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The AWA Annual Conference |
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Once a year in about mid-August, as the first hint of fall crispness tinges the air, about a thousand die-hard radio collectors and historians from all over the world come together to participate in the AWA Annual Conference.
 Our conference is arguably this country's premier antique radio event. Those who make the pilgrimage enjoy four days of total immersion in our hobby beginning on a Wednesday and concluding on Saturday. Join us in a little "virtual tour" of a typical conference so that you will know what to expect each day when you attend in person. But remember, this is a closed meeting and you must be a member to attend! An online printable membership application is available.
The conference begins in the morning with the opening of the giant flea market. If you are looking for an exotic piece of communications hardware or literature, better be there then! The most feverish trading takes place during the first few hours of the event, and for that reason no other activities are scheduled at that time. During the rest of the conference, the flea market continues at a much more relaxed pace as the collectors stroll, chat, compare wares, and look for bargains. The book fair opens about 8 a.m. this morning and will remain open for the entire conference. There, literature lovers will find an enticing array of used books as well as almost every new book in print relating to the antique radio hobby.
The first of a series of talks, seminars and clinics, scheduled throughout the four-day event begins this afternoon. These presentations, given by acknowledged
 authorities in their subject areas, may be associated with the conference "theme" (generally the history of a specific radio manufacturer), or on subjects of general interest. Early this evening you can hop aboard a chartered bus to visit the AWA's world-famous Electronic Communications Museum in Bloomfield, New York.
On Thursday, as the flea marketing continues in the parking lot and the presentations continue in the hotel's meeting rooms, some new activities begin. Sellers line up to check in for the big communications equipment auction, which takes place in the morning. At noon, the "radio widows" are entertained at a special ladies lunch. Later in the day, sellers check in for the main auction (to be held the next day) and contestants begin setting up for the old equipment contest.
Months prior to the conference, the hard-working contest organizers will have announced the categories for competition. Each year, special categories are developed to tie in with the conference theme. But as always, the "standard categories" encourage the exhibition of classic receivers and transmitters as well as examples of outstanding craftsmanship in restoration, rebuilding and the construction of replicas.
As day 3 of the conference gets underway, the contest judges study and rate the exhibits. At the same time, many of the conference participants begin circulating through the auction room to preview the items to be offered for sale beginning later in the morning. Traditionally the annual sightseeing tour--which features a bus trip to points of local interest followed up by a special luncheon--also takes place this morning. 
The flea market activity now thins out noticeably as the auctions get underway, usually at nine a.m. First vacuum tubes go on the block, then paper collectibles. After these categories are exhausted, the big general auction begins, which lasts well into the afternoon. The auction is among the largest in this country's antique radio collector community, and is the main attraction for many of our conference attendees.
After lunch, with the contest entries judged and ribbons awarded, the astonishing array of hardware and documentation in the contest room becomes available for viewing by the general public. Towards the end of the day, as successful auction bidders collect their purchase, conference goers and wives begin to get ready for the Awards Banquet. As the festive banquet crowd fills the room, acquaintances made during the contest are hard to recognize--having traded their tee shirts and jeans for suits and ties. The food is excellent and plentiful; an after-dinner speaker addresses the crowd; there is musical entertainment. The contest prizes are awarded, as are the special AWA recognitions.
The conference presentation schedule continues for another half day as die-hard collectors roam the flea market--now populated by a just a few hold-out vendors who are there more to chat than to make sales. There's a lot of story telling and hand shaking. The last formal event of the conference is the finale luncheon, which begins at noon. But those who would like to fill out the rest of this last conference day are welcomed at the museum, which is open all afternoon.
Even as the flea market vendors and conference attendees are packing up to leave, the conference staff is hard at work planning for next year. By now the new dates and theme are set and most of the speakers are signed up. The staff has to be on top of things because each new conference is expected to be even bigger and better than the last one!
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Copyright © 2005 Antique Wireless Association, Inc. |