The following is a press release as it originally appeared in the Rochester Philatelic Association's Hinges and Tongs Newsletter Winter 2021-2022 issue. For more information about RPA, visit their website.

Plans for ROPEX 2022 by Tom Fortunato

It’s hard to believe that our last ROPEX took place in 2019. That seems longer than just a few years ago. But this hiatus has given us time to reflect on the show’s past and near and far-term future. Simply wishing to continue on status-quo is simply not possible.

As of this time we are still planning to hold ROPEX 2022 as scheduled May 20-21. Several items are still not finalized but here is what is going on should all work out well.

ROPEX 2022 will be held in a closed store at Greece Ridge Mall. Attendance has been slowing in
Canandaigua and moving back to the greater Rochester area should help build attendance overall. Adding mall patrons to the mix can only help improve the crowd. The mall offers plenty of food options, is near six area hotels, and offers options for non-collecting family members.

Next year’s ROPEX will evolve from a stamp show to a stamp, coin and collectibles (i.e. antiques) show, welcoming non-philatelic material to broaden our public and dealer appeal. Table prices will be lowered to encourage more dealers overall to participate.

We are not planning on having exhibits. As such, we will no longer be an APS World Series of Philately national show. We have too few volunteer members to do the work of recruiting and advertising for exhibits, transporting frames, setting up and taking down frames and exhibits, securing judges, receiving and returning exhibits, producing a comprehensive show program, holding an awards ceremony, etc. There are manpower and financial costs associated with each task that can be saved by becoming a bourse. The future of our exhibit frames and the storage facility expenses associated with them will need to be discussed by the RPA membership.

We wish we could continue as we have, but awaking from our Covid hibernation has presented us with a dose of reality. Changes don’t come easy. Of course we will still need plenty of help before, during and after ROPEX from the membership. But these plans will lessen the load and have the potential to better position the show’s (and club’s) future.