Attendance figure at York this Oct.

Eddie,

What you mean is that there were over 13,000 registrations for the Oct 2013 York Meet.

I'm not sure how anyone could tell how many were actually there.

For comparison, registrations from a previous post after the April meet were:

April 2013          12929

April 2012          13403

October 2011     13608

April 2011          13521

October 2010     13648

April 2010          13749

Overall, good news I'd say.

I can assure you, nobody can.  They have registration numbers, not attendance numbers.

She didn't have an exact number yet.

Why does it take any long period of time to figure out how many registrations they had? It's just the sum of 3 numbers.

Add the number of registrations via the web site, plus those via mail and those who paid at the door. These 3 numbers should have been available since the day after the show.

What am I missing?

Kind of like the Obama care website signup statistics

I can assure you there were a whole bunch of people there!  I counted at least eleventy-seven and then some!

The folks who registered but couldn't make it?

---PCJ

I don't care what the numbers were.
I was there Thursday and Friday.

From what I saw, the folks there on Thursday were older.

The crowds were not the largest I have ever seen there, but at times the isles were certainly congested.

The attendees age was more varied on Friday.

I even saw some children, either walking, or in backpack style carriers.

The crowd was larger.

There were times the isles were congested,

How about giving the criticism of York, Eastern Division, and the TCA a rest!

I don't know what the actual numbers were--I wasn't able to attend, but I did register--but I can assure folks that virtually all who did attend had a great time.  

The preoccupation with actual numbers is pretty much meaningless since the event was, from all accounts I've read or heard, obviously very successful.

They should embed an RFID tag inside each badge. This way they can track actual attendance as well as which halls are visited most often.

It could also be used to keep track of who is walking against the arrows in the aisles.

Who cares.  You pay to register, that is the count.  We don't need the added expense of a counter of any type.  Everyone would gripe when the had to pay more to register.

You could have 2 people show up but if 13,000 registers that's all that counts.

Bazinga!

As I noted on one or more of these seemingly endless threads earlier on, that would not work because there is unrestricted movement onto the fairgrounds, through multiple gates, and unrestricted movement between halls.  The same person/badge would be counted multiple times, with no way to assure an accurate number.

In addition to the cost and needless hassle, it would accomplish nothing of any meaningful value, and that really is the bottom line.  Who, aside from Eastern Division meet organizers, even cares, or should even care?

quote:

Who, aside from Eastern Division meet organizers, even cares, or should even care?

I highly doubt that the Eastern Division meet organizers care. They probably care about how many registrations they receive, and the overall climate of the show. The actual number of attendees isn't that important.
There is no way they could justify the expense and attendee inconvience of counting them. We have people complaining about just showing their badges!

Allan, I think tr18 was joking given the recent revelations about the NSA and smart hones.

I work for the USPS and the idea has popped up about giving packages the RFID tags that tr18 mentioned. Each tag has it's own unique code this way if a package is lost it can be more easily found.

So if each person who showed up to the meet was issued one of these tags the Eastern Div could track that person where ever they go as long as it is in the range of the tag. I have been told that these aren't that expensive which is why companies like UPS and Fed Ex have considered using them. I agree with you that no way is the Eastern Div going to invest in such technology just to know how many folks showed up at the York meet or to enforce their rules unless there is someone like J Edgar Hoover running the Eastern Div.

I'm glad that the number of registrations has stayed basically level. I keep hearing how we are losing guys in this hobby. Just this past York we remembered Lou Caponi and Bill Parisi. I went to the Metca Banquet last Saturday night and found out that Donald Brill, who I talked to once because I bought tables at his show, had passed away. He seemed like a nice guy. And don't forget we lost Marty Horning this past year. He was another nice guy who I talked to at various NJ Hi Railers shows.

I sometimes wonder what the motivation is to have to know the exact numbers. More interesting would be to know "dollar sales". A Greenberg show will pull a huge number of people over a weekend, but I'd guess the dollar sales are not all that high.

quote:

I sometimes wonder what the motivation is to have to know the exact numbers. More interesting would be to know "dollar sales". A Greenberg show will pull a huge number of people over a weekend, but I'd guess the dollar sales are not all that high.

The PA tax department might have sales figures for the dealer halls.
There is absolutely no reason for the Eastern Division to be privy to those numbers.
The sales space is not based on a commission.

