getting enough foot traffic for the huge prices they are paying, so there is your answer!

[Snapolit1]

Be interesting to see how many of those breakers and screamers are going to paying boku bucks for space going forward. They have taken it on the chin, to be charitable, the last 12-18 months.

[butchie_t]

Originally Posted by midmo

The National's new management team talks a little about booth space starting with the question at 33:30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCjPy1d-No0

I watched that video. While they did address the dealer subletting, it would be interesting to be able to read the updated charter and see how they wrote about it.

It still seems that they are grappling with how to handle it.

Butch

[midmo]

Originally Posted by butchie_t

I watched that video. While they did address the dealer subletting, it would be interesting to be able to read the updated charter and see how they wrote about it.

It still seems that they are grappling with how to handle it.

Butch

At the Net54 dinner I could have sworn they said that dealers caught selling space would lose their priority status but I could be mis-remembering.

[Exhibitman]

I sense an epic Festivus screed for my blog…

[butchie_t]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

I sense an epic Festivus screed for my blog…

Tis' the season!

[SteveMitchell]

When the National League got too big for its britches (along with a cut back in League size), Ban Johnson came along and transformed his Western League into the American League. Is there enough interest in forming a similar challenge to "The National" with "The AMERICAN"? If so, could it overtake The National within 4 years like the A.L. did the N.L.?

[Exhibitman]

Well we do have an 800-table show out here over Labor Day weekend.

[perezfan]

Originally Posted by SteveMitchell

When the National League got too big for its britches (along with a cut back in League size), Ban Johnson came along and transformed his Western League into the American League. Is there enough interest in forming a similar challenge to "The National" with "The AMERICAN"? If so, could it overtake The National within 4 years like the A.L. did the N.L.?

Love the idea... Start it out in Vegas!

[Hankphenom]

It's hard for me to imagine anyone mounting the effort to provide a true alternative to the National, or offering a second "National," but if the unmet demand continues to rise, something has to give. Of course, the promoters only care to a certain extant who buys their tables and what they do with them. What's good for them and what's good for the hobby are not exactly the same thing. Priority dealers buying multiple tables to sublet to the same dealers show after show and thereby blocking out new dealers can't be a good thing, I wouldn't imagine. An allowance for some turnover and new blood has to be built in somehow. Quick story: about 20 yeas ago, I finally talked my buddy Kevin Keating, perhaps the biggest sports autograph dealer in the world by then, into setting up at shows. He applied to Bob Schmierer, legendary founder of the "Philly Show"--then operating four times yearly at Ft. Washington and pretty much at it's peak--and was accepted. When Bob came by to meet Kevin, they had a nice chat in the course of which Kevin asked innocently, "What do I have to do to get a corner table?" Giving Kevin the evil eye, Bob replied gruffly, "those are not for rookies," and walked away. Kevin and I have had many laughs over that in the years since, but the point is that the Philly Show stood out above all others for a reason: Bob Schmierer knew how to run a great show. The best dealers, orderly setups and breakdowns, no dealers leaving early, even on Sundays, etc. Whatever "policing" of table space and availability is required for the good of all wouldn't be that hard, it just takes the will to do it. Bob could show them how. Everybody may not have loved him, but they loved his shows. RIP, Bob.