Hosting a National Convention

Steve Shetter, the Derby City Express Convention Chair, wrote an essay

on how the DCE came to be. It should be required reading for anyone

planning a convention or other large show. It was published in the N Scale Collector Magazine, an informative and worthwhile N Scale publication.

To download a copy of Steve’s article, Click Here.

To download an unedited version of Steve’s article, Click Here.

Below is a rough timeline when considering a National Convention. Be sure to read Steve’s articles for concise information.

5-10 years prior

1. •Develop relationships with the other clubs in your region. Collect contacts from as many clubs as possible.
   

2. •Travel with your club to other cities for shows. Arrange for your club to attend a National Convention. When your club attends these shows, bring modules, offer to hold clinics, have members enter the model contest, and find a way to become actively involved in the show.  While there, learn from your hosts.
   

3. •Host modest regional shows in your town and invite neighboring clubs.
   

4. •Become active in the N Scale community. Get your name out there! Build a solid reputation with other clubs.
   

2-5 years prior

1. •Contact your local Chamber of Commerce or Convention Board. They will be able to help you choose dates venues for the show and hotel. In some markets starting four to five years in advance is required. Louisville was that way.
   

2. •Contact the NSC, NTRAK, and the NMRA to avoid conflicts and/or to coordinate a combined convention. The DCE was a combined convention consisting of the N Scale Collector Society and a Partnership of N Scale clubs. For the DCE the KSONS were the lead club and laid the groundwork for the show to take place.
   

3. •Post to several of the more popular internet forums (Trainboard, Atlas, Yahoo, and several others) to get feedback about your plans. Without broad support your convention will not be successful.
   

4. •Let your regional clubs know what you are planning and solicit support. The KSONS received financial and manpower support from over a dozen clubs with just one email. We formed a Partnership that ensured that we would have the resources for success. Had we not build our relationships this would not have happened and the DCE would never have taken place.
   

5. •Determine how the public show and vendors will be handled. The DCE was fortunate to partner with World’s Greatest Hobby On Tour to produce the public show and sale aspect of the DCE.
   

6. •Contact the hosts of previous large shows. Ask for their operations and PR information. Don’t reinvent the wheel, learn from what others have done.
   

1-3 years prior

1. •Form a committee to handle the major areas of the convention. Click Here to see the DCE Committee Structure.
   

2. •Make reservations and pay deposits for the hotel, the show venue, and extra events.
   

3. •Advertise!!!! Use every opportunity to get the word out about the show. Start early and don’t stop until the show has ended. Make use of the major N Scale web forums. Post each new development. Build excitement. Monitor the posts and reply promptly. Contact the editors of N Scale Railroading, N Scale Magazine,  and Model Railroading with show information.
   

4. •Build a website that contains all the information needed for the show. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just informative. This site was built using Apple’s iWeb. The actual registration pages were written by the NSC’s webmaster and were linked from this site.
   

5. •Ask for help from other clubs. Your club won’t be able to do this alone. (Don’t even try.) And it is much more fun and exciting to pull from the expertise of others. If you have laid the proper groundwork you already know who you will go to for help.