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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mixmaster" data-source="post: 1673832" data-attributes="member: 472">[PLAIN]OK. Here goes [LONG]....[/PLAIN]I write this as a person who:Has friends in the convention business since 1980.Has a friend in upper management for the NYC & Company (their new name for convention and visitors bureau).Has contacts with many East Coast Travel agencies.Had tried to get a major convention in the NYC area since the late 80's and, Saw why Origins left Philadelphia after 1 year even thought they had a contract for 3.Two major reasons (the others have been addressed):1 - Unions.The cost for union help is WAY over and above any cost a vendor can afford. You are not allowed to set up or do ANYTHING, they must do all the work (receiving, setting up, electrical, tear down, transporting and any miscellaneous I might have missed.) These costs are extravagant for the big boys (Wizards, HeroClix, Upper Deck), so how do think the little guy would fare? They couldn't afford it - so they won't come.This holds true for NYC, Boston and Philly. Washington D.C. and Baltimore (not as bad as the others, so I'm told).2 - Hotels / Convention CentersI'll speak for NYC first. If you could get dates at the Jacob Javits Center (and you probably can't - it's booked two-three years in advance), you would have these issues:a) Hotel occupancy AVERAGES about 80-85%. Meaning you won't have hotels having blocks of rooms available at average prices (2004 average $144/night). So what's left? The "lower class hotels" some of which I wouldn't have my worst enemy there or the "super premium" at $250 - 400/night. People complained about the prices in Milwaukee & Indy; What do you think they'll be if they could only get $250/night for a small room. Not to mention the cost of rooms for the Guests of Honor, RPGA DM's, convention help etc. Also again, the vendors (see point #1). b) NYC has the Republican National Convention coming soon. Total people: About 20,000 (kinda like GenCon). Cost per room?  Over $200/night midweek!  Weekends (which a major con would be) would even be more pricey. Granted, these are the pricier hotels, but Madison Square Garden (where the RNC is to be held) is in the same neighborhood as the Javits Center. Furthermore, NYC had TWO YEARS to get a bid together and block out the number of rooms. The way it's done now, there would be 40 to 50 hotels that you would have to call and make reservations (BTW: Passkey is not used here). One could call and get a good price for a room, but if a hotel blocks off rooms (lets say the Auto Show or GenCon Nor'Easter), their room price goes up!c) Timeframe: If you have it between November 15th - January 5th it gets even worse. Hotels RAISE their prices at that time. Occupancy % rises to the low-mid 90's. Airfare prices ALSO goes up for travel to NYC. Tourists equate Christmas with NY.d) Lastly, there's talk about expanding Javits in the next few years along with building a football stadium etc. for the NY Jets and hopefully, the 2012 Olympics. If (and I mean IF) it happens, the overall plan will be even more (expensive) hotel rooms in that area and the price gouging by the existing hotels. The inexpensive motels that are in that area? Removed. Average Price goes even higher.If you want the other cities on the Eastern Seaboard and their issues, reply to this thread. My next post will name a city in the East Coast that could hold GenCon East.</blockquote>

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