Dayton Hamvention® 2017 Venue Announcement: Hamvention Moving

Just found this on the Hamvention Website and Yahoo Group:

"Dayton Hamvention® 2017 Venue Announcement: Hamvention Moving
The Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) regrets to inform our many vendors, visitors and stakeholders that, unfortunately, HARA has announced the closing of their facility. We have begun execution of our contingency plan to move Hamvention® 2017 to a new home.

DARA and Hamvention® have enjoyed many successful years working together with HARA Arena and we wish the Wampler family the best.

DARA and Hamvention® have been working on a contingency plan in the event HARA would become unavailable. We have spent many hours over the last few years evaluating possible locations and have found one in the area we believe will be a great new home! Due to logistics and timing issues, we will make a formal announcement introducing our new partner. This information will be coming soon. We all believe this new venue will be a spectacular place to hold our beloved event. Please rest assured we will have the event on the same weekend and, since it will be in the region, the current accommodations and outside events already planned for Hamvention® 2017 should not be affected.

We look forward to your continued support as we move to a new future with The Dayton Hamvention®.

Ron Cramer
General Chairman
Dayton Hamvention 2017"

http://hamvention.org/dayton-hamvention-2017-venue-announcement/

 

I am personally very excited and can't wait to hear what the new venue will be.

 

Having been a ham for some time now, I finally got to make my first trip to Dayton two years ago, and glad i did it. Some have complained about the site in recent years, but from my perspective, there was more to like than to complain about. Ohio weather at that time of year is sometimes an issue, and the arena may have seen better days, but seeing so many gathered with a common interest - and often a good story to share - more than makes up for it. I anxiously await the decision on a new venue, and hope that I am able to share the experience with friends in the future.

 

As a trucker going from Indianapolis thru Dayton daily for near 20 years I was a bit shocked hearing it on the local news radio program today. I have herd from several locals that plans were being worked on in the event this would happen. Wish the best of luck to the group that runs the Hamvention and looking forward to going to the new location next year.

Steve Wendt USN (Ret)
KB9RDS
Indianapolis, IN

 

Cancel your hotel reservations....bets are it won't be in Dayton, or near it. Probably an hour out of town is my bet.

Notice they say 'in the region'.....

 

W1YW, yes it will be. DARA has made plans.

 

It was silly to make an announcement and teasing a new 'venue' The only way to keep it in the area is VENUES. The options were articulated here, on QRZ , in April.

You cant assume that U of D and the convention center are going to work, together. The traffic cross town will be phenomenal. And th AF museum is too isolated for the Flea, even though the parking lot might work.

Hamvention wont do well if you break it into distinct clumps, like the Olympics.

Worrying about losing revenue for the city of Dayton shouldnt eclipse an all in one option , such as in Columbus.

We all knew Hara would close. They owed too much in back taxes. We all knew this and discussed it in April.

My opinions. Yours may differ.

 

Also, the headline should read: HARA CLOSES.

You dont tell someone youre moving without saying WHERE.

Just be honest with the attendees, dont need no spin doctoring....Wewill come if you tell us what you know....even now.

Otherwise many will assume there are not any booked venues....

Remembering the promises about the fixes at HARA that DIDNT happen last May...

 

While I knew this day was coming, it still set me back when I heard the news. I have so many fond memories of Hamvention at Hara:

I was there when it snowed. I was there when it rained (and rained and rained).

When Hamvention was in April it always landed up on my wife’s birthday. I always said “happy birthday, honey!” as I drove off to Dayton.

I was there when there was a tornado in close proximity.

I was there when they had porta-pottys set up by the arena and the “honey dippers” would overflow their load, which rolled down the flea market past the unsuspecting vendors’ feet! I was there when the sewer line popped and for the ensuing sign someone in the flea market made saying “Everything one turd off.” Then there was the “high water mark” tent support.

I was there the year Mendelson’s tent WASN’T there.

A thousand VERY fond memories of friends and events. Things seen and heard. Things in the flea market for sale: Like a real F16 flight simulator, a fire siren, lots of kitchen sinks, and more. Old Motorola mobile rigs used to hold tents down.

There was the year I got hit by a falling mast that made a gash in my head that blead profusely. I got to ride on one of those golf cart ambulances with the siren going. It was great. The paramedics patched me up but recommended I be checked out at the hospital. I told them “Your ass, hospital. This is Hamvention! I’m not leaving until it’s over!” I still have that dent in my head. I guess that explains much? I got a new ICOM hat (the old one was bloody) and I was good to go. (BTW, thanks to the Good Samaritan that helped me while I was bleeding up a storm.)

Speaking of ICOM – Remember when they had girls walking around in pajamas? Remember that robot at the ICOM booth? Was that a person in there? I still don’t know. Who was the weather station vender that had girls in bikinis? Remember that? I wonder how long it took them to realize that hams were more interested in a stack of old broken radios? hihi

If Hamvention is to move I have some demands to make:
It MUST BE as fun (or more fun) than previous years. (If possible)
- I demand that Joe be there with his “Cat in a Hat” hat.
- I demand that (I don’t know who he is) be there with the tall tower on his hat.
- I demand that the girl with the tower weaved into her hair be there.
- I demand that I get lost every year walking around like I do in Hara, even after going for over 30 years!
- I demand the equestrian club be there selling food where the girls yell “Yeee Haaaaw!” when the cashier yells “Big tipper here!”

Hara landed up as an old run-down, sad venue. God I'm going to miss it dearly. As ALWAYS – Hats off to the DARA and the Dayton Hamvention crew. I have no idea how you do it. A thousand blessings to you all.

Vy73
WC3O

 

I have been to every Hamvention but one since 1974. Your appreciation reflects my feelings entirely. Hamvention without Hara will be very different, but I hope that DARA can come up with something as good.

 

I went to my first Hamvention in 1995 and it was fun. I came away empty handed but the people and the vendors were fun. Now that I have a couple of bucks, I'd like to go again. I hope it will continue and attract more hams and wannabes as well.

 

My Best guess...
The City probably took HARA for back taxes.

There has been talk for several years of moving the montgomery county fairgrounds to the HARA site.
Hara will be Razed, And the new Fairgrounds will be built.
Then DARA, after a brief Hiatus, Will resume Hamvention operations at the new fairgrounds....

 

That would work. And when that happens, the OP would be news.

As it stands, the news is....HARA CLOSES.

 

I can't believe you didn't consider the Nez Perce Fairgrounds here in Lewiston, Idaho. Where is the love? *Sniff*

 

It had a good run.

There's bigger and better things moving forward.

Thanks to all who contributed over the years.