Two of the world's three largest ham radio shows had
slight downturns in attendance this year, but neither organizer is concerned.
Attendance at the Dayton Hamvention® was reported by General Chairman Ron
Cramer KD8ENJ, to be 28, 417, down about 900 from last year, which was the
highest number in the past 20 years. Cramer speculated that some people were
waiting to hear about upgrades from 2017 and that some of those didn't come
together until the last minute.
Europe's biggest hamfest, "HamRadio" in Friedrichshafen, Germany, welcomed 15,460 attendees
this year, 1650 fewer than in 2017, according to show officials. Organizers
noted that this year's show was earlier in June than usual, which may have
accounted for the drop in attendance. They note it will be back to its
traditional late June weekend next year.
