Re: [AGA-mcm] ACA Spy Report, lessons to learn #126, "purpose ofthe convention"

[Erik Olson <erik@thekrib.com>]

On Sat, 22 Jan 2005,  Mike Hellweg wrote:

> To be perfectly honest with you all - what I've heard from other hobbyists 
> who 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.

Curious, have you gotten that feedback from anyone who's come in the last 
2 conventions?  Part of the purpose of the hospitality suite has been to 
encourage more informal "trading" and general "hanging around".  And this 
year, GWAPA added more time between speakers for this as well.  I know the 
hospitality suite was kinda a failure this year, but last year it was 
bustling.

>  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. : )

And of course, as Karen said, SOMEONE'S gotta do it.  Tom Barr makes 
cracks all the time when advertising his Plant Fests ("Who wants to sit 
around and listen to lectures all day?  Let's get out and play!"). But 
seriously, take that out of our conventions, and what's remaining?  Field 
trips in November and hanging around drinking & swapping plants.

> > From what I've heard, again from more than one person in more than one 
> 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.

I think that this part isn't really under our control (just as it's 
completely out of the ACA's control in their conventions), and will 
naturally start to grow as the convention is more established.  All we can 
do is provide the breathing space and rooms.

  - Erik

--
Erik Olson
erik at thekrib dot com
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