hi everyone... yes, the news is getting out, we are definitely moving the show to a much bigger and better facility - over 200,000 square feet, all on one floor!
I realize there will be lots of questions and concerns, and I will do my best to address them here for you. I will start a thread soon with an "official" announcement, which will also hopefully create one central thread for people to get info, since I see there are 2 already...
One big concern is the lack of an attached hotel. Yes, that is true. However, the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center has plans to build a hotel in the next year or two, so this is a slight inconvenience. The good thing is that the facility is less than 6 miles from the VFCC. All of the local hotels that you are used to staying in are still in close proximity and travel plans don't really have to be altered. Furthermore, the VFCC and their hotels will provide shuttle service for people to get back and forth. Also, there are twice as many parking spots available - and there will be an Exhibitor Only parking area so exhibitors can get in and out easily.
Finding a venue for this event is not as easy as one may think. The new facility works out great for several reasons For example, there are no union issues for vendors when moving in - which at some places could easily triple the cost of exhibiting. Also, Ed Hagan with Diamond Sports Marketing Enterprises / Billiards Across America has assessed the facility and agreed that we can bring in more tables (and get them out) in a timely manner. If you ever need to rent 200+ Diamond Bar Tables for a weekend, give him a call, he's the nuts.
There are 2 central "Halls" at this facility (actually, more than that - we're not even using the whole space - yet). The great thing about this is that one hall can contain the majority of vendors, and be locked up for security overnight. The other Hall/Room can house almost 200 pool tables, and be kept open all night long for players. This means vendors could potentially bring in bigger and better displays; and more vendors can attend.
And, there is another Hall to use for the Pro Arena, which will allow us to bring in twice as many pro tables for a bigger and better pro event.
So, there are lots of great reasons to choose this place. Yes, it is unfortunate that the VFCC is no longer available and is becoming a casino. And yes, that may be a draw to pull some players away, but compared to Atlantic City or Vegas, that pull will be much less.
if you would like to check out the new floorplan, here is a link to a pdf file you can download.
We are doing our best to make the show bigger and better, like we do every year. Our main concern is always that the players and fans have a great time, and the vendors have the opportunity to have a prosperous weekend.
So, if you have questions, go ahead and ask... I'll do my best to get to the forums to address your concerns...
Thanks!
Change is usually never accepted well. But i think in the long run it will be a great move, especially with the plans of them building a hotel on site in the next year or two. Thank you for all you guys do. I cant wait till March!
