After The National in 2018, I never would have imagined this many more people being in the IX Center in 2024. You addressed and offered solutions to some problems, and for that I thank you. I was able to enjoy listening to this.
So many of the problems are solved just by doing the event at a convention center that is walking distance from major hotels. No long traffic lines, no expensive Uber rides, less pressure to get there right at the open, easy to leave and use the bathroom in the comfort of your hotel room if necessary, easy to meet up with friends after the show. Would love to see them bring the National to Houston at George R Brown Convention Center. Same size as the Chicago venue but 2 min walk to Minute Maid Park and dozens of hotels walking distance from the convention space.
27:38 COW is the solution. (Cell tower On Wheels). I’ve worked in telecom for almost 20 years. COWs are easy to get for big events like the National. This should be common practice at this point. Heck, my county fair is setting up down the street for next week and there is a Verizon COW parked across the street from the fairgrounds already.
One easy solution that would help is stagger VIP and regular entry by an hour instead of 30 minutes. At 30 minutes everyone is essentially getting there at the same time. Then offer discounted half day tickets that start at noon. Also send your lanyard in the mail don’t make you pick it up there.
Like the half day ticket idea. I would never have the budget to attend for multiple days, likely even a whole single day. A cheaper ticket where I can bounce around for a bit would be great.
I attend Redsfest every year at the Duke Energy Center in Cincinnati. I also attending the all star fan fest there in 2015. The convention center is 3 floors, there are large hotels and parking right next to the convention center. Its right up the street from Paul Brown Stadium and Great American Ball Park. That site would be perfect for the national.
I found this to be an interesting video. I was lucky with getting into and out of the National. I arrived an hour or so early each day, Wednesday - Friday and it was not too bad. The bathroom situation was horrible, and the food line were way too long. I did get a hotel room about 3 miles away so that made it easier.
Hi Mike / Andy. Great analysis on Cleveland and future events. I would love to see it in Vegas, as this gives me a chance to bring the wife (she loves casino's). I enjoyed the Atlantic City National, as I was able to take my wife, with her sister and husband. I bought cards, they gambled, win win for me (lol). Talk soon guys.
I continue to say I’ll never attend a national in the hottest time of the year and hear all the problems that occur… I’m into convenience and comfort….. waiting in a line for up to an hour as u mentioned is simply a NO GO for me… also an hour in traffic to get there is a NO GO for me… an hour to get food is a NO GO for me… I look at this as all good news for the hobby tho that a big venue like that cannot handle the sports card hobby :)
Still thinking of some more possible solutions for the National, it seems we are all concerned about ways to make it better, no doubt about that!.How about extending the show hours till like 8:00pm, making it a 10-8 show ??,, plus adding another day or two, making it a Monday-Sunday event, or Tuesday-Sunday event ?..Or possibly having 2 a year, like a summer National, and a Winter National??..or Spring and Fall ?
The hobby and the National is HUGE. The IX center holds some of the biggest conventions in America. I don’t know if a perfect place exists to hold what the hobby has become. It’s a good problem to have
Nothing to do in cleveland that you can't do at home? Pro Football HOF. Rock and Roll HOF. Amusement parks. Aquarium. Zoo. Hotels MUCH cheaper than Chicago. Food in the show. Places to sit in the show. Comfortable. Wide aisles. Most people are there for a day or two. And 80+% drive. The show was great.
@@BaseballCollector are you there to see & buy cards or visit the hotel spa? Hotel for a baseball card show = sleep & some kind of breakfast. I'll spend the money on cardboard.
I didnt get not having the west entrance open. Ridiculous! Thursday and Friday were definitely 2 of the busiest days I’ve ever been in. I totally agree that the signage inside was horrible. You didn’t know where you were in order to the online map. I don’t know if a perfect venue exists. But one thought would be to have it in a domed stadium. Minneapolis or New Orleans, Dallas (Jerry’s world) More entrances, dealer tables set up on the concourses and on the astroturf field which is easy to walk on? It’d solve the bathroom and probably the food situation too. Just a thought?
