I was looking at the dealer registry for next month's FUN show and I count about 240 dealers (excluding clubs, auction houses, TPGs, the count.). Sounds like a pretty good number. I have heard that it is full and there's a dealer waiting list in case someone cancels. My real problem is that it looks like I may have a real estate closing on the Friday of the show. That would be really sucky.
I'm glad to hear the show sounds like it will be decently strong. Is this the first major (or somewhat major) show since the pandemic?
Is that par for past Summer FUN's ? 240 dealers would not be "full" for the January FUN, based on my sole attendance in 2020. Unless they are holding it at a much smaller venue ?
Summer FUN has always been a smaller show. They still hold it at the Orlando conference center, but in one of the smaller halls. 240 dealers is about average for a summer FUN.
They are holding it in the same hall they've held previous summer FUN shows which is a smaller hall than the January show. I think the summer FUN is typically about 300 dealers and that is about half the size of the January show. So, in hall WE-1 (86,000 sq. ft.) and WE-2 (69,000 sq. ft.) which I think is part of this venue during previous summer FUNs, the hall was about 75% or 80% full. That's my eyeball guess. So, about 80% full with about 300 dealers and others. This year, same hall WE-1 and about 250-260 dealers and others. Plus, we hear the venue is "full" in the sense that every spot available has been taken. That implies there is some social distancing in the placement of tables, etc. So, my conclusion just from logical reasoning is that the hall is pretty full but that the show will be about or slightly smaller than previous summer FUNs. Oh, and one other thing: FUN has a two-page indemnification agreement that you have to sign to attend and it is probably the most draconian indemnification agreement I have ever seen and I have seen some doozies in the corporate world I used to inhabit. Some of it would never stand up to an actual legal challenge since by law an individual cannot sign away his right for address over negligence but it's a good attempt and I can't say I blame them. Anyway, I'll sign it without reservation but if you are thinking about attending you should go to the website, read it and decide before-hand if you will sign it so you're not holding up the line at registration. Note: I am not a FUN member and while I know some members of the FUN Board, I have not prevailed upon them for any inside information and my opinions and thoughts here are a reflection of only my own thinking based upon publicly available information.
Are you talking about a Covid waiver that people have to sign to attend, @Publius2 ? It's not a terrible idea, although I'm sure it would have to be pretty airtight to stand up to an actual legal challenge.
