G3750 posted:irish rifle posted:
.
.
.
Two final points. First, Dan indicated that the Eastern Division's principal concern is attracting more members of the public to the York Meets and then converting them to become members, as the membership in the TCA ages and continues to decline, and will not be replenished from within. They figure that the best way to get the public there is on the weekends. Second, the Eastern Division recognizes that they have to advertise the Meets better than they have in the past, and in that regard they will be working with the Worlds Greatest Hobby Show principals to develop a marketing plan. This is very encouraging, as the Eastern Division has been unwilling to engage in such efforts in the past.
If attracting the public truly is the goal, then Saturday should be a full day (9-5) for the dealer halls. These are already open to the public, dealers are paying their employees, etc. - that should be used to full advantage. Advertising to the public is also less than adequate.
I am glad to see the Eastern Division addressing these issues. I love going to York and will continue to attend regardless of format.
George
If the management is serious about attracting the public and and younger members, this is the bare minimum that needs to happen. Speaking as someone who attended their first York meet this past weekend (is also 31 and have attended many conventions and shows that are not train-related), the whole show is a mess in IMHO. Specifically the organization of the show and the public outreach, not necessarily the amount of dealers or product available. It was incredibly obvious that the best way to experience York was to already be familiar with it, and that this insular in-group dynamic is encouraged. This has to change if you want to attract the public (or not, but then you can't claim that you are interested in the public or new members).