Truthfully I don't understand all the complaints about Cleveland or the I-X Center. I thought the I-X Center did leaps and bounds better than the Donald Stephens on handling the massive crowds. The place was nice and cool the entire week, everything was well spaced out, WI-FI and cell service was manageable, plenty of security/police present, and there were multiple areas to sit down and rest for a little bit. Of course there was some issues but there are issues every single National. The biggest mistake Cleveland made was not opening and using the West Entrance. Why that wasn't opened, I have no idea. But for the life of me I can't understand all the complaints against the I-X Center when the Donald Stephens floundered hard last year. Enjoyed hearing your thoughts Andy and Mike!
Great conversation, gents. I’m a lifelong NE Ohioan, so I am always bummed out when I hear people had bad experiences when visiting the area. But I completely understand the frustrations. The National has outgrown all the venues it normally rotates. Need to look to cities that can accommodate the new growth, as you mentioned. Mike, I agree with your points about solving a lot of the inside issues on the outside and utilizing the other spaces. Food trucks and port-a-potties outside would have been HUGE. This should be considered for any venue. It all comes down to the people running the national- better decision-making needs to happen and more thinking outside the box. They’re kind of stuck in the past in some regards, imo. The WiFi issue being case in point (see my other comment about COWs). Anyways, great stuff. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences! The more it is talked about, the more likely change will happen.
Orlando can 100% hold the National. Orange County Convention Center has 7+ million feet of convention space. Thousands of hotel rooms and plenty of restaurants within walking distance. An airport more than capable of bringing everyone in 20 minutes away.
Great discussion gentlemen. To me, the ultimate issue is now overcrowding. In MY opinion, this being the National SPORTS Collectors Convention… there needs to be a seperate event, for TCG/nonsports. That would help both the dealers to cater to thier target buyer and collectors to see more of what they are into. Thoughts?
This was the comment I was looking for. It's most of the problem, the inflated numbers that the TCG vendors and buyers bring to the show. You thin the herd a ton if you get all stuff away from the SPORTS collector's convention.
I think its funny to see people at the national haggle over a 100 or 200 bucks here and there for a card when they prolly spent a few thousound on travel and hotel… I do travel to the philly but me and wife make it a vacation… its spring and fall and nice restauraunts there and valley forge park to walk around… and the casino which we like.. fun all around… and the chantilly show is local to me so no travel costs..
the number of tickets you mentioned so they knew how many showing up… what do you think the percentage of pre purchase vs buy on site is ? I’ve never pre purchased a ticket for a show.. just buy it at the door… like at the chantilly and philly shows which are big on the east coast..
It was my first National,I live around 2 hours away from Cleveland so for me it was a great venue to have it. I’m not going to or can afford airfare and hotel to go to Chicago, Atlantic City or wherever else it might be held. I agree the restroom space was bad and why only one entrance?, but overall for someone with limited funds, it was a great experience. I got the 2 vintage cards I was looking for so it was a good day. Hopefully it will be back in Cleveland or Columbus or Cincinnati maybe Pittsburgh some day.
Good discussion, fellas. I may be biased, but I think the George R Brown in Houston would check most of the boxes with hotels and food in close proximity.
A counterpoint to Andy's point of being able to do things you can't do at home. That's relative though, we were perfectly happy finding those things coming from NH and that's not the same as the stuff you guys may have in Texas. If we're looking for a place where everyone can do things they can't do at home, we'll be waiting a long time IMO. Andy is right, open up the other entrance, but not funnel people in one entrance like cattle. The food issue is one why you're right about things being within walking distance. As someone in a wheelchair, one suggestion I would make is a better elevator to stairs ratio in terms of ways to get to different floors. Yes! thank you Andy! if you don't know the dealers there has to be better booth signage.
Is there even a big show here in NH? How hard did you find it to get around with everyone in there? Curious because if I went I'd have to use a mobility scooter or something.
