How about a Arizona NNL?

[mkucaba]

I always liked the display put on at the Toledo show in October. The concept is simple. Lots of tables,lots of models,lots of modelers. While I enjoy the Desert Scale Classic,is there a big enough modeling community here to support one? As a newcomer here I don't want to get anyone upset,but one show a year is just not enough. Interested in the pros & cons on this. It could be a Phoenix NNL or a Mesa NNL ....
you get the idea.

Mike Kucaba

[e-mail]

[Danno]

There can never be too many shows!

But, actually, Mike, there are 4 shows each year here in the Valley. There's DSC, as you indicated. Plus, there's the Spring Nationals, Modelzona, and the Southwest Nationals.

Since the demise of the Copperstate, the closest thing to an event like Toledo (blended show/contest/swap meet) is of course the Desert Scale Classic.

Someone tried doing an "Arizona NNL" a couple of years back, but the way it turned out left a bad taste in the mouths of many participants and attendees, and a tarnished patina for the name 'Arizona NNL.' It would probably take a tremendous amount of work to overcome that ...

Although I'd love to see it happen, there's probably not enough model-building population in the area to support a Toledo here.

[mkucaba]

I wasn't aware of that. I remember in Chicago someone was going to put-on an NNL type event.
Collected monies and then dissappeared... Maybe a name change would help.

[Danno]

I think it would have to use some other name.

What does anybody else think? Another event? NNL-style?

[Louie]

I do like that idea. There was a guy in St Louis that collected money and bolted out too. I want to say late 90s early 2000s that happened. Probably the same guy. I like the nnl type events. I would think an event like that would bring magazine coverage to the show if promoted right. The name must be something else though. I do agree with Dan. Clubs have been burned too many times by NNL. Just my thoughts. Louie

[Danno]

Well, now. Magazine coverage. That's a whole 'nother topic.

Desert Scale Classic has had complete coverage by Model Cars Magazine every year since DSC-4 (shortly after the club {Cactus Car Modelers} took over the operation of DSC from the previous promoter ~ who, by the way then launched and promptly buried the 'Arizona NNL.'

Model Cars Magazine has attended and sponsored and supported DSC 4, 5, 6, 7 and presumably 8 as well. There has been contest coverage in MCM every one of those years.

Scale Auto Enthusiast covered DSC once - when their editor happened to be in Phoenix that weekend on family business. Otherwise, I can't remember any time we've been able to get any coverage or support from them ... although they are willing to sell us an announcement in their classified ads section.

COPPERSTATE MODEL CAR CHAMPIONSHIP ~ during its run ~ had coverage from both MCM and SAE every year ... but that was before the current SAE/SA ownership and editorial staff took over.

There has never been any magazine coverage of IPMS' Modelzona or either of the GoodGuys Nationals events ... unless you count the GoodGuys Gazette.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Having said that, don't get me wrong: I have no objection to another show/contest developing in the area, so long as it is carefully planned/timed to not disrupt the existing events.

Modelzona was held in July or August for years, then a few years ago its promoters shifted to November. One year, they scheduled Modelzona for the same weekend as the GoodGuys Southwest Nationals, and both events suffered.

They then shifted to earlier in the month of November, but that's still too close together, really.

As it is now, in a calendar year there's GoodGuys Nationals in March, swap meet in March, Desert Scale with swap meet in April, swap meet in July, swap meet in October, Modelzona with swap meet in early November, and GoodGuys Nationals in late November.

People are busy with holidays in December and with holiday gift spending it is a dismal month for extravagances like model shows.

January is open, but people are generally recovering financially from the holidays.

February is open, but getting close to the GoodGuys and spring swap meets.

March and April are packed.

May, June, July, August are open but often attendance is poor because families are away vacationing in cooler climates.

September and October are open, but once again getting into the fall swap meet season.

As an aside; remember too that you can get too much of a good thing. Cholewa tried running four swap meets one year, but found he had too many going on ... they were only 3 months apart and attendance at all of them sagged because there were so many ~ he was stealing customers from himself. When he went to three a year, attendance and profits picked up.



Enough of my musing. What does everybody else think?

[mkucaba]

"January is open, but people are generally recovering financially from the holidays."

All you need is Price of admission. There would be no selling,no swap. I think the last Toledo show I was at was $10,any number of models for display.

I remember that the Copperstate and the DSC were well covered thru the years.

"As an aside; remember too that you can get too much of a good thing. Cholewa tried running four swap meets one year, but found he had too many going on "

An NNL is not a swap meet. There may be a swap meet separate from the display. Sometimes the day after as in Milwaukee. And yeah,even I tired of just swap meets. A robust economy does help attendance & spending.

Well,it was a thought.
Regards,
Mike Kucaba

[moonmodler]

"All you need is Price of admission. There would be no selling,no swap."

The costs of an additional event may be inexpensive to the entrants, but for the organization running the event there is still a significant cost for the contest hall. Having a swap meet as part of any modeling contest, NNL or otherwise, serves many purposes. 1) Helps defray the event costs that are being borne by the organizers. 2) The swap meet is fun for those looking to spend their hard earned money on modeling stuff 3) Gives model vendors an additional venue at which to sell their wares. 4) Prevents the need to seek out sponsorships as a way to defray event costs.

I wholeheartedly embrace the idea of another modeling event in the Phoenix area. That being said, I caution anyone wanting to run an additional modeling event to be cautious of spreading the sponsor dollars too thin. There is a limited amount of sponsorship money available in the local modeling community. I can see where using sponsorship money to defray the cost of an additional modeling event in Phoenix could hurt the ability of other events to obtain sponsorships.
Just my 2 cents.
Bernie