In amateur radio it doesn’t get any bigger, or any busier, than the Dayton Hamvention®. I like to call it The Big Show – it easily compares with a three-ring circus. For me, however, it’s far more than three rings!
HAMVENTION®
Photo by “Playingwithbrushes” via flickr
The Hamvention® started in 1952 as the Southwest Ohio Ham-vention. There were seven exhibitors and 200 flea market spaces. Over 600 visitors turned up that first year. In 2014 the official attendance was nearly 25,000 with over 2,000 flea market spaces and hundreds of exhibitors. Operated by the Dayton Amateur Radio Association, it truly is the premier gathering in amateur radio. You can find anything to do with amateur radio under the big top of the Dayton Hamvention®
PREPARATION
My booth starts with months of preparation working with my team in Kirkland, Washington, and all our dealers and partners around the country. That preparation starts with work on new products, new programs, and keeping dealers informed on all aspects of Icom’s amateur radio activities. This year it involved ramping up this new blog as well as pushing our social media presence on Facebook and Twitter.
BOOTH SETUP
Once we’re in Dayton, it’s time to set up the booth. This event is so big that we have a special booth that is stored year-round in Dayton and then set up only once each year for the Hamvention®. Plus, we also have a separate D-Star booth and, of course, support to our dealers who are also in operation throughout Hara Arena.
SPONSORED EVENTS
As a major amateur radio manufacturer, Icom America supports, through sponsorship, quite a few events and activities throughout the year. At the Hamvention® we’re active sponsors of Contest University, DX Dinner, Contest Dinner, D-Star InfoCon, Antenna Forum, Youth Forum, and AmateurLogic.TV. Part of my circus of activities is to be present to support these great events.
DEALER DINNER
We don’t sell directly to the public but work with our dealers around the country. Many of you have seen me at dealer events. Our dealers are how our radios get into your ham shacks and how you’re supported on a daily basis so they are very important to the success of our business.
To recognize their work and partnership, we gather just before the Hamvention® to celebrate our successful year, look forward to the next year, and to say ‘thank you’ to everyone who’s helped throughout the year. It’s also where we can announce special successes and new partnerships.
LIVE STREAMING EVENTS
Dayton isn’t just about those who are attending in person. We like to do all we can to share the activities with those at home. Our live video streaming coverage has been successfully covering the Dayton Hamvention® since 2013. This year we’ll be covering the Contest University, the Antenna Forum, the Youth Forum moderated by Carole Perry WB2MGP, AmateurLogic.TV Live, as well as D-STAR InfoCon and guest speakers from the Icom booth at Hara Arena. I encourage you to tune in if you can’t make it to Dayton.
THREE RINGS – IF ONLY
I feel strongly that Barnum and Bailey were wise to limit their Big Show to three rings. As you can see from this quick run down, I’ve got quite a few rings to either be at or support. I encourage you to get to Dayton if you can or if you can’t, tune into our live streaming coverage.
I also encourage you to get out and get active in our great hobby. Whether you’re into emergency communication, DXing, or satellites, Icom has the products you need to enhance your activities. Check out our coverage of the Dayton Hamvention® and find something new to do – the possibilities are endless!
Thanks for tuning in to my blog. I hope to keep it updated on a frequent basis with thoughts around amateur radio and the part that Icom America is playing in building the hobby.
Ray Novak, N9JA
Division Manager, Amateur and Receiver Products
Lifetime Amateur Radio Enthusiast
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