Did, is this going to happen in 2022???, this Fall? I don't find anything beyond 2021 posted on net....
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The outfit hosting it, which publishes some online magazines, shut it down last year. They apparently tried to get someone to take over but no one stepped up. so they let the hotel contracts lapse and gave it up.
There is an NMRA show sometime this fall in the Indy area that sounds interesting.
@prrjim posted:The outfit hosting it, which publishes some online magazines, shut it down last year. They apparently tried to get someone to take over but no one stepped up. so they let the hotel contracts lapse and gave it up.
There is an NMRA show sometime this fall in the Indy area that sounds interesting.
I went to the NMRA show at the Franklin IN fair grounds. It was a great show. Lot's of venders were there.
I don't remember seeing any O scale 2 rail but I wasn't looking for any.
@prrjim posted:The outfit hosting it, which publishes some online magazines, shut it down last year. They apparently tried to get someone to take over but no one stepped up. so they let the hotel contracts lapse and gave it up.
Next O scale meet is the Strasburg meet on Oct 15th. Check out the Announcements area.....
As I recall, the Indianapolis O meet was cancelled because the hotel wanted a serious increase in hall rental fees for future years (along the lines of what 2 weddings might bring in) which the show manager / owner was afraid would price them too high to obtain maximum attendance. They looked around and asked others for alternatives, but what they got was (1) don't raise the table or attendance fees, (2) stay in a major metropolitan area or maybe even move to a larger metropolitan area, regardless of cost, and (3) change the time of year for this show and don't change the time of year.
No useful consensus, so show is on hiatus, not actually ended, yet.
Chuck
The Indy show was a very nice regional 1 day show. HOwever, it never quite made it to a two day show. Whether it is the region or something else. As a one day show, why do you need to rent a big expensive fancy hotel? When I go to a train show, my budget is aimed at the trains, not the restaurants and the hotel rooms. I don't care for the big expensive places personally.
The Cleveland show is an example of what appears to be a successful one day show. It is currently being held in a union hall. It has been in a college Gymnasium, and it has been in a hotel ballroom. There are lots of less expensive venues, if you aim at a one day show vs trying to make it much bigger multi day event.
Perhaps the Indy show could back to its roots and settle on a one day show in a less expensive venue.
Answer:. No show in 2022. Thanks to all.. l got an email making me think l was missing it this weekend.
The Indy show was a very nice regional 1 day show. HOwever, it never quite made it to a two day show.
How soon we forget - it was a 2 day show that was a full day on Fri (9-5) and Sat. (9-2). That vendors started packing up at 11 am on Sat. was just another symptom of why shows fail.
I haven't figured out how the Strasburg show works, except by a long drive by car, as l do . l just checked flying into Lancaster... Southern Airways Express flies from Pittsburgh and Dulles to Lancaster, but no way directly from northeast., no other airlines into Lancaster, and rental cars at Lancaster Apt.? I could fly into Pitt. and on to Lancaster directly, but on Southern Airways Express Cessna's and Pipers, not 747's. I don't think there is any way to get to Strasburg by train... No run into town on the Strasburg ... Amtrak to Lancaster, and then rental car? People get there. How do you do it, if by public transportation.?
@colorado hirailer posted:I haven't figured out how the Strasburg show works, except by a long drive by car, as l do . l just checked flying into Lancaster...
I didn't even know that Lancaster had an airport!
I'd be a wee bit leery of flying there:
Maybe fly in Harrisburg........
The Reading PA airport or even Philly PHL with a rental car is another alternative. Less than an hour from the Reading airport over an hour from PHL airport.
Provide your location, maybe prospect for a local car pool ride from an airport??
Vendors don't start packing up if they are selling stuff. They start packing up early if no one is buying what they are selling, Remember they are business people for the most part, and if sales are not happening, they decide it is not worth more of their time.
