How is MidWest?

[bisontuba]

Hi-
For those attending this week, how is MidWest this year?
Mark

[bisontuba]

bump...,

[Tubajug]

I'd like to go at some point too. It's just a rough time of year for a teacher. It's only 8 hours away from me though. I could probably find a another director or two to hop along.

[Mitch]

It was MidWest. I only had a couple hours to attend on Thursday.

I'd hoped Miraphone might have their new Hagen prototypes there, but they didn't. I didn't see the Siegfried, either.

Custom Music didn't exhibit this year. Willson & Kanstul were not present, either.

Buffet Group had one large booth area for all their wares, but not big enough for ALL their wares, so the tubas were a thin selection of B&S and MW, far from the full lines of either. No Baers, a Tuono, no Thor (unless I missed it completely), a PT6R, PT6P, MRP CC, a BBb or two, and 3 or 4 F's. For two brands offering a much larger line from each, it seemed light.

Tuba Exchange was there with their usual full complement of offerings.

Big Mouth Brass was there with their full line.

Honestly, it isn't the opportunity to see/sample horns it once was. Day-of registration is $150. (I registered earlier for a slightly smaller amount. But not much smaller.) Once they switched to McCormick Place, it offers a lot more space, but Chicago, for a while, lost a lot of convention business there because of the costs of the space and the skyrocketing costs of mandatory union labor. They priced themselves right into empty convention halls. The unions relented (a little), which helped. I don't know how many people attend, but I'm sure it's got to be measured in 1,000s, and I'm assuming the exhibitors have to pay (possibly through the nose, it sounds like); I'm sure MidWest turns some sort of profit or they wouldn't be able to continue year-to-year. But holy crap. $150? And the booths seem a liiiiiittle smaller each year. I've got a closet bigger than some of the booths I saw. It's hard to imagine all exhibitors will be there each year as costs go up.

It's helped me decide something though, all predicated upon a lottery win:

there just needs to be a tuba store in Chicago.

[bisontuba]

It was MidWest. I only had a couple hours to attend on Thursday.

Honestly, it isn't the opportunity to see/sample horns it once was. Day-of registration is $150. (I registered earlier for a slightly smaller amount. But not much smaller.) Once they switched to McCormick Place, it offers a lot more space, but Chicago, for a while, lost a lot of convention business there because of the costs of the space and the skyrocketing costs of mandatory union labor. They priced themselves right into empty convention halls. The unions relented (a little), which helped. I don't know how many people attend, but I'm sure it's got to be measured in 1,000s, and I'm assuming the exhibitors have to pay (possibly through the nose, it sounds like); I'm sure MidWest turns some sort of profit or they wouldn't be able to continue year-to-year. But holy crap. $150? And the booths seem a liiiiiittle smaller each year. I've got a closet bigger than some of the booths I saw. It's hard to imagine all exhibitors will be there each year as costs go up.

It's helped me decide something though, all predicated upon a lottery win:

there just needs to be a tuba store in Chicago.

Hi-
According to the MidWest website, each 10' by 10' booth is $1,060--$1,210 if you want a 10' by 10' corner spot...
Mark

[Mitch]

I don't know what the space costs them, but they're taking in ballpark $2 million+ on registration and exhibitors. They charge $25 for the hotel shuttle if you're not at an "official" hotel. It's a big enterprise, no doubt, but I still haven't heard there's a new way to play an F#.