"Parking for Vendors at Historicon" Topic

An awful thought just struck me about the upcoming Historicon convention. Vendors have been promised reserved parking in the convention center parking garage.

Most parking garages have a rather low height limit for vehicles. What about vendors with oversize vehicles? I drive a minivan, but I need a cargo pod on the top to fit all my stuff. A lot of other vendors show up with panel trucks or other tall vehicles. Are we going to be out of luck?

This might help.

link

Not sure which site is the convention center garage mentioned, but the Penn Square lot has a 6.8ft limit.

There are lots (i.e. not garages) listed in the above link that will take larger vehicles.

I suspect they must have a deal with a lot that can handle trailers and larger vehicles.

Can't speak for Historicon, but at ORIGINS there is a special area for Vendors to load and unload. Not being snarky here, but it is the centers delivery area.

I can only assume that every Convention area has one.

I'd email the Organizers and ask if that is the plan.

The website has the procedures for loading in an out through Vine Street. Limited details, but pretty standard for an in city convention center.

PDF link

I would agree with PzGeneral, email the organizers and see what has been arranged.

Loading and unloading isn't what I'm worried about. There is a loading dock. It's where to park afterward.

Yes the procedure states contact the convention organizers to see what they have arranged for parking.

" Parking is available in the surrounding parking garages of Lancaster City. Please see attached map, your Show Manager may have arranged parking in a specific garage for Vendors. Parking in the loading area is prohibited. "

I know there is a surface level parking lot available for oversized vehicle parking, but it isn't very large. It's on the south side of Vine St, right across from the Con Ctr. I'm sure one of the ConOps guys will pick up on this link and provide chapter and verse.

In addition to the Penn Square lot, HMGS has rented the entire open air lot across the street to be used solely for vendors with larger vehicles. Also, the restriction of no parking in the alley has been lifted for us as well. If we need even more space for the larger vehicles, there is another open air lot that Joby (the convention director) has in mind. Rest assured, the staff is on top of it. If you have any questions at all, just send an email. Joby is extremely responsive. Hope this helps.
Best regards,
John Spiess
Treasurer
HMGS, Inc.

Excellent! Thank you for quelling my concerns so quickly :)

Thanks, John.

I don't wish to drop a wrench in the rumor mill, but I was told that there would only be one parking spot per room at the hotel. Is there information on this as well?

Thx

That's pretty standard for hotels. If they don't make you pay extra for it, that would be nice.

Does a 2005 LeSabre count as a large vehicle?

Flank – That's one free spot for per room with the full in and out privileges.

I'm in Lancaster right now for 2 days going over details with the convention center and doing a look over to finalize our floor plans for the show.

What else do people want me to check out while I'm here?

Joby

If you get chance…

The main parking lots we will be depending on are the two that adjoin the Marriott and the Hotel Lancaster. It is my understanding that, at least some, people who work in the downtown Lancaster area use these lots as weekly parking. It could possibly be informative to get a sense of how full the lots are about 9-10a tomorrow. If the lots have 500 spaces each and are 1/5 full, no worries. If not…

Food for thought.

Thx Joby, If the room has a car that will not be in and out for the convention, what is the cost to park that vehicle? Thanks for your time, Just trying to figure out what we are going to do with the other vehicle since we can't ride together this year.

Hey wait a minute, 6.8ft limit?

So, Scotty Bowden can't get in?

Nyuck, nyuck….

KPinder, I got a chance to check out the two connected garages. (Sorry it took so long to report.) The lots you're talking about (Penn Square and Duke respectively) have a combined parking capacity of 1250 spots. They were both more than half full the days I was there but in their defense, the Marriott was sold out while I was there (I'm not sure how full the Holiday Inn (Hotel Lancaster) was.)

I've been recently notified that the Central Garage, now called the Steinman Park Garage is no longer part of the Lancaster Parking Authority. The Convention Center is working with us to see how parking there is going to work as they no longer take the parking tokens. Their pricing is a little wonky too, more expensive during the week and only $5 USD a day on the weekend. More on that when we have it. There is still tons of downtown parking both the Prince St. and East King St. garages are less than 2 blocks away.

Flank, I was told during our meeting that it's $10 USD for overnight. I'm waiting for details on how that will work too. Another thing I should probably add in case we haven't mentioned it before is that we won't be covering the cost of valet parked vehicles.

And lastly, I know sthar was making a joke but the Steinman Park Garage's Prince Street entrance showed an 8'2" entrance height.

Someone tell Scotty not to wear a hat.

Maybe we'd all better leave the stove pipe hats home.

Penn St.

link

Duke St.

link