If you happened to be in the headquarters of Whitman Expo last week, chances are you would have heard a rather loud sigh of relief from Whitman General Manager David Crenshaw.

After having been told by Visit Baltimore this past spring that the Baltimore Convention Center would be tied up with a “city-wide event” in November of 2011, Crenshaw and the Greater Houston Coin Club’s Money Show of the Southwest had worked together to move each event from its traditional date, thereby avoiding any conflict.

Now comes word from Visit Baltimore that not only are the traditional Whitman Expo dates available, the expo will have to take place prior to December when the Convention Center is now scheduled to begin extensive renovations.

“Carl Schwenker of the Greater Houston Coin Club could not have been more understanding when we called to tell him, back in the spring, that our expo was being pushed into December, thereby conflicting with his excellent show. We talked through it and decided to swap dates. But now we’re both very pleased that we will not have to change our dates in 2011 after all,” Crenshaw said.

The Whitman Coin & Collectibles Baltimore Expo will be held November 17-20, 2011 at the Baltimore Convention Center.

The Houston Coin Club’s Money Show of the Southwest will be December 1-3, 2011 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.

Crenshaw said the collaboration necessary to swap and “reswap” exemplified the finest traditions of the numismatic community.

“Carl Schwenker would have had every reason to be upset about the potential scheduling problem, but he was very gracious and helpful. And then, when Visit Baltimore informed us we had to revert to our original dates, he proved once again to be the consummate gentleman,” Crenshaw said.

Schwenker said both promoters were trying to make the right business decisions while also looking out for the broader community.

“Our show has been growing steadily and now enjoys strong dealer support, but we didn’t want to go up against Whitman’s Baltimore Expo. But, just as importantly, we didn’t want to make it impossible for dealers to attend both shows,” Schwenker said.

“Especially given the current trend toward fewer shows, we both felt it was important that each of our shows be open as an option for dealers,” he said.

The Greater Houston Coin Club was established in 1955 and is a non-profit organization, all proceeds from which are used to promote the education and numismatic study. The Money Show of the Southwest includes more than 200 dealer booths.

Whitman Expo, LLC is the leading producer of coin and collectibles expos in North America. For more information, visit the award-winning WhitmanCoinCollecting.com.