Sales figures for the member halls aren't and should not be available.

After all, we are all just trading, aren't we?

Well, yes and no.  The folks selling and displaying there would care.

The NSA probably knows.

....I'm just sayin'.....

It was crowded at times.  It was fun.  I did see young kids there.  I saw young women there too.  Good for the hobby.  I left more informed, more poor and drooling at what I could do with an unlimited budget.  I think that is what really counts?

You know what, I didn't expect all these technical & negative answers. All anyone had to say was, Wow 13,000 what a great meet. It was the best one ever for me, & I have been to more than all of you.

quote:

You know what, I didn't expect all these technical & negative answers.

Now you know better. You cannot make a post about York, the Eastern Division, or the TCA without someone making negative comments.

I think the OGRR should add them to the naughty words list.

Wow!  Over 13,000 registrations, what a great meet!

I, too, had one of my best meets.

It seems to me that we are comparing the same registration numbers for this meet as for all the previous and the fact it is actually up should be a positive sign to the naysayers.  (But then again, naysayers seldom find good news anywhere!)

Happy railroading,

Don

Eddie,

You know what, I didn't expect all these technical & negative answers. All anyone had to say was, Wow 13,000 what a great meet.

With all due respect, you made a statement with no specific information and that had an unnamed source. It's very difficult to simply accept such a statement as an actual "fact".

While I'm certain that you believe this statement to be true, statements of this kind may cause others, myself included, to seek some kind of verification.

Gee Barry,

How often do you make statements without supporting documentation that you expect others to be taken as fact?

Sheesh...some folks are just too much.

5k, 10k, 12k, 13k.....whatever the number it's great a TCA Chapter can have a successful meet over a few days at which the overwhelming majority of attendees had a great time.

--Greg

I had a great time, bought trains, saw friends, talked way too much, and smiled all the way home. Sounds like I had a great time. 

Now there is a man with the correct attitude.

13,000 is a nice number.  How many of the 13,000 were dealers or booth holders?

A fair question!  I assume--perhaps wrongly, of course--the 13,000 figure includes all who registered, including dealers, helpers, sellers, etc.  In other words, all the warm bodies attending.  But again, does it really matter?

I figure the day will come when the York Meet will fill the Orange Hall and perhaps one other (possible silver/blue).  Won't matter to me if only a couple of thousand attend; I'll still have a grand time.  And it'll be easy to spot Eddie G. in the "crowd."

I know this is a touchy subject, but since I learned that taxes are collected in the dealer halls and not in the member halls.  What would the attendance be if the three dealer halls were opened to the general public?

It would be like beating a dead horse. 

--Greg

It would be down by about 8,000 or so because many members would, rather quickly, no longer regard the meet as a unique and special event.  Little reason to shell out the money and travel a significant distance just to attend an event like any of the others one can find closer to home.

I guess this presupposes that the goal of the EDTCA would be raise attendance at York.  I think the goal is probably to raise active membership of the TCA. That would raise York attendance.

I for one am just happy York exists.  I haven't been going all that long but I've spent a bunch of money. learned a buch of stuff and met a bunch of new folks!   All in all a winner for me. 

The meet would die and would no longer be unique.  The member halls would be down significantly since all members would now have to register with the PA Dept of Revenue and pay tax on their sales.

Some of you still don't believe that, based on agreements with the PA Dept of Revenue, the meet will never be opened to the public.

A good illustration of this would be a comparison of the York Meet as it is now with the Greenberg Train Shows that are held at the very same venue.  Greenberg shows are open to the public, yet they do not draw anywhere near the participation, either by attendees or sellers/manufacturers.

Andy

I thought the big draw at York was the collectors and the older pre and post war stuff.  I'm sure the members that go to York for the old stuff would still attend.  Attracting new people should be a priority.  I'm sure I'm not the only one that only buys newer items.  Providing a larger audiance would attract more quality dealers.

If the meet were open to the public atleast 3 more people would come.

I guess you thought wrong.

It a lot of things to lot of train collectors and operators.

Anyone can attend, just join the TCA.

C.W.,

How often do you make statements without supporting documentation that you expect others to be taken as fact

When I can demonstrate something is as I say it is, I state it as a fact. When I think something is as I say it is, I state it as an opinion.

Any time I deviate from that, be sure to tell me so. However, until you can do so, kindly give it a rest.