National Sports Collectors Convention Announces Upcoming Locations Through 2023
The National announced its hosting sites through 2023
The National Sports Collectors Convention was held in Cleveland, Ohio this year. If you didn’t get to go, you can (sort of) relive the madness through me here, here, and here.
The biggest event for baseball cards has recently had a very much Midwestern feel to it. That, for the most part, isn’t going to be changing.
Here are the dates/locations for the next five Nationals:
2019 – Donald E Stephens Convention Center, Chicago, IL
2020 – Atlantic City Convention Center, Atlantic City, NJ
2021 – Donald E Stephens Convention Center, Chicago, IL
2022 – International Exposition (I-X) Center Cleveland, OH
2023 – Donald E Stephens Convention Center, Chicago, IL
Dates through 2020, I believe, were already previously known.
I don’t really have much of an issue with the locations. I’ve never been there but putting it somewhere towards the middle of the country is probably the best compromise. Plus, a city like Chicago is a big enough attraction that there are plenty of touristy things to do aside from the show.
Folks on the west coast will likely have the biggest gripes. While the event is mostly a Midwestern deal in this list, there is an east coast trip in 2020 and it has been on the east coast in other years, too. Meanwhile, the National hasn’t been out west since it was in Anaheim in 2006.
It is worth pointing out that the good folks running the event heard the complaints loud and clear about Wifi issues in Cleveland. That appears to be sorted out for the 2022 event.
The one complaint heard in Cleveland this past summer was the lack of wifi for use by exhibitors. The staff at the I-X Center heard this criticism and worked out a plan that provides free wifi for exhibitors to access email and to surf the web. In addition, there will be free wifi access for attendees, suitable for checking emails and basic internet website browsing along a designated area in the pavilion.
The ‘designated area in the pavilion’ thing is what will raise eyebrows there, obviously, depending on how far that is from the action and how crowded (if at all) it will be in that area. I’m kind of surprised that a major conference center can’t easily provide separate, dedicated access throughout the show floor but I’m also not privy to the particular issues with it. If nothing else, though, this sounds better?
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