[Top of the Rock] Why is there a second day scheduled for the HamFest?

[Flack, Lee V.]

Hello!

Mr. Siegel, thank you for your e-mail message.  I am so sorry that you
were disappointed with our Hamfest, and that you were unable to attend
on Saturday.  History has shown that as you stated, Sunday is a rather
slow day.  And it is also a day where the hours are shorter, and our
Vendors do pack out. 

Let me try to answer some of your questions, and at least give you an
explanation as to why we have the show on Sunday.

The Alford Memorial Radio Club leases the Gwinnett County Fairgrounds
for our Annual Hamfest.  Since we have been a 2 day show for years, we
have continued on with that tradition.  Our lease cost for the
Fairgrounds costs us about the same cost if we lease for 1 day or 2
days.  So as far as costs go, it is not prohibitive for us to continue
the show on Sunday.

Most Hamfests across the nation have grown smaller, and smaller with
each passing year.  And as the shows have grown smaller in Attendance,
they have changed to 1 day only shows, in order to show any profit at
all from the show.  We have decided that since our costs are basically
the same for a 1 day show, or a 2 day show, we would remain as we have
been in the past, a 2 day show.

Some of the Vendors at the show do drive a very long distance to be part
of our show, and we do appreciate them supporting us over the years.
And your reason for trying to keep them on for Sunday, so that they did
not pack out early on Saturday, is probably very valid.  We do have
Vendors who only come for the 1 day, Saturday, and pack out when ever
they chose to on Saturday.  We do not have any provision in our Vendor
contract that requires them to stay till any certain time on any day of
the show.  It is left up to them to do what they think is in their best
interest.  And we do not "hold" them for any reason on any day, and I do
not think that we would want to even consider doing that.

Having the show on Sunday does allow some additional benefits.  Some of
those being, it allows us to have an additional VEC Testing Session on
Sunday morning.  Some people who "just missed" passing the Amateur Radio
Test on Saturday, hit the books and come back on Sunday morning for the
Testing Session, and in a lot of cases, pass the elements that they
failed on Saturday.  Another reason, is that, even though the hours are
shorter on Sunday, we open the gate at 8 am, and it gives those who came
on Saturday, and did not purchase the new equipment that they saw, to
come back and make that purchase on Sunday.  The Vendors at a Hamfest
usually have lower prices for equipment than they do at any other time.
So a savings is had for the customer, and a sale is made for the Vendor.
One of my last reasons, is the same as yours, some people are not able
to come to the show on Saturday, and for them attending on Sunday allows
them at least a chance to come and take in the show.  At what ever level
of Vendors, tail gaters, and Flea Market vendors are still there on
Sunday when they arrive at our show. 

I am sure that you are aware that this show is managed, and produced
entirely by Volunteers.  Alford Memorial Radio Club Hamfest Committee
members, Club members, and members in general of the Amateur Radio
Community provide the manpower to support this show.  Along with most of
the Vendors who do this as a part time business and activity to bring
their wares to these shows.

Hopefully I have provided some insight into our show, and what are the
reasons that we do what we do, and why we do it.  I would like to invite
you to come and attend one of our Alford Memorial Radio Club Meetings
anytime that you are available.  Our meetings are held the second
Thursday of each month, at the Annistown Road Baptist Church, at the
intersection of Annistown Road and Spain Drive, just off of HWY 78 and
East Park Place, just east of Stone Mountain.  Meeting time is 7:30 pm.
More information is available at http://www.totr-radio.org/  our AMRC
Web page.

Thank you again for taking your time to provide us with your thoughts,
and ideas.  Please feel free to contact me if you should like to discuss
this further, or if you have any questions.  My e-mail address is,
LVFlack at aol.com, and my phone number is 770-465-6415.

Lee V. Flack, Jr.
KD4HPD
Alford Memorial Radio Club
Membership Chairman
AMRC Past President

-----Original Message-----
From: hams-bounces at totr-radio.org [mailto:hams-bounces at totr-radio.org]
On Behalf Of Aron Siegel
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2006 3:28 PM
To: hams at totr-radio.org
Subject: [Top of the Rock] Why is there a second day scheduled for the
HamFest?


Hi there--

I love attending the Ham Fest.  I wish the Atlanta vicinity shows were
held
more often than just twice a year.  Let me preface all of my following
comments as someone speaking from outside the HAM radio world.  I am a
working audio professional, and I represent potential business.

Something's been bothering me for the past couple of years, and it seems
to
be an often familiar pattern.  That is, that the second day hours seem
to be
getting shorter.

I'm not sure how long ago, and how frequently this has been happening,
but
it starts with a few dealers and tables starting to pack up early (about
an
hour before closing), and then pretty soon other vendors start to pack
up
early too.  Then, potential customers pass by several empty tables and
realize there's nothing to see so they stop staying late or coming late.
Then the dealers and the show request that the hours be shortened the
next
year because there's not enough traffic later in the day.  So the show
shortens the hours.  The then whole process starts all over again.

I wasn't able to get to the show on Saturday, but I drove almost 300
miles
round trip to see the show on Sunday.  I got there at 12:30 pm and
everyone
was already packing up and getting ready to leave.  With the exception
of
about 10 vendors, everyone else had pretty much finished packing up.

This all leads to my SUBJECT question:

Why is there even a second day?  You guys open up in the morning for a
few
hours and then start packing.  I suppose having that second day still
serves
as a buffer.  It keeps everyone from starting to pack up at 3 pm on
Saturday, but that still doesn't address the issue.  If the Ham Fest is
supposed to be a two day event, then the vendors and the venue need to
assure potential customers that they'll be there up until close on the
second day.  If you're wondering why traffic has died down so much, or
you've complained that no one comes late on Sundays, now you know why.

And I'm not faulting any vendors that come from great distances about
their
needs to be on the road sooner--I'm just pointing out that you're ALL
paying
for two days and your fellow vendors are making it less attractive for
potential business to attend.  You need to commit to TWO days, and not
just
1 day with maybe a sprinkling here or there on day 2.


Thanks again for your time in reading this.  I wrote it specifically as
an
outsider's perspective as to something I've seen in business before, and
not
to slam anyone or anything like that.

Sincerely

Aron Siegel
Atlanta, GA


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