"Historicon 2019 at Lancaster Marriott" Topic

This notice just popped into my in-box re: location for Historicon 2019.

"The HMGS Board of Directors are excited to announce that Historicon® 2019 will be hosted at the Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square & Lancaster County Convention Center."

$145 USD a night rates with free parking and other amenities.

Hotel highlights at: link

I wonder why they find it so exciting.

Duncan

Does anyone know the dates?

Looks like new location is catecorner across streets from the Central Market – centralmarketlancaster.com. Possible consequences:

Morning games Friday and Saturday may have less competitors

Bringing along 'field rations' to the con not warranted

Many H'con attendees may end up out-of-shape (What!!!)

Have a good trip to Cold Wars, regardless (hope weather next week not replication of this – 3" snow now on ground in Nuuk, New Jersey, and coming down)

Penn Square Parking Garage next door – 756 spaces

East King Street Garage 1 block away – 448 spaces

Prince Street Garage 1 ½ blocks away – 1,126 spaces

0-1 hour $2 USD
1-2 hour $4 USD
2-3 hour $5 USD
Each Additional or Partial Hour Add $1 USD
Up to A Maximum of 24 Hours $15 USD
Lost Ticket $26 USD
After 5PM Friday, Saturday and Sunday $5 USD

Anyone NOT staying at the hotel is going to have to pay out the butt for parking? I can see this going over about as well as a fart in church.

Anything has to be an improvement over the Host. …ok almost anything.

The convention center looks clean and spacious:
youtu.be/nDgHTGXw-rE

Decent restaurants in the area and 4400 parking spaces within easy walking distance. Seems like an upgrade.

Hmph. So, more expensive rooms AND more expensive food? And the guys who commute in from cheap motels pay $40 USD for parking for a four-day con. What could be better? That said, I expected this would be my only four-convention year. I'll live with the Lancaster Marriott if the other conventions are even further away.

'Bout those other conventions. Nice they have a place picked out for July 2019, but this is about the time I should be making reservations for March 2019, and I still don't know where next year's Cold Wars is going to be.

But I'm glad the Board's excited. (Maybe "pleased" would have been a stretch?)

The venue looks nice, but I suspect the logistics of parking, especially for GMs, will be problematical. Not sure what the gain is as opposed to the Host except saying we found "somewhere else."

Only question I have, is there dedicated hotel parking? If I decided to leave, will my spot still be there or could someone take it? That is an issue at The Host. A lot of hotels will have room numbers painted on the spots so if someone else parks there they could be towed.

I don't see anything on the hotel site specifying.

pvi99th, I cannot recall a hotel with reserved spots for each room that I have stayed at in the past 15+ years. I am sure we will learn more about the contracts, but since they appear to have waived the parking fee at the Marriott, they likely have worked out other contracts with the parking lots.

I will stay optimistic until we learn more.

I would think that 4400 parking spaces within a couple of blocks would be ample for a convention that barely has 2500 attendees.

Condottiere, that may be so, but do we know yet if a convention registration (not including a room reservation) gets free parking? Thats definitely a Host bonus.

To me, nothing beats being able to haul my stuff from the Host's side lot straight into the Distelfink…a grand total of what, maybe a couple of hundred feet? I got $10 USD that says I won't be hand hauling anything into the ballroom from the Marriott's parking garage.

And for the next question…which 98% of us are all wondering: can we bring in our own libations?

More importantly, can we bring in our own mold, gunge and "Yankee Sweatsock" scented candles so it feels more "host like."

I like Marriotts. They know what they are doing adn serve food fit for humans.

But there's were no problems at the Host a good fire bombing wouldn't solve.

And for the next question…which 98% of us are all wondering: can we bring in our own libations?

I was told the Host is REALLY clamping down on that. So it may be a moot point.

I was looking at the videos of the convention center – it looks really nice. I can't wait to see how this pans out.

Most likely will have to invest in a nice flask, although I prefer to bring my own beer. Haven't heard all the details, but from what I see this is a very good move.

And did anyone think to ask, how many spaces in two of the three Parking Garages listed are "Reserved" or "Permitted" for Marriott, Convention Center, or other Downtown Lancaster Employees on days Thursday, Friday, and Saturday?

Something very typical of downtown parking garages. As the sign usually states when you enter the garage if you park in a reserved or permitted space your vehicle is subject to being towed. The sign is also required to list the "towing" and "storage" fees your vehicle will be subject to. Some downtown parking garages will often have a restriction on overnight parking also, and that will appear on your ticket when you park in such a garage, or there will be a sign stating such restrictions!

Something the Day Trippers especially will need to be aware of when you arrive. Those Downtown and Hotel employees have to park somewhere too!

$15 USD a day for parking is hardly "Paying out the butt". Although I DO NOT like paying for parking $15 USD is pretty reasonable.

Dynaman8789 , $ 15.00 is not bad unless you are one of us that come for three or four days !

$15 USD a day for parking is hardly "Paying out the butt".

That's $60 USD over 4 days.

$15.00 USD a day isn't bad at all. I have been on business trips where they charge up to $30.00 USD a day. I don't mind paying more for better rooms, food and amenities.

$15.00 USD a day isn't bad at all.

When everyone is used to paying 0 for HMGS cons?

Historical wargamers have to be the cheapest bunch i've ever seen.

By a longshot

+1 Neil

Plus they're getting really annoyed they can't bring their own beer.

