It is less than two weeks to the Dayton/Xenia Hamvention 2022 event.
So far I have spoken to only a couple of hams that are planning to attend this 2022 event, from the group who I’ve either done part of past Hamventions with or would get together with them at Hamvention.
The numbers from my area going to Dayton/Xenia seem significantly down – maybe 25% of the usual group is going. Haven’t heard of any of the younger area hams going at all.
Here are some of the reasons I have heard:
- CCP-19 Virus (aka Covid-19) remains a biggie.
- Costs of fuel and everything else.
- Low Awareness of Anything New
- Uncertainty – here less than two weeks prior the isn’t a definitive health statement making one uncertain if even the organizers harbor concerns with gathering up so many hams
- The combined Greene County/Ohio State Sales tax burden (said to be 8.75%?!)
- Same deals being offered on the internet as are available if you attend.
- So many items being out of stock, so if you want to buy you are placing an order rather than walking out with the cutting edge XYZ-123 unit then and there
- Many of the Dayton era attendees are simply “old” and not travel-able
- Lower numbers of DXpeditions and missed years means less war stories to be be told at Hamvention
- Hams having missed previous events are struggling to reclaim their “Dayton Time Window” from among other family plans and pressures that took over.
- Reduced event Promotion – many hams said they didn’t get the mailings and emails that strategically used to appear to puff up the event and banquets.
- Alternatives (Hamcation being somewhere warm in Winter was mentioned by snow country hams)
- Less exhibitors (see https://www.make-it.ca/hamvention2022-indoor/)
I am not going, but really not for any one single reason.
Rather in my personal take the ROI (Return on Investment) for attending Hamvention is all about people – the other hams I know and can meet there. Since so many are giving Hamvention 2022 a miss as I’m not eager to drive and attend alone.
73
Steve
K9ZW
With Varying Frequency - Amateur Radio Ponderings 
I was considering heading out to Dayton – erm Xenia this year. A couple friends were going. I even checked out about hotels in the area. But when it became time to hit the reservation button, I ran out of the desire to go. After they moved from Hara to the cow barns, I just lost the desire to attend. By the way, there were lots of rooms available like a week ago, if that tells us anything about likely attendance
This will be my first, and possibly last, Hamvention since 2015. Reasons for going are: mostly bored after two years of 15 days to flatten the curve, the particular special interest groups I follow are there in full(?) force, I would like to see the new venue at least once, and having a shallow turnout will make things easier to get around such as pit stops and gourmet Hamvention fast good. Locally, very few of the usual crowd are going compared to recent years.
I think Dayton-Xenia will be poorly attended this year even though the WX looks to be warm (almost hot) with possible rain Saturday (but will likely be Sunday, as NOAA predictions are notably rushed +24hrs when more than 3 days out).
I’m not hearing any 146.520/144.200, I-75 chatter from the MI boys going south. Or I-70 chatter coming from Indiana. The price of gas just jumped ~50cents/gal to $4.38/gal here in no-where’s-ville OH.
Last evening via national news I heard another strain of Covid is coming to do a summer-time scare to get all wanting another big pharma JAB, increasing Pharma revenues. Masks are no longer required in OH but that can change over night with the right CDC political push.
Issue, for me, is I’ve NOT seen any pre-sale-info being released to get anyone worked up to touch a new radio/antenna – nothing. The big three is now the big two unless Flex or Elecraft is sliding into Kenwood’s slot?!?
I live only 35mi north of Hara and volunteered for over a decade to assist at Dayton (getting free ticket & up-front site parking) as a VEC & Special Event OP. Where Hara had poorly operating lavatories – Xenia has no cow barn HVAC or sun shaded sitting/eating area and ankle high rain water making the swap area into a swamp – Xenia is JUST a county Fairgrounds that does not turn me on. I made the first three Xenia Hamventions and just have no desire to return.
However, a Dayton/Xenia Hamvention is a pilgrimage that all HAMs should make once in your life – it is unique and ‘copied’ all over the USA. The next Hamvention of greatness is (all inside coliseum) the weekend (also WI/MI gun Deer Hunting season) before Thanksgiving in Ft Wayne where you could park outside in a snow blizzard.