For the most part, hotels don't want us, take our local NETSS show for example, it used to held at the Holiday Inn in Dedham.
Matt from HB took over the show, he ran it in the Spring and the Fall and he'd always try to book the next show in time to let the attendees at the present show know to save the date, but all the hotel did was jerk him around, they would not allow him to book it out 6 months as they'd rather wait on a wedding, anniversary, sweet 16, etc, etc, so they could sell food and more to the point booze.
He got sick of getting jerked around and moved the show, then that hotel started pulling the same crap, so he had no choice but to move it again, the current venue recently raised their rate/priced him out, so he's once again looking for a new venue.
The East Coast Toy Soldier show was held in the FDU fieldhouse, perfect location, no muss, no fuss, except they used to pull the same crap with the late Bill Lango, would not give him a date until late Summer/early Fall.
One of the promoters on the East Coast has moved the Spring Cabin Fever show by my count 5 or 6 times, he's settled on the Wayne PAL, just like the Annandale show is in a bingo hall, the Gettysburg show has moved, the Long Island Club show is in a rec center, the VA Club show has moved from a hotel to a college to a high school back to a hotel.
The one constant is change, shows keep moving through no fault of theirs, just like Chicago; the promoters did not up and cancel the show, the venue forced their hand, the show itself will continue, just in a different venue.
I still say the smart move is to team up with the Midwest Model Figure club and combine the two shows, have a number of metal dealers move into that venue and expand that show into a much bigger one that will cast a wider net of attendees, think MFCA, to me, that would be a logical plan, at least for 2023, piggy back off of an up and running show, I am sure they'd love to sell another 100 or so vendor tables, see how it goes and then go from there.
We'll see what the future holds, I'm sure something will be worked out regardless.
