The St. Louis Stamp Expo will be the new host of the American Philatelic Society (APS) single-frame “Champion of Champions” competition beginning with the 2020 show, which will be held March 27-29 of that year.
The announcement was made recently by Mike Ley, president of the American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors (AAPE), which sponsors the annual Champion of Champions competition. The agreement is for three years.
Five World Series of Philately shows submitted proposals to host the competition, but the St. Louis Stamp Expo was chosen for its proximity to the airport, “reasonable” room rates, and co-operation from the show committee. The agreement may be extended after the initial three years, or the competition could be moved to another show at the request of either party.
SINCE 2000
The competition began in 2000 and has always been held in conjunction with AmeriStamp Expo and sponsored by the APS; however, that show has been discontinued.
This year, the competition was held at the joint AmeriStamp Expo/Aripex on Feb. 15-17 in Mesa, Ariz.
Doug Weisz won this year’s single-frame Champion of Champions competition with his exhibit “New Orleans in the Confederate Mail System.”