Online reservations for Hamvention® 2018 flea market and inside exhibit spaces are now available. Vendors who had spaces last year are being encouraged to log into their accounts to reserve them for this year’s event. Online sales were delayed after it became apparent that an additional building would not be built before Hamvention, prompting scheduling and planning adjustments. The addition of Building 4, which not available last year, also has made room for more inside exhibits. Hamvention organizers said this week that both the flea market and inside exhibits committees have been working hard to respond to vendors as quickly as possible. Hamvention General Chairman Ron Cramer, KD8ENJ, asked vendors to be patient once they have entered their information for 2018.

“The staff is working to confirm requests as quickly as possible,” Cramer said. “Additional e-mails or information requests will only slow the process.”

Inside exhibits Chairman Brian Markland, N8UDQ, said that any exhibitor who completes an online order for the same spaces by April 15 will be guaranteed those spaces. Vendors who were in tents during Hamvention 2017 will have the option of keeping tent space or entering the pool for the additional spots in Building 4 — the former furniture store.

“Since we expect more people to want to move to the building than there are spaces, we determined that a lottery was the only fair way to assign those spaces,” Markland said. Vendors staying in tents during 2018 will be moved inside in 2019, when the new building is available, he added.

Because some vendors will be moving inside, and to address some issues that arose last year, layouts inside tents may change slightly; affected tent vendors will be contacted by the exhibits committee.

Both Cramer and Markland urged vendors to read the 2018 inside exhibits and flea market rules and instructions before registering. Incomplete or incorrect applications only slow the process. Contact the flea market, exhibits, or tickets committee, as appropriate. Sending e-mails elsewhere will only cause delays, Hamvention said.

Cramer thanked those who have already purchased spaces and tickets and said that the committee is working hard to make the second year at Hamvention’s new location at the Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center in Xenia, Ohio, even better than the first.