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future symposiums

D

Dale Larson

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Feb 4, 2009
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I thought I would fill everyone in on future symposiums
2010 will be in Hartford Connecticut
2011 will be our 25th and be at headquarters in Minnasota
2012 will be on the west coast, possibly in the San Franciso general area
2013 and future sites are yet to be decided. I know we have received interest from the Texas and Georgia chapters. My general belief is that we should go to areas where we have lots of members.
 
Dale,
What do you mean by interst? THave groups in the area indicated that they want to help host. If so, I would want to ge a hold of our Florida Presidents and see if there is a similar interest.
ED
 
Ed
We move around the US in a five year rotation. So that every five years each member should be able to drive to the symposium. We have been to Florida but not Georgia. Just trying to hit every area
 
Walt
It is in our bylaws that we move around the US in a five year rotation. But I agree with you that member numbers are an important thing when selecting future sites. I think the more members we can get to a symposium the better.
Dale
 
If the red dots are member's homes, then something needs to be done about selecting sites. Other than that, my personal complaint is the dates - how about a winter symposium in a southern location and a summer one in the north for a change. I live in VA and the majority of my shows (for selling) are spring and fall.
 
Walt
Several factors are important in timing the symposium. If we want kids to come, school time is a factor. Off peak business time is a big factor in cost in renting a big symposium site. I have heard others ask that we move it to the fall. I will make a note of time of year for symposium to bring up for discussion with the board at our meeting in November
Dale
 
Walt
We have 50-60 kids turn every year in the youth turning room and I'm sure there are more at the symposium with their grandpas. My general guess is that the average age for AAW has to be in the 60's. The survey soon to go out should answer that question. A bigger problem is peak business time for renting the sites. Peak business times in Spring and Fall are significantly higher rental costs. The exact amount I don't know
Dale
 
Walt
I'm still learning how to work on this site. One of the problems is the amount of planning that goes into the symposium. I can tell you that after Albuquerque the board was very tired. It takes nearly three years to plan one. With picking the demonstrators a year and half ahead. Once the current symposium is over we start on the one for next year. I was just in Colorado with Tom Wirsing and Frank Amigo working on Hartford. Tom is back there now looking at the site. Shorter intervals between symposiums could burn the board out. With that said I have made a note to talk about this at the board meeting in November
Dale
 
Dale,
Can we just contact you to let you know if there might be some interest in helping host a symposium? I think the Orlando one went well and folks might just be u for another round by 2013-14.
ED
 
Ed
I think your idea of contacting the other chapters and putting a proposal together for the board is a good idea. It lets the board know there is local support for the symposium. It takes a lot of work by the local member chapters to make a symposium work.
Dale
 
Location

Hello Dale,

As you are finding out, picking the location of the next symposium location is not an easy task.

I would like to jump on the Georgia Bandwagon, though. While I was on the Board we tried to go to Atlanta but could not because of the cost. However, I think, now, we can forget about the $99 hotel room for attendees and focus on finding the correct venue in Georgia.

I know there are a good number of active, local clubs that would provide adequate support for Georgia.

Nick Cook is the fellow to contact, as he had his finger on the pulse of the different venues in Georgia.

Angelo
 
Angelo
I agree that Georgia is high on the list for future symposiums. We won't have a problem getting local help and I'll bet the attendance would be high.
Dale
 
There are many factors in picking a symposium site
Number one as Dale stated is going where the members live.

The Executive director and AAW board begin with:

1. Geography - where does the symposium need to be to serve members
The two maps have 600 mile circles round sympsoium the past 5 years and past 10 years. This is rough estimate of a 1 day drive. Some folks living on the edge of the circles may drive closer to 700 miles.

2. Which cities serving a region have Acceptable facilities. Many convention centers are too small for the AAW.
we need 15 room that seat 100 to 225. plus rooms for banquette space, trade show, instant gallery, gallery shows....

3. Local club support. Are there local clubs in the area? Are they willing to step up?

locations that meet these criteria are then "competed" in terms of cost to the AAW (convention center fees) and cost to AAW members (hotel room cost)
The "tourist" factor is also used as a sort of tie breaker.

as an example Albuquerque won out over Reno and Oklahoma city for 2009. Stronger local advocate, stronger tourist appeal.

As we plan the sympsoium sites for 2012, 2013, 2014...
Two regions need coverage.
1. Southern California with 5% of our members
2. Florida and the whole gulf Coast with 14% of our members.
a third area, the Montana & Wyoming region, has only .3 % of our members

It isn't easy.....
Al
 

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2012-2016 two looks

Here are a couple of what if pictures.

Realize we are along way from competing the cities used in the illustrations

these are maps the Board and executive director are using in their palnning

-Al
 

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San Francisco would be fun. Moscone center down town can take up all of us no problem. Easy to fly into, BART can take you within a couple blocks for $8.10 each way.

San Diego is nice too.

Why not Dallas?
 
Steve,

Dallas is a tier 1 city. That makes it a long shot. Generally tier 1 cities are more expensive for both hotels and convention facilities than tier 2 cities. We still look at cities like Atlanta and Dallas. Atlanta was considered for 2008 but it was way more expensive than Richmond.

Tier 2 cities have facilities to meet our needs.

This is somone's breakdown of tier 1 tier 2 cities
http://www.infoedge.com/foote/allcities.pdf

you might note that recent AAW sympsoium locations are on the tier two list.

-Al
 
San Antonio would be nice for a TX location.
Great facilities and tons of hotels and resturants.
I hear Austin is nice, but haven't been there yet.
I guess Minneapolis, MN is a special exception.
I am looking forward to that trip.

It's hard to keep more than a few people happy at any one time.
Mark.
 
location

texas is a long way, but they have mesquite :D
 
Couple of questions and (personal) observations:

How important is sight seeing and local interests to picking locations?

Would less woodturners attend if their spouse didn't have something to see or places to shop, etc? Wouldn't there be less expensive locations that weren't high tourist areas where rooms, food, transportation and facility costs were all more reasonable? (just curious, since I have to drive to any show, I'm just thinking out loud here)

There is so much activity planned at the symposium, other than possibly one dinner with a group, who has time to leave the show?

As to So. Cal. or FL, seems to me you're aiming at neglected geographic areas rather than high attendance.

Having shows along either coast eliminates people coming off the oceans.

Is it possible to have shows more centralized; one year in the north mid west, next year in the south mid east, then go south mid west then north mid east.

Ok, that's the end of my "thinking".........:D

Ruth
 
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