MikeMoore

Thanks Dave. We are definitely hoping that the display only concept takes root and grows. To a certain extent it is dependent on having facilities that are big enough to support it without impinging on the contest space, but if enough people demand it, who knows what will happen! Mike

Thanks Andy. As for your plea for us to bid again, all I can say is, I'll entertain that conversation right after you get me in touch with a good divorce attorney who works pro bono! But I'll make sure the rest of the team knows you want us to go again! Mike

Thanks Ian. I'll make sure the whole team see's your kind words. Mike

Thanks for the kind words John! I’m glad you enjoyed the show, as that’s the whole point. I’ll make sure the whole team sees your post. Mike

Thanks so much John. I’ll let the whole team know. Glad to know you enjoyed your trip! Mike

Bob, the Banquet hall is 18,000 sf. Mike

Thank you Bob. The success of the display only area is probably the part I'm personally most proud of. I had high hopes for it, but 1700 models out for display only far, far, far exceeded my wildest expectations! Hell, even if you take The Duke's 750 models out of the picture, we still had 950 models just out for display! Mike

Bob, What you're talking about is essentially what Phoenix did last year. They had a buffet dinner. I thought the food was actually pretty good, but being a hotel/convention facility, you are locked into ONE catering service and the dinner was probably double to triple what you might expect to pay at your typical restaurant, which leaves many out by choice because they decide not to pay that much, and many out by necessity, because they simply can't afford a meal that is that expensive. We looked at several options for Saturday night. A table service sit down dinner, a buffet BBQ dinner, heavy hors derves, you name it, we probably looked at it. No matter what we concocted, we ended up with a dinner ticket that was going to costs us as hosts north of $40 per head. So we tried to encourage folks to go get a meal of their choice and then come back for a $5 dessert. I think the idea was well received, and many thanked us for it. We did not however, execute it well, and that falls completely on my shoulders. Your comment about reserved tables might be worth looking into. I don't know what it might add to costs, but I suspect it would be negligible. But what would you do about reserving less than a full table? Besides, the times I've been to the banquet and had to sit with strangers have been great. It was a great way to "force" me to make new friends. The real problem though is with your idea of over-flow seating. We were blessed in Chattanooga to have a facility that was almost perfectly sized, and that included our banquet hall. We had plenty of space for seating not only those who were willing to pony up the princely sum of $5 for dessert that ran out, we were also able to set up another few hundred seats in a theater format for those who only wanted to see the awards. Trust me, all convention hosts would like to be able to do that. But space is like time...it can't be extended. Mike

Randall, First off, thanks for your kind words. We tried hard and I think it showed. Second, the vendor room was 64,000sf, and the model room was 36,000sf. I believe both are the largest ever. Third, while we did indeed try something new instead of a banquet and despite the trouble we had with it, it did seem well received, I wouldn't put the proverbial fork in the awards banquet yet. We were fortunate in that the Chattanooga Convention Center has a large, reasonably priced banquet hall and that we weren't tied to a food and beverage requirement. Many of the facilities that IPMS National Conventions go to have a food and beverage requirement and the only way to meet that is to hold a banquet. In other words, we had some freedom that others probably don't and won't. I'm glad you enjoyed the convention! Mike Moore 2019 Convention Chairman

Your best bet to get from the Chattanooga Airport to any of the downtown hotels is Lyft or Uber. The ride should be about 20 minutes and cost roughly $25. I have no idea how long the trip would be on a city bus. Mike Moore

Gil, Sorry to take so long here, but yes, we will have Dessert bar tickets for sale at the convention. Mike

I'm sorry to take so long getting back here to answer your question. There are lot's of parking options near the convention center, but it is a downtown venue, so none of them are free. There is a parking garage attached to the convention center that is $8 per day. There is another good sized garage behind the convention center, between it and the Chattanoogan hotel that is $9 per day. There are several open air lots that are $5 per day. There are parking meters on all the streets around the convention center, but they are enforced every day up to 6pm. Mike

Mike, yes, the Huntsville tour is a go. We have a few seats left on the bus. Mike

Hi David, that will work fine. That's one thing that we missed when we set up the shopping cart with Eric. Worst case scenario is that we can print family badges for you when you arrive. Mike Moore Convention Chairman

Mark, the other blocks were open for Tuesday. If you have trouble, let me know and I’ll talk to the Staybridge. They’ve been incredibly easy to work with so far. Mike