I am under the impression that parking has been negotiated at a much lower rate. I expect when the details come out everyone will feel better about the plan for the show.

Although I am not normally a fan of downtown locations, I am actually looking forward to this!

Anyone staying for 4 days is also paying how much for a hotel room? And then complaining about an extra $15 USD a day MAX for parking? Yes, we are a bunch of cheap donkeys.

$145 USD for a room like this is pretty decent, though for similar money I could stay at an as nice place and get free breakfast and free internet and free parking. It also seams to nice of a place for most of our lot. I could see a loss in the dealers revenue due to the increase of costs, especially with the parking charges.

Pay to park I'm not going.

"Farewell and adieu unto you Spanish ladies. Farewell and adieu to you ladies of Spain. For it's we've received orders for to sail for old England. But we hope very soon we shall see you again."……………….it was a nice run for me, but that's all she wrote, been fun fellas, I'll be taking a hard pass, but best of luck to the vendors and attendees who go.

I wonder where the other two conventions will now land as you can't have Historicon in downtown Lancaster and CW and FI at the Host.

When everyone is used to paying 0 for HMGS cons?

And have to park in a muddy field and walk to a mold infested venue with horrible accommodations.

@Double G

Why not?

Why not what?

I'll be taking a hard pass, but best of luck to the vendors and attendees who go.

Which part is the biggest deal breaker for you? Not being judgmental, just curious what issues you forsee running into in that location.

The downsides seem to be the parking issues, no free wifi in the rooms and no free breakfast . But I'm interested in going.

I'm really curious what will happen if attendance goes way up upon return to the Host, and then goes back down in 2019 because of the move to the other convention center. The posts will surely be interesting.

Understood, not a problem.

Bottom line is for me I don't see the attraction in moving Historicon to downtown Lancaster.

It's already in Lancaster, is moving it to a shiny convention center going to cause a jump in attendance? I don't see it.

Not to put the cart before the horse, but what will the booths cost, what will the hotel cost, what will the meals cost?

As a dealer, my costs each year to attend shows/conventions keep going up, not to mention as a one man operation, while I am away at a show, nothing gets done here. I have to shut down my Ebay store which at the present time is a license to print money, plus no orders get shipped while I am away and I have to play catch up for two or three days after I get back from a show/convention.

Sorry, I don't see the attraction with downtown Lancaster vs the renovated Host, it's 6 of one, half dozen of an other.

As a dealer, I have to make choices that are best for me, other dealers may welcome this with open arms.

Nothing is set in stone as the other consideration is where will the other two conventions land; if to play devils advocate the other two move out of Lancaster and Historicon is the last man standing, then that's a different story.

At this time, those are my initial thoughts.

No free wifi?

This is 2018, there isn't a single hotel I stay in during my show circuit that does not have free wifi.

That's beyond idiotic.

Dougle G, in the email it says

Complimentary guest-room Wi-Fi for any guests that are Marriott Rewards Members (free to sign up)
No resort fees and complimentary access to pool and fitness center for all overnight guests

Then you haven't been to hotels in Chicago or Toronto. Hotels that cater to businessmen gouge them for high speed internet charges . The public areas, like the lobby usually have Wifi.

Thanks, I just got the email, I am a Marriott rewards member, they also have free parking with in and out privileges too………………so two less things to worry about.

Again, my initial thought is no, but there are a lot of moving parts to this, mainly where will CW and FI be held?

I stay at the Hyatt in Schaumberg IL for the biggest toy soldier show in the US and they have free wifi.

There were hotels that used to charge for it, which is highway robbery…………….

That's interesting. I was at the Hyatt Regency in Schaumberg for a synthesizer convention (Knobcon!!) and we had to go to the lobby for wifi. Their website indicates "free wifi" in their business center. Same with the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center which used to have Adepticon and now holds Little Wars. Maybe they changed their policies? Do the vendors need free wifi for their transactions or are they responsible for their own internet?

Of course, both have free parking and cheaper rates than PA hotels.

Best to become a Marriot Rewards member.

Does anyone know if the facilities will be open to view in two weekends? I'd be curious to see the physical arrangements for getting stuff in and out of the facility.

Dynaman8789 , $ 15.00 is not bad unless you are one of us that come for three or four days !

I heard that the price for parking was negotiated down to $7.00 USD daily. If that's the case, then that's very good!

I travel for business a bit. Marriott everywhere definitely lags in the internet department, in terms giving free WiFi.

As others have noted, just sign up to be a rewards member, and you get it. 10 minutes after the doors open, everyone I the convention will know the general password, anyway.

I suspect that the new owners of the Host may not have been willing to maintain the same prices and guarantees for future conventions, hence the move. We may not be comparing apples to apples by comparing the Host 2018 to the Host 2019-forward, so the comparison with the Marriott may not be what people assume.

Different Marriotts have different Internet requirements. Some are open while others can have a device limit per each account, and the accounts are assigned by room and last name of the person staying there.

I heard that the price for parking was negotiated down to $7.00 USD USD daily. If that's the case, then that's very good!

I've heard that too. That is a good compromise considering the city owns the parking lots.

YBM is right, spot on actually, someone has to pay for all those hotel renovations, I guess HMGS decided it wasn't going to be them.

As a vendor friend of mine tactfully put it (he's really good at that too by the way), his sales/convention attendance for Historicon in 2018 will dictate what he does for 2019.

At this stage of the game, I think I'll do the same after sitting on this for 24 hours.