I'm gonna refrain from posting my guess as some might say I had an unfair advantage! My magic 8-ball has been spot-on lately, except for picking Lottery numbers!

I'm thinking Atlantic City

Since Bill seems to have started a "contest" of sorts, I'll add some specifics that any wise organizer of a rod building event would have to consider in order to have the best chance at being successful.

1. 70% of the custom rod builders in North America live east of the Mississippi River. Your event should be within a single days drive of as many of those as possible. (Bonus tip #1 - No single state nor localized region contains enough rod builders to possibly make an event the size of the Expo possible. Any such rod building event held in say, California or Florida, will never draw enough people to keep 45 to 50 or more exhibitors happy.)

2. To obtain the best attendance, your event should be held during a time of the year that does not conflict with holidays, summer vacations nor good fishing weather.

3. If you understand the statement #2, then you will also need to consider the weather during that time of year and what geographic locations are least likely to suffer harsh conditions, while still remaining within a day's drive of #1.

4. The vast majority of the exhibitors in the custom rod building industry are "mom and pop" type operations. You must choose a location and a facility that is affordable for them, while still adhering to #'s 1, 2 and 3. (Here's bonus tip #2 - Not many could possibly afford to exhibit in a place such as Las Vegas and unless you have a large number of exhibitors you will not have a large number of attendees. Union shops are an almost automatic disqualifier - most in this industry can't afford them.)

5. Because as many as 25% to 30% of your attendees will be flying in, you must locate reasonably close (20 to 30 minutes out maximum) to an international airport. But you must not upset #'s 1, 2, 3 and 4.

In short, any sort of rod building event is difficult due to the particular demographics we're dealing with. Fail to fulfill any of the above and you're looking at a lackluster event, and that's the best case scenario. However, from the criteria I've listed above, it should be easy to determine the new location of the Expo. Let's see what happens.

The winner will receive a prize courtesy of Bill Stevens.

....................

PS High Point has been a tremendous success precisely because it meets/met all the criteria above.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/2012 09:00PM by Tom Kirkman.

My Girlfriend Ann Morgan said to post Knoxville, Tenn

I say Nashville, Tenn

OK ... thoughts revised to Greensboro in conjunction with the Outdoors Expo.

However, I really did like the idea of having it in Las Vegas during the same time as iCast ... "What happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas". Imagine the fun that Clyde could have in that town!!!!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/14/2012 09:41PM by Jim Gamble.

I say Baltimore, MD?

Mitch

Baltimore would be too handy ... I say somewhere very close to Beale St in Memphis, Tenn.

Bill, should I bring tackle to the swamp?


Clyde

I live in Concord, NC and I am starting to hate the whole idea of moving the show....It was good while it lasted.

My best to you Tom,
Chuck

P.S.
Greenville/Spartianburg SC

Wow-I just thought of something, maybe it will come right down the street here in Concord...That would be Great!!!

Chuck

Scott H. I see you may be enticed to gamble -

Your magic 8 ball works on 4 x 8 bar tables -

The black one may prove to be ineffective on big tables. LL "Wimpy" enjoys 9 Ball!

Seems like Tom K is sitting on the winning ticket for this table game -

Want to Raise or go All In covering my bet that the prize for naming the Host City has not been claimed by a previous post.

Hay Scott

Pick me a Stock

Bill - willierods.com

After going down Mr. Kirkman's list, and following his bonus tips!
I STILL keep my vote for Charlotte! Great place and looks like the best
choice!

The Virginia Beach Convention Center [www.visitvirginiabeach.com] maybe?

OK Bill. I gave the magic 8-ball a shake this morning and determined that it was gonna be somewhere in NC.

Knowing that the show has been in Charlotte before, I asked if there was going to be a repeat performance. it said "Very doubtful".

Being that the location has to be close to an airport, I asked it it was going to be in Greensboro....It said 'Don't count on it'.

A quick look at Google Maps and the lightbulb came on. I asked Winston-Salem. It said 'Ask again later".....so I asked again and it said "Signs point to yes"

So based on my Magic 8-Ball, my vote is Winston-Salem.

I second Winston-Salem. I think that it almost went there recently but didn't work out. Huge convention center adjacent to hotels [visitwinstonsalem.com]

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

I know that I already put in my vote but with the hints, seems something along the lines of Atlanta would meet most of the criteria..

To far south a lot of us come from the north. Atlanta is a 15+ hour drive from NJ. It hopefully will move further North not South.

Mitch

And then it would be too far from the southern guests and put us in greater jeopardy of bad weather for the time of the year when something like this must be held.

There are a number of criteria that all have to be met in order for something like the Expo to work - overlook any of them and you have just another rod building show with a couple hundred people on hand, and some very disappointed exhibitors.

..........

Durham might be nice. Marriott has a convention center attached to the hotel. Pretty close to the airport, AMTRAK service, right on I-85 and I-40 & not too far off I-95. Convention center Layout looks pretty good - Rates might be ok in February / March. Then again .... what's wrong with High Point or Greensboro?