Re: [AGA-mcm] Proposal tacitly accepted by AGA

["S. Hieber" <shieber@yahoo.com>]

Nice to see you too, Mike. I don't know that many folks
that (well, according to Gary) write a sex column on the
web ;-)

sh



If the consensus is that it is already too late for 2005,
then maybe what I wrote should be reworded. Perhaps
something along the lines of:

 "having carefully considered ... discussed with
experienced convention planners at the NEC . . . we believe
that attempting a convention in 2005 bears too many risks
for both our organizations and their members. So we advise
aiming the SFBAAPS proposal for a 2006 convention

We realize that this is a disappoint for all of us that had
hoped to attend an AGA convention this year. But the
additional time this affords can be put to very good use
and should ease some of the immediate pressure on SFBAAPS.

We are not suggesting that SFBAAPS delay in it's current
effforts, only that it directs them towards a 2006 event."

---  Mike Hellweg <mhellweg511@charter.net> wrote:
> I apologize if I'm repeating what others have said over
> the weekend, I 
> haven't looked at my email since Thursday and Scott's was
> the first email I 
> saw that really caught my attention.
> 
> BTW, Scott and Karen - it was great to see you both at
> the NEC.  I wish I 
> could have spent more time talking to you - but there are
> so many friends up 
> there that I barely get a chance to say hello to everyone
> and the weekend is 
> over!
> 
> I think Scott makes some good points - having
> participated in planning a 
> national convention I don't believe a really successful
> convention can be 
> "thrown together" in just a few months.  Realistically we
> should have 
> already scrapped the idea to do something this year and
> be working on 2006.
> 
> A few things to consider:
> 
> Many companies ask their employees to plan vacations in
> December or January 
> for the coming year.  We've missed that window - by
> nearly 4 months now. 
> That already cuts attendance.  Even people (hobbyists)
> who get "flex time" 
> may have already planned vacations and weekend getaways
> and used up much of 
> their time for the year.
> 
> Speakers also may already be committed and we may be
> struggling to find 
> some.  I'm already booked for the entire year, and have
> four commitments for 
> Winter/Spring 2006 already.
> 
> Also, we're looking at some pretty high prices on
> everything from airfare to 
> getting around to the cost of the hotel, not to mention
> the cost of the 
> convention itself.  If my calculations on what it would
> cost me are close to 
> correct, we're talking about around $800 to a thousand
> bucks per person if 
> each person flies in, rents a car, registers for the
> package, and stays in 
> their own room at the hotel - not to mention the money
> folks would spend at 
> the convention in the Vendor's room, and for meals and
> incidentals.
> 
> Sharing cuts the cost a bit, but it's still WAY too high
> for a short notice 
> convention.  For a convention with a year's notice (such
> as the very 
> expensive AKA holiday condo vacation/convention last
> year) - it's not really 
> a problem - people have time to plan their budget
> accordingly.  We have to 
> remember that not all hobbyists are at a point where they
> can just throw 
> that money out there to attend a convention, especially
> if they only have 
> 4 - 5 months to plan for it!
> 
> Finally, we're at the point where it's too late to
> advertise heavily to get 
> information out there in time where it will be useful to
> the general 
> hobbyist - and that is the group we need to be
> considering if we want to 
> grow attendance and the size of the AGA.
> 
> Again, I apologize if I've said something that someone
> else brought up in 
> subsequent emails.
> 
> Mike
> 
> 
> 
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