One thing that hurt the expo was this…
On Sunday, we had the expo, the surge event (like Tim Tebow and the duck dynasty guys talking Jesus stuff), and something else going on downtown (I think a concert). If you haven’t been to the HSV area, that might not sound too bad. But, they all happened at the same venue. The Von Braun Center has multiple halls/arenas/etc. The crowds looked huge, but they were separated between 3 events taking place simultaneously. Parking was a nightmare. I didn’t attend, but had some friends that I umpire with show up. They confirmed that the attendance was lacking.
However, apparently the big draw in the expo was the Ikon boats display. Heard from multiple people that was where a ton of people just “milling about” congregated there. Heard of some decent-ish sales: BOGO, etc. A friend’s son walked out with three Lews baitcasters for $99 and three Lews rods for $99. I don’t know what models, but three complete setups from a reputable manufacturer for $200…all for a 6th grader? That’s a deal in my book…