March Meet 20

Yes, just who is going this year? 

Love to go, but the older i get, the less I am interested in loooooooooooong drives. Finances are also an issue, so the decision is easy. Be waiting for Dan Dawdy's Pics! Dan....less pictures of tables piled up with boxes. Other than that, a great job, and thanks ahead of time!

Simon

Well, I'm going in driving 500 miles Wed, hit Des Plaines Hobbies Thurs, then we'll see.

Dick

I'm going MWB, but in all fairness, I also live 5 miles away so if something else comes up or changes, it's easy to reschedule.

If I had to travel a great distant (definition of great distant may very) I would have no problem skipping the meet. I have not gone to York in probably 10 years and don't really miss it either.

I do hope someone picks up the show, there should be some news after the show. It might make more sense to bring two shows together...

Charlie

I'm planning on being there Saturday.
I wasn't aware the show was in jeopardy of closing. I guess that makes it even more important to attend in case it's the last one!

Simon Winter posted:

Love to go, but the older i get, the less I am interested in loooooooooooong drives.

Flying in,

Finances are also an issue, so the decision is easy.

Been selling stuff off all year so far, but really need nothing other than detail parts......

I'm going.

Jay

Amy and I will be there and again running the contest room. Looking forward to seeing old friends again.

The Rockford O Scalers will be there.  Also the ROS layout will be open 7-9 pm on Saturday and 12-6 pm on Sunday.  We will be running a lot of Milwaukee stuff in honor of Greg Anderson who passed away on 1/15/2020.   

Sure hope somebody takes it over...l repeat myself to say a lot of O scale was made in Chicago and Milwaukee, and none shows up at Wheaton.

I'm flying in Friday before lunch, hit Des Plaines then to the show.  I leave Sunday afternoon.  

I can't see this being the last year as it has to be a money maker for whoever wants to do it.  Hotel rooms are reasonably priced.  The food in the hotel is good and reasonably priced and the dealers move product!!!

VGN64 posted:

I'm flying in Friday before lunch, hit Des Plaines then to the show.  I leave Sunday afternoon.  

I can't see this being the last year as it has to be a money maker for whoever wants to do it.  Hotel rooms are reasonably priced.  The food in the hotel is good and reasonably priced and the dealers move product!!!

Except, the long standing contract between the operators of the March Meet (Hobbyhill, Inc) and that Westin Lombard Yorktown Center hotel expires at the end of this Mach Meet 2020. More than one person has been interested in continuing the Chicago March Meet, except the Westin Hotel has raised the rate for that big ball-room, to the point that future March Meets may just not be viable. It is NOT the prices of the rooms, nor how much attendees purchase.

Hot Water posted:

Except, the long standing contract between the operators of the March Meet (Hobbyhill, Inc) and that Westin Lombard Yorktown Center hotel expires at the end of this Mach Meet 2020. More than one person has been interested in continuing the Chicago March Meet, except the Westin Hotel has raised the rate for that big ball-room, to the point that future March Meets may just not be viable. It is NOT the prices of the rooms, nor how much attendees purchase.

Room nights are only a part of the picture for such an event; probably some number required to get that room rate.  That ball room and the other rooms that are in use (contest room, clinics and meetings) all figure into the contract. 

Sales are not even relevant to the issue.  Table prices for vendors might be however.

If the show was such a money maker, I can guarantee the show would have been picked up by another party already. One of the largest, if not the largest producers of train shows across the country is also based in the Chicago area. I know he has been made aware of the opportunity of the March Meet, and as of this writing, no public news has been announced.

Usually shows of this nature are done for the love of the hobby and if they make money for the operators than all the better. 

I was not aware of the contact issue with the hotel that Hotwater mentioned above, but the room is a/the big cost and almost always gets lumped in with a room minimum/night stay minimum that if not met, comes off the bottom line.

I suspect that there are a lot of "unpaid" hours that go into producing a show of this size and quite frankly, such a narrow scope of the hobby. 

With no inside information, I think you will see this show combine with another show to get the most bang for the buck for the producer.

Charlie

I currently do 7 shows a year minimum for Sunset Models / 3rd Rail / Golden Gate Depot and have for about 25 years.   Scott Mann, owner of Sunset has come to Chicago for the last 10 years or so. But he is not traveling this year. I expect to be there though.

I was one of 7 folks who were involved in running the O scale national convention in Towson (Baltimore), Maryland in 2009.  We made about $8000 from the 2009 convention - $3000 of which was from the sale of convention cars. I estimate that we each made perhaps a dollar per hour from the convention. It was done for the hobby's benefit - not to make money.

Charlie's comments (see the previous post) are on the money in my opinion.

In my opinion the March Meet would not have to be held in a hotel;  other options should be be looked into.  Yes, I agree, it's convenient, especially for table holders, but hardly a necessity;  on occasions I've stayed with a fellow 0 Scaler who lived in Downers Grove when I've had a table, and did not find it that inconvenient compared to staying in the hotel.

