WTA Fall Convention moving?

Noticed in the Antigo newspaper that the Wisconsin Trappers Association has signed a three year deal to hold their fall trappers convention at the Langlade County Fairgrounds. Venue is in the middle of Antigo with quite a few outbuildings and plenty of tailgate area. Stated that the fall 2023 convention will take place there. Is this old news or is this still to be shared with all the trappers that attend the convention?

Chris

I've heard that the WTA was shopping around for different venues, but a deal is news to me.

Can only read the article title 1/2 way down page on the right. Pay window appears when you click the article
https://www.antigojournal.com/


Chris

Here's the text:


"In 2023, a new event will become a mainstay event at the fairgrounds. The Wisconsin Trappers Association (WTA) has approved a contract for the Langlade County Fairgrounds to be the site of the annual WTA Fall Convention beginning in 2023 and extending annually until 2025.

The WTA was organized in 1963 by a small group of individuals concerned about the future of Wisconsin’s trapping heritage. Many of these individuals were also involved in organizing the National Trappers Association four years earlier.

Today’s WTA works to:

— Protect trapping heritage and continue the traditions of the trapping community.

— Educate the public about the benefits of responsible and regulated trapping activities.

— Maintain a conservation ethic and participate in wildlife and habitat management programs.

— Provide a comprehensive trapping education programs.

WTA hopes ensure the future of trapping by encouraging a large WTA membership to:

— Maintains a public outreach program that provides informational materials in many forms and at a variety of events.

— Provides scholarships to students attending college.

— Conducts trapper education course workshops.

The event is scheduled for Sept. 8-9, 2023, utilizing the Multi-Purpose Building, the Livestock Pavilion, the Commercial Building, and north and west grounds. Individual vendors and registered attendees will utilize the campsites at the fairgrounds at their own costs. Primitive camping will be available on the north and west grounds for paid attendees.

Expected attendance for the event is in excess of 5,000 people with more than 130 vendors on site.

WTA is interested in providing space for local volunteer organizations for fundraising during the convention. Event fees for visitors will be $15 for the entire weekend with those 12 and younger admitted free. Contact our department for WTA contact information."

That's sort of a bummer for many, it seems. Marshfield was a fantastic venue that perhaps most importantly was centrally located.

I don't mind the change, just wondering why. Is it more cost effective?

Nice, I will most likely go again being 2 hours closer.
I didn’t mind the marshfield location but being 3.5 hours it was hard to just do a day trip

The WTA has been discussing alternatives for the Marshfield site for several years. There are several factors but cost of the grounds was an issue along with some other convention related costs etc. There were several sites that were researched. I was not aware that the Langlade Fair Grounds was one of them but it must have passed the board's muster. For me it is about the same distance a tad short of 150 miles and since starting working the demo site it has been a Thursday thru Sunday AM for 16 years. There are many that come a day or so earlier. Need to get a chance to view the grounds so we know what we can and can not do and where.

Bryce

Interesting- the last buzz I heard was about the WTA Rondy being held in Waupaca

Cost of fairground rental is going up all over the place. Really hampers finding sites for conventions, especially when just trying to find grounds with open dates is a pain to start with.

sounds great it's a lot closer

You been hiding under a rock Hodag, even I knew it was moving lol.

Only a half hour from my deer camp, I'll be there!

Anyone know if there is walkin Cooler or freezer on the fairgrounds?

Dave

Last I heard also.


Langlade Fairgrounds a lot closer for me ... 1 1/2 hours from home, only a hour from the cabin
It's a shame we have to find this information out here first though. Thank Chris for the heads up.!

Someone said it outgrew Marshfield, but I don't believe that. There has to be more to the story. It'll come out eventually I suspect, maybe in the next quarterly magazine.

Your right. There Is no way we out grew that venue.

It'll be nice for some of the vendors that didn't get a chance at any of the best locations due to the old vendors keeping their same location every year. I heard a lot of complaints about that when they hosted the NTA, some vendors got stuck in the back 40 in some sheep barn no one could find. They weren't happy.

A couple of the main buildings at the Marshfield site were not owned by the Fair Grounds or board and over time there were issues on could we or could we not use them and also negotiations were not always completed by just the fair grounds staff. The fair ground board changes as do many boards over time and there are significant differences on how the board members work with potential lessor groups. That may well happen over time in other locations as well.

Trying to find a venue that fits ones needs and within cost guidelines and located where the bulk of one's membership has a couple hours or less drive makes the task of finding a site not as easy as one would hope.

Bryce

Maybe I'm just frustrated b/c for me personally the new location probably won't work for me to attend. I don't see myself driving to Northeast Wisconsin for the event. Maybe there's more Trappers up that way though so it could be for the better I don't know.

The advantage of Marshfield is it is centrally located. When you start moving to areas outside the central location I fear attendance will be impacted. But I am going to trust the board.

Isn't this location only 45 minutes to a hour east of Marshfield

Yep Wheelers maybe a tad more but not a problem. Marshfield was getting more expensive and less bldgs. Alot of Marshfield business didnt even know the rondezvous was in progress. Will see how Antigo treats WTA.

Looking to maintain or hold attendance during these fur market times maybe wishful thinking. If our new attendance probabilities are say 900 to 1200 instead of 1600-2100 then raising admission costs and lowering expenses is what is needed to gain revenues for our programs and mission. The most WTA members probably live south of Hwy 10 so even though we were centrally located we have not been at the center of membership numbers. For those that want to attend 150 miles is not much of an issue over 100 miles. If rendezvous don't earn profits then associations will need to find other significant sources of revenues or significantly scale back on expenditures and programs.

Bryce

I don't think people from my area will drive that far, but I wish the group well and certainly hope for the best. WTA is a fantastic organization.