bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - Novel Concepts For Conventions

Attilla said:
"As Dale's example shows, some people are extremely interested in demos and workshops.
However, I think that the majority of people aren't.
A convention should focus on catering to the larger crowd first and foremost. Promoting the art and hobby by entertaining and educating."

How did you get the idea that the MAJORITY aren't interested in demos and workshops from this short thread? and that they aren't entertaining and educating? Was it because Andy doesn't see their value ? Just curious?
Conventions DO cater to the majority, that's why we see high paid speakers brought in to do demos on great stock , several workshops which often fill up early if the show is promoted well, a vendor area with more vendor requests than space available ( and people are in there every chance they get when they aren't busy).
In my opinion one of the biggest things to effect registration, which I sort of got into above, is the number of conventions/symposiums each year that a basically small crowd ( bonsaists) have to decide about which one their bucks will go to. This will certainly be given the test in 2005 when the World Bonsai Friendship Federation convention is held in Washington DC and there will be no seperate BCI, ABS, BSF conventions that season. Instead ABS/BCI will be joining in to some extent. With fewer major choices for convention money that year I'm betting the attendance will be very large albeit overall expensive.

Bart's ideas about some "beginner type" instruction has merit and I've seen similar things before but moreso at LOCAL club shows where such things can easily be facilitated. ( Bart, it might be tough to get association people to volunteer to do things like this at a convention if it means them missing something they paid to register for going on at the same time) and I THINK most people who register for a convention are past the "mallsai" stage. It would take quite a bit of local advertising to get "interested public" there , heck it is tough to get convention promoters to LOCALLY advertise to get ANYONE there!
Just some more thoughts.
Dale

__________________
________________________________
If you want to be Different....
You have to DO something Different!
__________________________________________

Some people NEVER take the time to do a job right the first time....
but, they always seem to make the time to do it over again...
____________________________________________
Dale Cochoy
Wild Things Bonsai Studio
Yakimono no Kokoro Bonsai Pottery
Hartville, Ohio

18-Feb-2004	#17
Dale Cochoy Old Bonsaiman-new pots Join Date: Dec-2002 Location: Hartville, Ohio Country: USA USDA Zone: 5 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 2,663	Attilla said: "As Dale's example shows, some people are extremely interested in demos and workshops. However, I think that the majority of people aren't. A convention should focus on catering to the larger crowd first and foremost. Promoting the art and hobby by entertaining and educating." How did you get the idea that the MAJORITY aren't interested in demos and workshops from this short thread? and that they aren't entertaining and educating? Was it because Andy doesn't see their value ? Just curious? Conventions DO cater to the majority, that's why we see high paid speakers brought in to do demos on great stock , several workshops which often fill up early if the show is promoted well, a vendor area with more vendor requests than space available ( and people are in there every chance they get when they aren't busy). In my opinion one of the biggest things to effect registration, which I sort of got into above, is the number of conventions/symposiums each year that a basically small crowd ( bonsaists) have to decide about which one their bucks will go to. This will certainly be given the test in 2005 when the World Bonsai Friendship Federation convention is held in Washington DC and there will be no seperate BCI, ABS, BSF conventions that season. Instead ABS/BCI will be joining in to some extent. With fewer major choices for convention money that year I'm betting the attendance will be very large albeit overall expensive. Bart's ideas about some "beginner type" instruction has merit and I've seen similar things before but moreso at LOCAL club shows where such things can easily be facilitated. ( Bart, it might be tough to get association people to volunteer to do things like this at a convention if it means them missing something they paid to register for going on at the same time) and I THINK most people who register for a convention are past the "mallsai" stage. It would take quite a bit of local advertising to get "interested public" there , heck it is tough to get convention promoters to LOCALLY advertise to get ANYONE there! Just some more thoughts. Dale __________________ ________________________________ If you want to be Different.... You have to DO something Different! __________________________________________ Some people NEVER take the time to do a job right the first time.... but, they always seem to make the time to do it over again... ____________________________________________ Dale Cochoy Wild Things Bonsai Studio Yakimono no Kokoro Bonsai Pottery Hartville, Ohio