A friend of mine recently pointed me towards Anthony, K3NG’s latest blog post, “It’s Not About Hara.” In this post, he says:
What bothers me is that some dismiss any commentary or criticism of the Xenia location as merely Hara Arena fanatics sore over the loss of Hara, or simply as complainers. That’s not the case. I’ll acknowledge that Xenia was likely the best choice out of a few choices at the time, but it’s just not well suited long term for the Hamvention. There’s a lack of major highways and hotels nearby. The mud pit parking has become legendary. The buildings are more suited to host livestock than technology. The flea market is in the grassy track center, because, well, there’s no where else to put it. And last, the venue doesn’t feel like the largest amateur radio gathering in the western hemisphere. It feels like a county fair with amateur radio.
While I must say that the Greene County Fairgrounds (I hesitate to call it an “expo center”) is a much better venue for Hamvention than the crumbling Hara Arena, and I have very much enjoyed the past three years there, Anthony’s points are well-taken (by me, at least). The first year, the flea market was absolutely impossible. Last year, the addition of the crushed ashphalt made the flea market pathways passable, but I’m glad that I wasn’t trying to sell stuff there. This year was much better, but only because we didn’t get much rain. A heavier than normal rainfall will once again turn the flea market and parking lot into a mud bowl.
Anthony notes that the buildings are more suited to livestock than technology, but I really feel for the exhibitors that are relegated to the tents. I spent the first year at a booth in one of them, and while there have been some improvements, they’re still not what I’d call “professional” in any way. I noted that many of the booths in the tents were vacant this year.
Another example is the “classroom” that I was assigned for my one-day Tech class. It’s an odd, poorly-ventilated room underneath the bleachers, that during the rest of the year is used as a storeroom. I even have to bring my own whiteboard! At least this year, it was moderately clean. Last year, I had to vacuum the rug and clean the dust and dirt off the tables.
So, no, Anthony, I am certainly not dismissing your comments about Hamvention. I don’t know what the Hamvention organizers’ long-range plans are, but I would also encourage them to think about whether or not Xenia should be the permanent home for Hamvention. It’s good where it is, so think about how much better it could be in a more modern venue.