QUOTE:
Why does the Swap Meet even require tables? Why can't it just be held in some designated location, and we can just wander in with our stuff and start swaping & selling?
Because we'd like to prevent utter chaos. On Friday evenings we have a limited amount of physical space available for the convention. The swap meet location -- the main hallway outside the Dealers' Room -- is convenient for us and attendees and is a space we can readily control access to (as in, prevent non-attendees from wandering). Because the space is a hallway, if we let folks just put stuff down on the floor, we'd run the risk of a fire hazard (no walking space). The tables allow sellers to more easily show off their stuff and keep the flow of traffic out of the middle of the hallway.