I've also looked at hosting/organising a UKPP style party.
I had meetings with Daventry's sister hotel in Hinckley, all was going well until I mentioned the show Andy ran at Daventry.
The hire of the room went from free to £3k per day - money upfront. Without wanting to cast aspersions against individuals, the pinball community seems to have a very bad reputation when it comes to money being paid in the correct and proper way, making it so much harder to try and put something on.
The costs are astronomical to try and put a large international show on. Venue hire, insurance, electrical sign-off, cabling, trophies, prizes, and so much more. You then have the problem of actually getting games, people are reluctant (and quite rightly too) to donate their machines, pay for fuel and van hire free of charge if any profit simply goes to the organiser. Just one of the reasons why the vast majority of comps are ran as charity events.
IF the organiser does manage to make a profit, having risked their own money/reputation upfront they are castigated for it - not much incentive to try and do it.
There's simply no venue in the UK which is capable of hosting a significant sized comp - without a LOT of effort from a lot of people.
Then Poi has a great point. If people don't attend comps because they're too far away (as one excuse), or complain about the format, or not generating enough WPPR points , or the food, or the owner of the venue, or any other number of complaints I've received; there's less chance of that comp being ran again. I've already had to cancel one of the comps I ran due to poor turnout (AYU), I just hope that there's full attendance for the comp World Cup Comp in August, otherwise that will be the next on the chopping block.
But it's not all doom and gloom - talks are in place for a major 2-day comp to be ran in the UK this year (presumably one of the 2 Phil knows about). Watch this space.