Hello everyone. What follows is a brief report of the 61st Annual FUN Show which was held in Tampa, Florida January 7 – 10, 2016.
This was by far the largest of all of the FUN Shows. The number of dealers were approximately 620 which was a record. Due to our location in the Convention Center the number of visitors to the Fleet Society table was somewhat limited. The first day was rather slow but we were pleased to greet a number of Fleet Society members who came to chat and talk about our future plans, which include a Conference at St. Augustine in the spring of 2017. The Sunken Treasure Book Club hosted its annual dinner at the Columbia on Thursday night. The Columbia has been in Tampa since 1905 and is considered by many to be the gem of Spanish restaurants in the area. Some of those in attendance included Dave Crooks, Ray Blakeney, Mike Brown, Sandy and Alan Sadwin, Dan Sedwick, Dale Schroeder, John Pullin, and Tom Uram to name a few.
2016 FUN Show Images
On Friday, the Sunken Treasure Book Club had its annual meeting at the Convention Center. Although the number of attendees was somewhat less than usual, that did not interfere with the enthusiastic discussions that took place during the meeting which was chaired by Dave Crooks.
Next year the FUN Show will be held in Ft. Lauderdale and will return to Tampa again in 2018. The 2019 FUN Show will once again return to its usual venue in Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center. To continue our educational goals, the Fleet Society will be present at future FUN Shows with new and interesting displays that we believe will help to foster interest in the 1715 Fleet and its place in history.
Ben Costello
Director, 1715 Fleet Society