@@scottspaulding2158 There are no big shows in our area. As for getting around, knowing the size of the show and amount of people I thought it was really spacious and wide. I would gladly sacrifice the convenience of Chicago to have the layout of Cleveland, pretty easy for those with mobility issues IMO
Appreciate and hearing your thoughts Mike and Andy. I live in a suburbs in Maryland 10 miles from Washington DC. So I'm biased, but I think DC should have consideration, though I'm okay with the National back in Atlantic City. And I am kind of bummed out that, the show is going to be in Chicago for the next 3 years. A lot of people say this card show is like the Super Bowl. Even the Super Bowl spreads out their venues. It was in Nevada this year. Super Bowl will be in Louisiana next year.
This is one of the reasons NASCAR’s interest fell off. The experience and cost of attending for didn’t makes sense. The tracks and nascar just assumed the fans would support no matter the costs or aggravation and they were wrong. There is a tipping point where many will not return.
This was my first National, I really thought the layout was great. All of the dealers were awesome and I did get some really good deals. Logistically it was horrible.. The Internet was inexcusable for an event like this.. The event planners ran the national like a dealer giving comps using a Becket pricing guide.. Really this is 2024. I am really interested to see how the Fanatics fest turns out. I will be going to Chantilly ans Strongsville. I don't think I will be going to the national next year. I may try the Fanatics fest. Thx for the great content and keep up the great work!!!
They could have the national at McCormick place but there's not around that area plus its not in a safe area Rosemount is the perfect place for the national plus they can always use the upstairs rooms
I still can’t believe the line for “VIP”s who paid a lot… was so long and stagnant… It was hot outside! Seemed like the staff was not well trained, and nobody planned for contingencies, or could make a decision on the fly. A bunch of disaffected, low energy hires manning the doors. Thank goodness I was (only) early entry, and walked in the front door at 3:30. The parking signage was lame, confusing and congested. I just meandered about for 20 minutes, circled the entire building and parked in the lot over by the vintage airplane…in the lot the parking attendants said I couldn’t park in as I pulled in through the gates.😂😂
Someone should great an app that gets you to dealers tables. Or have players banners above dealers location. Example, this dealer is in the Mike Trout section and there's a big banner of Mike Trout. I don't like the idea of staggering attendees. Chicago is the ideal spot, but it seems like they could come up with some more creative ideas in the venue. Maybe that will happen in 2025.
great topic guys! As much as I want to see a National come to California or Vegas, I still would have one major issue: Are the same sellers you see in Cleveland, Chicago or AC willing to come out here? There is no point coming out here if the show is going to be Burbank Part II. I have been to every Burbank show and while I love it, I'd really like to see what I am seeing in the videos from last week or last year in Chicago. Pre-War, vintage, oddball, sellers w/boxes and binders of vintage commons for set builders. There are a lot of vintage sellers out there. You only get a small fraction of that out here. I am all for a National out here, but I want to see the same sellers from the east and midwest. And on a separate note, I hope TAG comes to Burbank in three weeks cause I want to get a card of my cats!
Vegas as a venue has been a running joke on the live between Bobby and myself since forever. Might even be enough to get me to appeal my lifetime ban :P
when u say there was one entrance and so many people waiting to get in.. were the people waiting a long time outside in the heat ? or was it a big lobby area inside waiting.. if outside thats so terrible in the heat and sun….. let me know..
I think the national should change there time of year from the hottest humid time of year to spring or fall…. you mentioned vegas.. I would never travel to vegas in late july….. I’m going to national anywhere they do it in spring and fall...
@@BaseballCollector I think schoold now end in early/mid june.. maybe have it last week of june.. still not as hot as end of july.. the heat and thinking of traveling in that heat and being out keeps me away from the national… i want to go but I cannot stand the heat to travel.. stay close to home in summer...
Is the national too big is an interesting topic . I’ve never gone but to me I see the trade nights and big crowds and think you can’t tell me this wouldn’t be more enjoyable with less people or more open spaces those trade nights look WAY to packed for my taste . Yeah I’d have fun but I’d have more fun if it wasn’t cramped From where I understand, there’s an East Coast bias. Most people are coming from the East Coast. That’s the only reason it wouldn’t be in somewhere like Vegas. Other than that, Vegas to me is the answer to a lot of your problems. Imagine not only finding a good venue, but being able to easily get together at any number of hotels and have a trade night . In addition to Ubers and taxis you have the monorail to get you up and down the strip What the show organizers won’t tell you is they probably expect there to be less attendance at some point, I still think we are in a hobby boom when it comes to shows . It has to come down eventually right? With the economy, the way it is a lot of people thought this would be the year attendance dropped a little . If you’re a show organizer for 2025 you’d have to thing surely next year is the year interest drops some? Surely?
