[Coco] The new CoCoFEST! location

[Frank Pittel]

On Wed, May 01, 2013 at 09:58:14AM -0500, Allen Huffman wrote:
> Question: How many conference rooms are there at Heron Point Convention Center?
> 
> I couldn't find any details of the 2012/2013 Vintage Computer Festival Midwest on their website (I think it last showed 2010 as the date for MW), but from the Glenside newsletter and postings here, I gather they had one at that location earlier, with a Commodore event held the same weekend there. Are they small shows, or are there more rooms?
> 
> Also, someone mentioned that Glenside had a room (?) there during that event. What was attendance like?
> 
> Well, you know how if you have one gas station on a corner, it might do well, but if another opens across the street, they do better, and so on? I wonder -- if there is enough room -- if these events couldn't all line up and be held the same weekend.
> 
> Imagine what a hotspot of retro activity it would be if there was a CoCo, Commodore, Vintage Computer, etc. event going on at the same time. We could get some curious walk ins from the other events, from folks who might never have gone to a CoCoFEST! alone, and it would be an even more attractive place for retro enthusiasts to go.
> 
> Plus, I would love to be able to check out what the other guys have been up to these past 30 years.


Not sure what you're asking but the space we had for the fest is all that's available. The midwest
VCF has a joint event with a local Commadore group and they rent out the same amount of space and
manage to fit more than twice as many exhibiters and people as we had. In the case of the VCF about
half of the space in the cafeteria had exhitor tables in it. It's also where the tables for the Coco
and Sinclair (Bob Swoger) were located. We didn't have our own room.

Over the last years with the declining attendence at the cocofest there was talk to ask the VCF and
other vintage computer groups to join the fest to improve attendence. It was decided not to do so.

The Other Frank