This year’s IPMS National Convention took place in San Marcos, TX. The weather was incredibly hot (about 106° on average), but the competition was even hotter. Held in the San Marcos Convention Center, which is attached to the Embassy Suites, the convention consumed one gigantic room for the Contest Hall, three large vendor rooms, and several smaller rooms for breakout sessions. Whether from size limitations at the facility or a larger than expected turnout, the Contest Hall was packed with over 3,000 models, which created a very cramped and claustrophobic atmosphere that made it very difficult to enjoyably and comfortably get through the room. Similarly, the vendor rooms shared the same cramped layout. Despite that, the quality and quantity of models didn’t disappoint, and the jovial interactions amongst scale modelers and vendors from all over the world made a wonderful event.
Quick facts:
- 3,110 model entries (2 short of record from Chattanooga, 2019)
- 963 entrants
- 625 guests
We had a strong showing from ASM. While not a definitive number, I counted 12 members in attendance and 4 recent members now residing in different cities. I don’t have an exact count on our number of entries but estimate it at around 75. Our members collected the following wins (more than 3x what we collected in 2022!):
- 1st place = 3
- 2nd place = 5
- 3rd place = 3
Be sure to attend this Friday’s ASM club meeting to see the winning models and awards. The entire banquet presentation can be found in the YouTube video to the right.
The 2024 Nationals will be held in Madison, WI. Their website can be found here.
It was announced that the 2025 Nationals will be held in Hampton, VA, August 6-9.
ASM’s Media Manager, Casey Rupley, won the 2023 Ralph Forehand Website of the Year award.
There were simply too many fantastic models to attempt to cover them in a comprehensive photo gallery, so I only impart general photos of the event. I’m sure in the days and weeks ahead there will be plenty available through the usual online sources.
