The Dayton Hamvention website has announced that 24,542 people attended Hamvention® 2013, approximately the same as last  year’s attendance. Charles Kaiser, KD8JZR, was the 2013 general chairman. The Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) has sponsored Hamvention since 1952. Originally called the Southwestern Ohio Ham-vention, the inaugural event, held in March in downtown Dayton, attracted 600 attendees — twice the number anticipated. More than 28,800 turned out at Dayton in 2000, when the ARRL held its National Convention there. Hamvention attendance peaked at 33,669 in 1993, before the 1996 change in date from April to May. While attendance has fluctuated over the years, Dayton Hamvention has grown to international proportions, attracting members of the worldwide Amateur Radio community each spring. DARA already is counting down the days, hours and minutes until the next Dayton Hamvention, which takes place May 16, 17 and 18, 2014.