I also would like to see the March Meet become the May Meet, or something like that, for two reasons:

-  I don't like driving in freezing weather [ or, to be more correct, other people's driving in freezing weather ]

-  I'm getting too old to railfan the Chicago area in typical Chicago March weather

In short, I think the March Meet could use a fresh look at everything.  It could actually be better.  Imagine that.

Disclaimer:  I am staying at the hotel this year, as the previous two years, both with and without a table.

SZ

Steinzeit posted:

In my opinion the March Meet would not have to be held in a hotel;  other options should be be looked into.

Find a "hall" large enough is the most important factor, thus a big hotel. Any "convention center" in the Chicago metro are would probably be cost prohibitive.

  Yes, I agree, it's convenient, especially for table holders, but hardly a necessity;  on occasions I've stayed with a fellow 0 Scaler who lived in Downers Grove when I've had a table, and did not find it that inconvenient compared to staying in the hotel.

I also would like to see the March Meet become the May Meet, or something like that, for two reasons:

-  I don't like driving in freezing weather [ or, to be more correct, other people's driving in freezing weather ]

-  I'm getting too old to railfan the Chicago area in typical Chicago March weather

In short, I think the March Meet could use a fresh look at everything.  It could actually be better.  Imagine that.

Disclaimer:  I am staying at the hotel this year, as the previous two years, both with and without a table.

SZ

Steinzeit posted:

I am staying at the hotel this year, as the previous two years, both with and without a table.

SZ

Yes, my 2nd year flying in so no selling tables again,

As with the Indy meet last September, sadly I am unable to go this year.    Family comes first.  God willing,  I can resume later in the year. 

Certainly the location of the Westin Lombard plays a huge part in attracting groups with deep pockets that would be willing to pay any fee for their accommodations.   

Further west would be a challenge... but something close by but not in Chicagoland might be nice.

I can't fly, my arms get too tired, not to mention how do I carry all that neat stuff? It seems obvious that whoever picks up this show is going to have to think outside the box, and forget about the Westin. Go to a smaller town/city in the area. Doesn't  have to be in a ballroom, no one's going dancing! Get all the exhibitors in a block of rooms and display/sell their stuff in their rooms. Emphasize to the municipality the boost in restaurant trade for those days. There certainly must be places that would be glad to have an influx of cash. Move it 500 miles east and I might go.

Simon

there are many venues in the Chicago area like Rosemont that is near O'Hare with a train(CTA) line running thru it to Chicago.

Rosemont is next to DesPlaines where there is a nice Casino and plenty of starred restaurants and other hotels. Never understood Lombard location.

Some of you experts should just take over the show and show us how to do it,

Jim Anderson and I are coming in from the Detroit area. I am glad that there is a show to go to.   Al

Having all the vendor tables in one room at the Westin is the major improvement over Arlington. Many locations, such as Rosemont, are most likely more expensive. Others lack close lodging and dining. The current location has easy access by road and is not far from O'Hare and avoids nightmare Chicago traffic. 

There are two O scalers who have been trying to get this going. I have been involved only giving advice. The best proposal they have is, i feel, still to high. The current hotel wants north of $30,000 for the ballrooms. A new hotel is wanting $10,000 on a proposal. That does not include tax and gratuity so we'll tack on another $3500 to that. Then there are the 300 room nights the hotel wants. Even with 10% attrition that is a killer. All it takes is one think like the current situation to have so many cancelations that you are deep in the hole. Also it's in Cook county so you have union issues as far as power etc...

My wife Amy was in the hotel business for over 10 years at Hilton International in Chicago and then out in the northern burbs. She know the business and the contracts. Our contract with the Indy show is over 20 pages. You better have someone that knows what's going to negotiate that.

When we looked at moving Indy we did a large search within 200 miles and saw how easy it would be to go bust.

Don't want a hotel, no problem. We looked at fairgrounds, convention centers and more. The first look at pricing may look good but then they add all the extras like parking, set up and tear down, security, power, tables,  linens....

Anyone want to pony up and guarantee $20,000 up front we'll talk.

I will drive the grueling 11.66 miles to Lombard for the Show and will be completely encased in bubble wrap to defend against disease. Looking forward to the show, as always, am very appreciative of the Hill family's support, and hope a new operator materializes.  

Sadly, I will not be going to the potentially last Chicago O Scale Meet this year.  Last I spoke to Bob Heil, he will be there to carry the Sunset Models flag with brochures of current and future productions.

Scott Mann

As a non-Chicagoan, I have heard many horror stories of dealing with Hotels in the Union run areas.    I would probably not bother with a table if they moved to that kind of a locale.    My worst experience at a chicago show was an O Scale National many years ago when my 35mm camera and attachments were stolen from the train show room.   

