Cincinnati Scale Modelers 16 Oct 2004
Cincinnati is by far the most distant event that I visit, with the trip taking 6 hours each way, making for a very long day. However, I can say that it is worth the trip.
For preliminaries, the club's web site has the entry forms and all show information included so that one can arrive with things pretty well done in advance. This year they have included a general registration form, which begs the question of why there should be the need for the entrant's name on the form that accompanies the model? I know that the club prefers a person's name on the form to make it easier for them to determine the awardee, but with the additional piece of paper containing all that info, that should eliminate that need. (Don and I have had this discussion for some time and I don't think that either of us is going to change our opinions on the subject! :o) )
The club wants to make sure you can find the event so there were signs posted at the exits of the interstate and others showing the way. No problems getting lost. The venue is a technical college lunch room and as they did last year, the contest entries are segregated by portable barriers from the vendors. Registration was a breeze as I had already filled out the forms. Cost was $5 that included two or three models (I forget which) with additional entries $1. Free cookies and coffee were provided. Though the event was supposed to open to the public at 9 AM, things were well underway when we arrived a bit before that, with the vendors having already been plundered rather heavily. Apparently the doors had been opened to the public about an hour or so earlier than was listed on the flyer. Since vendors are one of the main reasons I attend shows, and most of the really good stuff that hasn't been grabbed by other vendors is gone within the first hour of opening, it makes one wonder if it is worth the long trip.
The modeling tables are set up with plenty of space between them so no worries about wide modelers bumping into things. There are lots of tables and chairs for us to relax in and drink vending machines are also available. There were a lot of vendor tables and though most of them were taken up by hobby shops, there were still quite a few individuals selling kits and I managed to haul off quite a few (many of which you'll see in previews in the coming weeks). Cincinnati also has a 'model doctor' which is a table set up with glues and common paints for those who might have a model that has suffered damage during the trip there. It was complete with nurse!
The Cincinnati folks know how to put on a raffle. They offer 13 tickets for $5 and did three drawings. They place tickets drawn on the awards ahead of time as drawn from three categories; aircraft, armor, and cars. This means no rush to grab something and that there is good stuff at the end of the auction, something that a few other events may wish to emulate.
Judging started at 12.30 and at 3.30 the awards ceremony began. They place the first, second and third place awards with the models and only announce the 'best of' and special awards. I think this is the best way to do things as often awards ceremonies are overly long. We were back on the road at 4 PM, and since everyone in our group took home an award, we were quite pleased with the event.
I can't really close without making a comment on the designation of awards. Cincinnati uses a 'modified sweeps', which means one could win 2 of three awards. Since all awards were not announced, I don't know how many folks won two in a category, but I'm sure there were some. If the goal is to maximize the number of happy contestants, then there should be no sweeps. If the idea is to boost the egos of a few, then allow sweeps. I think that the fine folks at Cincinnati want happy contestants who will return the next year so they should seriously consider a complete no sweeps rule. I don't think it will cut down on the number of entries at all. This year they had 57 categories and split several, including 1/48 single-engine prop. Their awards were very nicely done and will make something nice for the display shelves.
Overall, I had a good time there. Don Flynn and company are all very nice people who seem to really enjoy putting on the event. The result is that we all felt very much at home and were able to enjoy ourselves. It is a fine show and I will be looking forward to returning next year.