@colorado hirailer posted:I haven't figured out how the Strasburg show works, except by a long drive by car, as l do . l just checked flying into Lancaster... Southern Airways Express flies from Pittsburgh and Dulles to Lancaster, but no way directly from northeast., no other airlines into Lancaster, and rental cars at Lancaster Apt.? I could fly into Pitt. and on to Lancaster directly, but on Southern Airways Express Cessna's and Pipers, not 747's. I don't think there is any way to get to Strasburg by train... No run into town on the Strasburg ... Amtrak to Lancaster, and then rental car? People get there. How do you do it, if by public transportation.?
I would think if you took the train to Lancaster, the Uber/Lyft to the firehouse would be the easiest thing to do. PHL is on the complete wrong side of Philly, it’ll leave you with an hour and a half ish (more???) drive. Harrisburg is closer, a pretty straight shot down 283 and you can fly there from a lot of hub cities.
@prrjim posted:
Vendors don't start packing up if they are selling stuff. They start packing up early if no one is buying what they are selling, Remember they are business people for the most part, and if sales are not happening, they decide it is not worth more of their time.
Jim,
You're implying that they would use that extra time to go somewhere else where they might actually sell more stuff. Unfortunately it's not gonna happen the same day. The day is written off.
I would expect them to stick around instead, complain about the poor sales until closing time, not reserve a table for the next year, and use that spare time to go somewhere else where they might actually sell more stuff.
Mike
@mwb posted:How soon we forget - it was a 2 day show that was a full day on Fri (9-5) and Sat. (9-2). That vendors started packing up at 11 am on Sat. was just another symptom of why shows fail.
@prrjim posted:
Vendors don't start packing up if they are selling stuff. They start packing up early if no one is buying what they are selling, Remember they are business people for the most part, and if sales are not happening, they decide it is not worth more of their time.
I live near Indianapolis. Not a 2-rail O guy, but I try to support any local show. The last time I attended this show was several years ago; it was before I retired, so I could only go on Saturday. I arrived shortly after it opened on Saturday morning - the admission charge was around $20 (a typical local show was $3-4 at the time), which included the privilege of visiting some local layouts. Since I had never seen the layouts, I paid the money. Entered the small trading hall only to find that many of the vendors were already gone and most of the others were hurrying to pack up. Went to visit visit the layouts - two of them had virtually no scenery and one was not capable of running a train.
To say that I felt disappointed and ripped off is an epic understatement, and I hope it's understandable why I never went back.
I understand that 2-rail O is a niche market and there are a lot of expenses involved. But if you're going to put on a 2-day show, MAKE SURE THAT THE VENDORS STICK AROUND and have the layout hosts prepared to offer a worthwhile experience.
I don't know how many other local people had an experience similar to mine (probably not enough to provide sufficient additional revenue), but I do know that a local NMRA show (all scales) in late August drew 1100 attendees. Really seems like the O-scale bunch should have considered combining their show with another local event, but for whatever reasons they chose not to.
@prrjim posted:
Vendors don't start packing up if they are selling stuff. They start packing up early if no one is buying what they are selling, Remember they are business people for the most part, and if sales are not happening, they decide it is not worth more of their time.
That's wishful thinking.
I was a table holder there for several years representing a business as well. Every year I did that show as a vendor I watched better than 1/2 the room start packing at noon, if not earlier. It did not matter who or how many were coming in the door or not -- they packed and hit the road. We usually had some of our better sales on Sat. but the room was clearing out fast. Since we were not leaving until the next morning, we stayed to the bitter end.
Harrisburg International (which is actually located in Middletown would be your best fly in. It is right along 283. Short ride to Lancaster.
Coming in from the West to Strasburg is (my opinion) a bit of a PITA as you hit a lot of tourist traffic on 30.
Here's a radical thought: Hold the Fall show in York, and people could hit both the TCA and the 2 rail show.
The old EOS shows split off one of the 3 shows to a different locale and they all seemed to do well.
ECI
If you want to keep vendors in place until a certain time, add a refundable surcharge. If table holders leave before a certain time the surcharge is forfeited. At the given time the promoter can walk around and hand out the surcharge to those still in place.
@EastCoastIron posted:If you want to keep vendors in place until a certain time, add a refundable surcharge. If table holders leave before a certain time the surcharge is forfeited. At the given time the promoter can walk around and hand out the surcharge to those still in place.
That would be a popular thing to do. 