Please be advised that the Westin Hotel is in Lombard, IL, i.e. NOT Cook County, nor within the city limits of Chicago.

mark s posted:

I will drive the grueling 11.66 miles to Lombard for the Show and will be completely encased in bubble wrap to defend against disease.

Do leave a bit of room for breathing,

Looking forward to the show, as always, am very appreciative of the Hill family's support, and hope a new operator materializes.  

Here, here!

I realize the Lombard is not in Chicago - it is obvious.   What I was trying to say was that if it moved in, I might still attend, but not get a table.    I do have tables at this show and have for a few years.

prrjim posted:

I realize the Lombard is not in Chicago - it is obvious.   What I was trying to say was that if it moved in, I might still attend, but not get a table.    I do have tables at this show and have for a few years.

Just my opinion but, I don't believe any potential organizer willing to "take over" the March Meet, would EVER consider relocating to ANY venue within Cook County or Chicago.

railroad-guy posted:

There are two O scalers who have been trying to get this going. I have been involved only giving advice. The best proposal they have is, i feel, still to high. The current hotel wants north of $30,000 for the ballrooms. A new hotel is wanting $10,000 on a proposal. That does not include tax and gratuity so we'll tack on another $3500 to that. Then there are the 300 room nights the hotel wants. Even with 10% attrition that is a killer. All it takes is one think like the current situation to have so many cancelations that you are deep in the hole. Also it's in Cook county so you have union issues as far as power etc...

My wife Amy was in the hotel business for over 10 years at Hilton International in Chicago and then out in the northern burbs. She know the business and the contracts. Our contract with the Indy show is over 20 pages. You better have someone that knows what's going to negotiate that.

When we looked at moving Indy we did a large search within 200 miles and saw how easy it would be to go bust.

Don't want a hotel, no problem. We looked at fairgrounds, convention centers and more. The first look at pricing may look good but then they add all the extras like parking, set up and tear down, security, power, tables,  linens....

Anyone want to pony up and guarantee $20,000 up front we'll talk.

That is exactly the same experience OSW had when we changed the dates from Late Jan/early Feb to Memorial day weekend or pay the price.  Participants want the colocated hotel/venue and they want layouts to tour.  Costs more than doubled at any location we looked into that met these two criteria.  Many vendors ship their stuff to the show and take Uber/Lyft or a taxi from the airport to the venue and other attendees are likewise.  They, like me, do NOT want to rent a car.

Look forward to seeing everyone this weekend ...I'll be hosting an open house Saturday night for those who like antique / vintage O scale . 

With much the March meet will continue in one form or another .

Cheers Carey 

Steinzeit posted:

In my opinion the March Meet would not have to be held in a hotel;  other options should be be looked into.  Yes, I agree, it's convenient, especially for table holders, but hardly a necessity;  on occasions I've stayed with a fellow 0 Scaler who lived in Downers Grove when I've had a table, and did not find it that inconvenient compared to staying in the hotel.

I also would like to see the March Meet become the May Meet, or something like that, for two reasons:

-  I don't like driving in freezing weather [ or, to be more correct, other people's driving in freezing weather ]

-  I'm getting too old to railfan the Chicago area in typical Chicago March weather

In short, I think the March Meet could use a fresh look at everything.  It could actually be better.  Imagine that.

Disclaimer:  I am staying at the hotel this year, as the previous two years, both with and without a table.

SZ

The only problem moving the Chicago Meet to May would be school graduations and the attendant family parties. I know when my daughter graduated from college, nothing could draw me away. When my grandson graduates from high school, I'll be there.

Dick

CBQer posted:

Steinzeit posted:

I also would like to see the March Meet become the May Meet, or something like that, for two reasons:

 

The only problem moving the Chicago Meet to May would be school graduations and the attendant family parties. I know when my daughter graduated from college, nothing could draw me away. When my grandson graduates from high school, I'll be there.

Dick

Just to add on what Dick posted above, moving the meet to May also competes with Weddings... good luck with that. If you think the price of the show is too much in March, what makes you think it will be less expensive in May?

The bottom line is, will know more after the show. 

Charlie

rattler21 posted:

Could The March Meet and the Indy O&S Meet be morphed into a single meet?  John in Lansing, ILL

Bar none the WORST idea so far. Why swould you mess with a well functioning existing meet?

Here's a suggestion to look into. If you want a new venue, check out the Pheasant Run Resort near St. Charles, ILL. on Rt. 64 west of Chicago. I've attended a couple of National shows there (they had nothing to do with Model Trains) and they have everything that would be needed there, and I'm betting the price is way less than anything in the immediate Chicago area. Whatcha got to lose?

Too far for my old bones these days, but I think it might be a winner location wise.

Simon

Leaving this AM for the March meet. Looking forward to seeing all !!!

John P. Dunn Sr

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