The 2023 chicago toy soldier show has been cancelled................... (1 Viewer)

[Warrior]

Received this email from the show promoters today.........stunning news, but not unexpected as I had run into issues with the hotel the past few years I attended the show.

Not sure if this is officially the end or what the story is, but the 2023 show is cancelled.

Dear Friends of CTSS,

With heavy hearts, we regret to inform you that the 2023 Chicago Toy Soldier Show has been cancelled.

Jan and I have been in extremely complicated negotiations with the Show venue, Hyatt Regency Schaumburg, since November 2022. This week, negotiations reached an impasse, and we had no alternative but to withdraw.

Over the past several years, negotiations with Hyatt have become increasingly problematic. Hyatt leaders have been unwilling and unable to honor key provisions of our agreements, such as reserving designated rooms for Show vendors and ensuring these reserved rooms are available at agreed-upon times and for the full duration of vendors' stays. We have ironed out many of these issues on a case-by-case basis; such issues have continued to occur with increased regularity. In 2023, the Hyatt demanded changes to our contract that would fundamentally change long-held traditions of the Show that make the Show a distinctive experience. Hyatt actions exposed CTSS to greatly increased financial risk. We cannot continue the Show under these conditions. (For more details of the specific negotiation issues and timeline, read about it in the Negotiation History that follows.)

Cancellation of the 2023 Chicago Toy Soldier Show is a crushing blow to you, our loyal friends and vendors, to the hobby, and to the Garfield family. The Chicago Toy Soldier Show has been a big part of our family life since I and my former partners started the event 42 years ago. Our kids grew up attending and, eventually, helping to run the Show. We know that many of you share a history with our event.

Owning and managing the Chicago Toy Soldier Show has been a privilege and a labor of love. We worked hard to maintain and steer the Show through recent challenging years. The COVID pandemic was especially trying. With your partnership and support, we made it through and were revitalizing the Show for the postpandemic era. Unfortunately, working with Hyatt became untenable. Hyatt’s demands presented too great a financial liability and potentially diminished experience for vendors and attendees.

We encourage others to step in and fill the void left by the cancellation of the Chicago Toy Soldier Show. We are not disappearing. We look forward to seeing many of you at other toy soldier shows.

We wish you the best of good fortune and thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your loyalty. For 42 years, you and our attendees have made and sustained the Chicago Toy Soldier Show.

Gratefully,

Roger, Jan, Gillian, and the CTSS family


Postscript: For those of you that have already made 2023 Hyatt reservations, we remind you to contact Hyatt and cancel.

 

[HAWKEYE]

Just a very very very sad thing to hear. There has to be another venue available in chicago as big as it is. This has been one of the foundations of our hobby. I hope your family or other individuals or collectors in the area could step up to the plate to keep this event going. I will really miss not only the adventure of the show but most importantly all the good people I have come to know through the show. Let’s pray that there is an answer to reestablish the show. We need a strong show like this for the betterment of the hobby. Sure there might be a couple online dealers that might be if it but without big shows or storefronts the hobby will just fade away as we will not attract new people or younger folks into the hobby. People want to say things are going away anyways but they don’t have to if people in the hobby stay strong.

 

[jazzeum]

The end was inevitable. Many factors are involved but the pandemic accelerated those factors.

 

[HobbyBunker]

I have been in discussions with the Garfield's for months. The Hyatt has proved to be difficult. I did not think it would come this fast.

Some of us will team up and pull something together.

 

[HAWKEYE]

I have been in discussions with the Garfield's for months. The Hyatt has proved to be difficult. I did not think it would come this fast.

Some of us will team up and pull something together.

great to hear it matt

 

[tdubel]

I have been in discussions with the Garfield's for months. The Hyatt has proved to be difficult. I did not think it would come this fast.

Some of us will team up and pull something together.

Let's do it, show is too good and fun and the pillar of our hobby. Needs the support if we want it to continue and needs new blood getting it going again.

I like to look at the bright side, when one door shuts, another door of opportunity opens. Let's get er done.

TD

 

[jazzeum]

I hope whoever is planning a replacement succeeds but planning a show like this takes time and with the pandemic ending events for hotels are probably booked months in advance. Moreover, once you find a hotel, assuming you find one, will to need to negotiate an agreement, which, too, can take time. Then there is the question of what you will call it. The current owners have the right to the current name and anything similar to that name will require their permission.

The likelihood of a show this year seems low. It would seem more fruitful to lay the groundwork for next year.

 

[Al Fisher]

Sad to see the demise of any event where both participants and attendees bond every year to keep the hobby going. Hang in there guys and gals and hopefully one of our standard bearers will come through.

