The #LCCA50+1 Convention Is Just Around The Corner
Here we are, as this is being written, it’s approaching Christmas, 2020. And we all know what kind of year this has been, right? One of uncertainty, disbelief, confusion, sadness, happiness, joy, well, you name it. I think I’ve just about covered them all. But hanging out there is one certainty, and that is we are planning one BIG Convention Splash in the Electric City, Scranton, PA for July 2021. At this time, we still do not know for sure if this convention will be a go or a no-go, but we are anticipating we will be having one as usual, and it will be a hum-dinger, making up for the LOST CONVENTION of 2020 in Omaha.
The city has been put on notice that the Lionel Collectors Club of America will be coming to town and they are making plans to welcome us with open arms! We will be enjoying two of the finest hotels in the area, the Hilton Scranton & Conference Center, our Headquarter Hotel and the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel, Scranton, our overflow hotel. Both will be used during our week, with the Hilton being used for the President’s Welcome Reception on Sunday night, the Get Acquainted Party on Thursday night and the Banquet on Saturday night. The Radisson, with its ease of entry, will be used for the Trading Hall on Friday and Saturday. Why two hotels you ask? Simply, neither the Hilton nor the Radisson has the space to accommodate us for all the events, so we are breaking them up, the events that is.
Both of the properties are excellent and quite accommodating, and we decided to use them both so we can all enjoy the activities that await us in Scranton. The Hilton Scranton is our Headquarter Hotel, we highly encourage you to make your reservation at the Hilton Scranton, since the majority of the gathering and events will be at the Headquarter Hotel. The Radisson Lackawanna Station for those who register late or after our room block at the Hilton Scranton is filled. We have negotiated the same discounted room rate at both LCCA Convention Hotels.
Our Convention Tour Director, Dienzel Dennis, has been planning some outstanding tours in and around Scranton with a couple right down the track from where we are staying. The ones most of us will really be interested in are the Steamtown National Historic Site and the Electric City Trolley Museum. These two attractions are next to each other and share the same parking lot, but Dienzel has a treat in store for you in getting to and from these parks, so continue to read all about it here and in the February issue of the TLR.
The Lackawanna County Convention and Visitors Bureau (
visitnepa.org), along with the two hotels, have arranged a Complimentary Airport Shuttle Service from the Wilkes-Barre-Scranton Airport. Details will follow in further articles. Unfortunately, even though Scranton was a major stop on the Lackawanna line, there is no passenger service there anymore. So if you plan on traveling by Amtrak, you will have to get off at a distant station and bus the final miles. Philly may be your best connection for rail travel.
For those of you that like to stretch your legs and browse downtown, the area is safe and secure, so walking is encouraged. There are a few small hills, but if I can do it, so can you. There is a former mall, now called the Marketplace at Steamtown, a couple of blocks from both hotels. I understand it has undergone renovation, and there may still be some minimal construction as a few doctors’ offices are going in.
What I have not mentioned is that the two hotels are but a few steps away from each other. OK, maybe a half a block, across the street and around the corner. One street light away. Anyway, they are REAL CLOSE! Here again is the good news: if you can’t walk or desire not to, both hotels have vans which will transport you from one to the other. So there is no reason to be upset when you have your hands full of super deals that you just couldn’t pass up at the trading hall, there is still an easy way to get back to the Hilton without walking. Yep! Take the hotel van…it’s FREE!
We have been trying to work Scranton into our convention plans for a number of years. We are looking forward to bringing the convention to their town. So, if you have not already, start making your plans to attend the #LCCA50+1 Annual Convention, July 19-24, 2021, in Scranton, PA. I understand the GAP will be a “magical” night to remember. See you there! And keep your fingers crossed. (#LCCA50+1)