What about the McCormick place downtown Chicago ??..largest convention center in the US !!!..plenty to do around the area for the family Enjoy the lake, shopping , dining, hotels galore Only makes good sense to me !
You lose promiximity to ohare plus the rosemont convention mini city built in there. Rosemont, if they could super charge their a/c for 90+ degree july days with 100k+ sweaty dudes inside is perfect.
I agree you loose proximity to O’Hare, BUT !!!..there are so many more positives of having it at McCormick, endless options for fun after the show for you and your family , just my opinion, thanks for your response !
I go to all philly and chantilly shows.. those venues could never handle that national crowd.. i heard u say 10’s of thousounds of people ? is that true at the national ? the chantilly and philly shows handle a few thousound people.. if 10’s of thousand they would fail for sure..
If 95% of the people are men did they replace women with men on some of the womens bathrooms ? thats sounds very reasonable…. curious as I’ve not heard anyone say that… would suk to see an hour line at the mens door and the womens door emtpy.. ?? just curious..
30+ min to say "chicago is obviously still the obvious best spot all things considered" 😅 Dallas is I guess maybe the next best option but it's a hike for the new england/east coaster dealers who want to drive their inventory so chicago will still beat them out 3 times out of 4 or however semi often they will want to do non-chicago nationals going forward
Indianapolis is the really the perfect city for the national but they won’t do that since it’s so close to Chicago. Gen Con is there this weekend. It’s a great convention center right next to Lucas Oil stadium and a block from the Circle that is the reason why it’s called the circle city where there’s a mall, hotels, coffee shops, food etc. The nfl combine is there every year for basically the exact reasons you’re discussing for a location. Hotels connected, several steakhouses and restaurant’s, the zoo is a 15 minute walk or less than 5 minute drive, world renowned children’s museum 10 min drive. Airport is 15 min away and easy drive, traffic isn’t crazy. Victory field (minor league baseball) across the street. And literally anything else you could find to do in Indy would be a short drive (25 min or less). Not to mention it’s the Crossroads of America. Louisville and Cincy is 2 hour drive. Chicago 3 hour drive, St Louis and Nashville around 4 hour drive.
Anaheim! They put on great nationals in the 90s their Big lotto hotels lot of food Disneyland Beach a lot of things to do for families they should put it there
Mike wouldn't having the National at Texas Stadium in Arlington fix every issue that you guys brought up? Its covered, tons of restrooms, Texas live not far away for restaurants, parking galore.
@BaseballCollector I hear ya. I was just thinking Jerryland is so close to everything entertainment wise (rangers, six flags, etc) and the parking lot is big enough to bring in RV's that it would be perfect. I didn't know the hotel situation though.
I’m also pretty piss that 2 times during this video google put 2 political commercials of kamala begging for money… i see it now on many videos… stop the bullshit political commercials on my sports card channels… the commerical use to be sports card related but they are now mostly kamala begging for money and donations… very disturbing… can you as a channel host control that ???
Why would you bring someone totally NOT interested in sports cards on this vacation. You're probably not gonna see them much. With your calendar of events all filled up day and night, when would you have time for them?????? Bad idea from the start. The idea of this vacation is 95% sports cards night and day. That's why you guys like getting AWAY for a week
Well sometimes you have to consider your family and how they can enjoy a vacation with you, like making both people happy !or kinda like the girls do their thing during show hours, guys enjoy the show . Meet up late afternoon for dinner or something, or just take 1 full day and both sight see ?? I’m just a considerate type of person, everyone has their own opinions and thoughts, no right or wrong suggestions!
While waiting in line, I was told there are seven floors to the I-X Center. I think Vegas would definitely accommodate the size needed, but I've been told by different dealers that they would not travel that far west. My guess is that Chicago will become the permanent spot for the nationals.
