To be perfectly honest with you all - what I've heard from other hobbyistswho have attended one AGA convention and not been back is that we're too stuffy and formal with too much emphasis on the technical/classroom type stuff at our conventions. I don't wish to offend anyone here, but I guess someone has to say it eventually: one thing that I hear over and over again when people find out that I'm involved with the AGA is that we are getting a reputation as being pretty techie and elitist and that our conventions just reinforce that feeling. I don't know why, I've only been to one convention and I enjoyed the heck out of it. : )
I think we are what we are. I for one wouldn't change that. People who are used to (and expecting something like) general hobby conventions may very well find our conventions "too technical". (but they should probably avoid MACNA for the same reason!<g>) But there are plenty of general hobby conventions they can attend. I think it would be a mistake for AGA to try to SPECIFICALLY cater to that crowd... there are already others who do it well. I think it is critical that we provide information and speakers that our members would not otherwise have access to.
We have consistently had at least one "entry level" speaker, and I think this is a good idea. But we also have grumblings about having included that speaker each year.<g> Many of our around the edges field trips are definitely the type of thing to appeal to anyone at any level of the hobby, or for that matter, those who travel with a hobbyist.
place, is that there's not enough informal stuff (like trading - room sales), which is what they were hoping for - the chance to get more hard to find plants outside of the auction. A lot of people travel to these things and take off early on Sunday, not hanging around for the auction.From what I've heard, again from more than one person in more than one
Since we have NEVER discouraged people from doing this, the fact that it is not happening says to me that this is LESS important to the majority of attendees. If people wanted more of it, it would be happening. I don't think we can make people be something they are not anymore than we can make them NOT trade/sell out of their rooms.
While I think it's important that we listen to the needs of our members, I think it is clear that our highest priority has to be to provide access to information that is NOT available in other ways.
That's MY two cents.<g>Karen
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