I thought the meet well attended. Maybe the Purple Hall was less filled and maybe the aisles were a bit wider in Orange, but it "felt" the same to me. How's that for an unscientific analysis?
I know the member halls were crowded as usual.
As has been said earlier in this thread, advertising will be the key to drawing the public to the meet. However, there is a very good story to tell and lots of selling points. I don't think the public will stay away if the Eastern Division does a good job of marketing. And given the past few years, I think the Eastern Division is doing a lot of things right.
George