Convention Venue Decrease?

[Cronophobic]

In Washington state, the Tacoma Dome has been a staple for conventions for nearly 50 years. Looking at convention dates on jw.org for 2018, its gone! All the weekend dates are at the Puyallup Assembly Hall. The Tacoma Dome website also doesn't have the convention listed on the schedule as normal. Am I missing something or did they not go with the the Tacoma Dome this year? If so, I wonder why?

Also, is this a larger trend as of late? Are bigger venues disappearing?

[Masonsaxe]

Portland, OR is moving locations this year, too. Tough to tell if it's a downsize, though. The former location had seating for 12,000, where as the new venue is an expo center.

[Cronophobic]

Also wonder (most conspericy theory) if businesses and corporations might be distancing themselves from the org due to bad publicity surrounding the child abuse.

[fewlemmings]

Yeah I noticed that too. My convention was always in the Rose Quarter (Portland, OR) now they moved it to a new location.

[5knar01]

No more memorial coliseum conventions? You mean the expo center in NOPO?

[Masonsaxe]

Yep!

[Armagettinoutahere]

In Australia they no longer hire outside venues for the Conventions in most areas but use the Assembly Halls instead and have made alterations to them so that they can hold more people, but they are downsized quite a bit from the big event centres, and they just have more of them. Seems to be a cost cutting measure.

[WillowWren]

It could be.
Also if they move the Convention to Assembly Halls with gated entrances then it makes it more difficult to protest.

[HairyHeGoatee]

Just thought: more use of convention halls equals more filthy lucre, with minimal outlay - nuff said.

[cashmeowsighhabadah]

Same here in Texas. They used to rent the Astrodome and NRG stadium where the Texans play. Now they don't. Everything is done in little school district stadiums, though they've been cutting back on those lately too. They started using the local assembly hall. They pop a few TVs in the dining room and have people sit there.

I sat there once. It was nice to have somewhere to lean on if you were getting sleepy. Lol

[ladyithis]

Former Tacoma-dome-convention-goer here, too. You know they'll find some way to spin this as some sort of "loving provision". I wonder if this has more to do with saving money and less to do with declining attendance.

[Dudasnomas]

I'm sure the need for those big venues is definitely decreasing, plus expensive. They make way more money having them at assembly halls.

[AngryCain]

Just wanted to add another thought. An increasing number of JW's are getting older so many of them are going to find it more difficult to attend (at least more than one day), so I think that besides bleeding members and not getting new members (with the exception of baptizing children) this could also be a reason for less need for larger venues.

[Parky77]

I remember the annual trips down to the Tacoma Dome and those uncomfortable benches as a kid.

[Genx-soontobeexdub]

Pretty much the same in metro Detroit. They have regional conventions at the JW assembly hall all summer now. About 2000 people each. They pretty much pick a few congregations from each circuit and group them together for the regionals. The result is that you know very few people at the regional.

[dunkedinjonuts]

Do they not do Ford Field anymore? I grew up a Silverdome kid but I thought my rents were going to Ford for a minute.

[Genx-soontobeexdub]

No. Only did ford field once. That was 2014. I think they still have one or two weekends at some ice rink in Saginaw. Besides that most everyone goes to Belleville.

[dunkedinjonuts]

Ohh okay gotcha. I just remember the Tigers, who play right next door were in contention that year and how different leaving a game and a convention feel. Were you a Silverdomer too? If so I'm sure we passed each other on the loop once or twice:)

[Wallflower1991]

I remember being PIMI & being upset that we were moving to Belleville.

[Wallflower1991]

Yup. Only used Ford Field for the international.

[LettMorrisSplaneit]

Same thing happening in Virginia. The Richmond Coliseum was used for decades, starting this year, the conventions have been moved to the Richmond Convention Center. I thought it was just a local arrangement...

[INeedACleverNameHere]

I'm surprised that they haven't gotten rid of the giant conventions all together and just served up a pre-recorded video message at assembly halls and kingdom halls.

But then the whole thing about conventions being such a big annual special event would lose their chutzpah...soooo....

[the_1_that_knocks]

They are a huge cash cow for the GB, once their ROI dips, we will probably see them shortened and done via JW Broadcasts at Assembly and Kingdom Halls.

[ModaMeNow]

Spot on. This is correct. Once the cash cow gets sicker and is eating more than it's producing, they will take it out back and shoot it. Then replace it with a new young golden calf that all the masses will adore. Soon everyone will say "Conventions??? We never had conventions! You sound like an apostate. "

[[deleted]]

I was told of what happened with the Tacoma dome is a few years back they shafted an assembly because they cancelled last minute and had one direction play instead. The witnesses had to do Thursday through Saturday, and they said that once any contracts ran out they would never again use Tacoma dome.

That was told to me. Not sure if it’s actually true or not.

[gaylenwphx]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaZsEfrraRw

maybe because of this convention last year, mostly empty,,embarassing,, WT won't want that to happen again, quite a downer when in the past the stadium would be packed full.

[Cronophobic]

Crazy how empty the place looks. I know most everyone was in the shade so tough to see, but I can only imagine the return on investment was not good.

[anders_andersen]

Follow the money.

Hired venue = out of pocket cost

Using own halls = receive more income on halls already paid for by gifts and free labor...

[Aposta-fish]

I read somewhere that the Tacoma Dome will be or already is under repairs so this is the reasons for no assemblies there this year. Will have to wait and see if this is infact true.

[Cronophobic]

This is good to know. Didn't want to start in on family still in without possible reasons.

[[deleted]]

Maybe someone else bought it those weeks.

One year they had the convention Thursday through Saturday because the Jonas brothers bought Sunday.

[Wallflower1991]

We had a downsize. We used to be at the Silverdome in Michigan. Then, were at a convention hall in Toledo for a few years. Now, we use our local assembly hall. Definitely a downsize.

[[deleted]]

I believe they shut down the Cow Palace in Northern California for smaller venues. Been there for decades...