District I
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
The Toledo R/C Swap Meet, auction, and fun-fly was held on April 9-10, 2021. Associate Vice President Steve Brehm and I drove the 750 miles to the Renaissance Toledo Hotel on April 7. Although the hotel had $22-a-day valet parking, we choose a parking garage a few blocks away that was only $7 per day.
At 7 a.m. the next morning, we were able to enter the SeaGate Convention Centre’s main floor as AMA vendors. Many of the vendors already had their displays set up. It was obvious that the event planners had taken considerable time to plan an excellent floor layout for vendor booths and wide aisles for COVID-19 compliance.
Within the first few hours of opening, attendance exceeded all expectations. Tons of great new and used RC products were sold and we experienced the enthusiasm and smiling faces of all of the buyers, sellers, and especially the event planners who partnered with the SeaGate Centre, Valley City RC Club, and Hank’s Hobby Hangar to create this awesome event.
The scheduled indoor flying and the auction also went quite well. We attended the vendor meeting Friday night and participated in providing recommendations and a commitment to promote future events. With so many of the RC expo events having ended, many of us expressed our appreciation that this event has already committed to next year and thereafter.
Thank you to the “Swapper Guys” for a great event!
Individual swappers selling new and used RC hobby products occupied several hundred 8-foot tables that cost them a reasonable $25 per day in the two large sections of the 65,000-square-foot SeaGate Convention Centre’s main floor.
Most of the retail hobby commercial vendors who were selling new hobby products, and the professional organizations were located in sections with black backdrops as seen in the photos of a few of the aisles.
Andy Argenio
Vice President
brandshobby@gmail.com
3 Sheila Ln., Smithfield, RI 02917
(401) 231-6901
www.amadistrict-1.org
ASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENTS
Steve Brehm, Jamestown RI; (401) 423-1085; stbrehm@yahoo.com
Andrew Figlar, Shelton CT; (203) 513-8546; figlar335@att.net
James Gilliatt, Concord MA; (978) 369-9796; jegilliatt@cs.com
Steve Goler, Salem MA; (617) 373-0884; nipmuck2@comcast.net
Daren Hudson, Greenland NH; (603) 674-5809; tdh7@comcast.net
Ray LaBonte, Standish ME; (207) 892-7994; rplabonte@aol.com
Tom Lavoie, N. Smithfield RI; (401) 824-6134; d2tw4all@yahoo.com
Joan Liska, Middletown CT; (860) 347-0257; jliska9000@sbcglobal.net
Mark Montella, Falmouth, MA; (508) 457-4984; montellamj@comcast.net
Thomas J. Puma Jr., North Clarendon VT; (802) 558-4439; usakingcat1@aol.com
Tom Rocheleau, Wethersfield CT; (860) 280-1701; trocheleau@cox.net
William Unghire, Newinton CT; (860) 978-5353; n1cnw@icloud.com
TECHNOLOGY AND SAFETY OFFICER
John Yassemedis, 5 Quarry Rd., Nashua NH 03062; (603) 321-8442; jyassemedis@comcast.net
EVENT SANCTION COORDINATOR
David Surwell, 24 Norwich Rd., Nashua NH 03062; (603) 888-2020; davidsurwell@comcast.net
