Maybe because they don't have to travel as far or for as much money, they can do it. The public transportation system is so much better in Europe.
While there are 1000s of hobbyists in the U.S., you don't find their desire to attend MACNA mainly because they don't understand what it is like - yet.

I've seen posts over the years about "if it was over near my area, I'd go." The fact is, unless it is within a few hours' drive, no matter where it is you have travel expenses and hotel accommodations to pay for. The experiences and the knowledge you come home with is well worth those expenses, imho.
And even those that are local don't necessarily grasp what a treasure they have nearby. Which is why threads like these are posted. Hopefully they'll see it and decide to give it a shot. For them, they only have to worry about the entry fee because they can drive home each evening. Which is exactly what I did when MACNA was here on Fort Worth in 2002. A LFS in Calfornia asked me if I was going, and I explained that I didn't see what the big deal was nor did I want to spend the $150 to attend. I figured I could get LR with that money.
Fortunately I decided to attend, and the rest is history. Everyone can be just like me.
