ORIGINAL: Bob Mitchell
ORIGINAL: littlecrankshaf
Look, I am not trying to make some conspiracy case out of the OP's question and I certainly realize a lot went into the decision that may never be known but by the same token the Southwest Aero modeling convention, headed by Sandy F, in the more centrally located region was not taken under AMA's wing. It is just hard to reconcile the whys.
I'm not sure if the Bill Northrup who initiated the IMS had any ties to AMA or not. Sandy F certainly does, and I expect that there would be a huge cry of "foul" if the AMA purchased rights from him. I suspect the cry of "sweetheart deal" would be never ending.
Just a thought.
I think anytime that a national organization such as AMA stages an event in a fixed location they are going to get criticism from those that think it should be moved around. Lot's of discussion about that concerning the Nationals being fixed at Muncie, rather than touring. The other side of the coin is that they purchased rights to an existing, and apparently rather successful show and are using it to promote AMA. Moving it elsewhere would risk losing an established audience, and perhaps negating the reason it was purchased in the first place. Granted, they've moved it about 30 miles west to Ontario, but it's still playing to the same established and very large regional audience.
Ummmm,
Last time I checked Pasadena was North and a tad West Of Ontario.
Bill, AMA 4720