Bosun Al

 

[Warrior]

I was told that Larry Lovely is starting a Toy Soldier – Old Vintage Toy Show in Bucyrus, Ohio on Sunday September 10th this year. Several plastic soldier dealers are already signed up.

Gotta love those plastics "dealers", they'd drive to the moon to do a show if they had to.

I'd imagine others will follow suit and try jump in during the month of September to start up a show.

Also, the Model Figure Show in Schaumberg is run two weeks after the Chicago Toy Soldier Show, maybe some dealers who did not attend due to them being so close to each other will now do so.

So jump on in Julie and Matt and anyone else that cares to.

Oh wait; Julie already goes to that one, good for her then.

Go for it there Matt; I know how much you love that 18 drive to Chicago.

I sincerely hope any shows that pop up are with the Garfield's blessing, they own the rights to the name "The Chicago Toy Soldier Show", I would have thought if anyone would start a new show in a new venue, it would/should be them, but whatever.

There is, was and will always be one and only Chicago Show, the torch was passed from Don to Roger, the room trading is an essential part of the show experience, although some moan and ***** about it as they see it as some sort of old boys network to make sure all the good stuff is gone by the time the general public arrives.

Umm................the general public is welcome to any and all room trading leading up to the show, they have just as much of a chance as dealers do to "get all the good stuff"......................

This hobby truly is part enjoyment, part being a kid again, part *****ing and moaning about everything and everything.

Dial it down fellas, keep calm and toy soldier on.

Let me know how it all works out.

 

[HAWKEYE]

the marriot residence convention cernter in schuamberg would be a good place

 

[Barkmann]

I have been in discussions with the Garfield's for months. The Hyatt has proved to be difficult. I did not think it would come this fast.

Some of us will team up and pull something together.

You are a star, never visited, but visiting is on my bucket list.

 

[Barkmann]

I hope whoever is planning a replacement succeeds but planning a show like this takes time and with the pandemic ending events for hotels are probably booked months in advance. Moreover, once you find a hotel, assuming you find one, will to need to negotiate an agreement, which, too, can take time. Then there is the question of what you will call it. The current owners have the right to the current name and anything similar to that name will require their permission.

The likelihood of a show this year seems low. It would seem more fruitful to lay the groundwork for next year.

I can see where you are coming from, but think you have to change a mndset that sees the event having to be the last weekend in Sept, i know i am 'over the pond' and quite removed, but what is wrong with having the show later in October 2023 or even early November 2023

 

[theBaron]

I can see where you are coming from, but think you have to change a mndset that sees the event having to be the last weekend in Sept, i know i am 'over the pond' and quite removed, but what is wrong with having the show later in October 2023 or even early November 2023

Changing the date of a long-established event is not a good idea, unless it is absolutely unavoidable. I know, because we had the same issue with the MFCA show. It's not so much that the event "has to be" on that given date, but once it's been established, many visitors, vendors and patrons both, plan on that date. When we've had to move our show outside the range of the first two weekends in May, whether earlier or later, it forced many who participate to choose between our show and other events.

Changing anything about a long-established event, for that matter, is something to be considered very carefully, and again, undertaken only when absolutely necessary.

Also, though this announcement is no fun for this year, I disagree with those who have taken it as a sign that the show is finished. Maybe for this year, but that's the nature of the immediate problem. I have no doubt they'll find another venue in the area, for 2024 and beyond.

Prost!
Brad

 

[jazzeum]

In addition to Brad’s comments, hotels may have other events booked on that day. If so, you have a problem when you try to change things quickly.

 

[HAWKEYE]

The good is that its not the hobby's fault, its the hotels fault. So fear not we will see the show again

 

[Nicholas V Hall]

I travelled from the UK to the Chicago show in 2019. Great show glad I came now. I have been moaning about the demise of the UK venue. Seems we are all affected.

 

[Warrior]

So fear not we will see the show again

Based on what?

In its former location or a new one?
With or without room trading?
This year or next year?

 

[Warrior]

I travelled from the UK to the Chicago show in 2019. Great show glad I came now. I have been moaning about the demise of the UK venue. Seems we are all affected.

COVID was a game changer in more ways than one; a number of events were postponed in 2020 and 2021, they are being rescheduled.......weddings, parties, anniversaries, family reunions, high school and college reunions, there are only so many venues and roughly 52 weekends a year to schedule such events.

The facilities can now pick and choose who and what events they want to host.

Money talks

 

[HB120050]

Well that sucks!

It was a super show with great people in an ideal venue.

 

[HAWKEYE]

based on what?

In its former location or a new one?
With or without room trading?
This year or next year?

george, whats it matter to you now? You said you were not going to do the show anymore and you have great on line business now.
If you are going to comment be more positive. Don't just try to drag shows down because it does not fit your business model anymore.
There are a lot of people that this show has been a big part of their life every year. So lets all work for the better