Lingering Effects

[bjarvis]

The 2009 IAGSDC convention wrapped up seven months ago. Slowly, we are winding down aspects of it: the telephone number was let go, the web site was dismantled, the domain name was allowed to expire, etc..

We still need to disburse the remaining funds, terminate the corporation, pay the final licensing & gov't fees, close the mailbox, close the checking account and make the final reports to the IAGSDC delegates in July, 2010.

One of the little surprises is how many telephone calls we're fielding at home from various convention suppliers who are keen on getting involved with our 2010 DC convention. I patiently explain that the convention rotates among many cities internationally and while it may yet come back to DC at some uncertain time in the future, it's not likely to happen on their watch. The prior IAGSDC convention in Washington was in 1994 so at 15 year intervals, the next probable window is 2024.

Their disappointment is palpable.

To their credit, they then start asking about how the convention is awarded, trying to see if there is some contact at a parent body which could possibly swing some business their way. Nope, sorry.

Well, might the next convention be in the area of DC next year? Nope, Chicago in 2010, Atlanta in 2011, Vancouver BC in 2012 and San Francisco in 2013. Thanks for playing though.

I think I'm going to return to my original policy of simply not answering the home phone at all, letting the answering machine screen the calls.

Comments

hungry

[(Anonymous)]

Salespeople are SO hungry these days.
Once they get a lead on something they're like a dog with a bone. I feel some sympathy (times are tough) but it doesn't make me want the calls, either.
David R.

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

Denver 1, 1985
Denver 2, 2007

Albuquerque 1, 1992
Albuquerque 1, HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[omero-hassan.livejournal.com]

Kris said that we'd do another Albuquerque Convention over her dead body. I said that although that would certainly be a memorable start to the Convention, we'd never ask her to make that kind of sacrifice.

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

There was a dead body at the convention. "Sybil" died. Before your time! :-)

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

kent4str and I keep throwing around the idea of staging a hostile takeover of the Independence Squares, putting in a bid on their behalf, then skulking away in the night.

[trawnapanda.livejournal.com]

that might well be amusing; but if you're going to do so, I would counsel you (and kent4str of course) to do the deed in another time zone, just to minimise collateral damage spreading to your geographic location.

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

That should have read "Albuquerque 2..."

Back when the Santa Fe group was 30 strong, we thought of bending their arm behind their back and hosting a convention. That faded when the club folded in 1997.

[dr-scott.livejournal.com]

Which again makes me wonder if it might be better to have a permanent Convention-throwing body with ongoing relationships, to reduce the work of local committees and retain knowledge and supplier relationships better than the "pass it along" system. The local committee would then have less to do and reduce the burnout problem, which would also allow smaller clubs to undertake the effort.

[abqdan.livejournal.com]

And that has been proposed before on several occasions, and by individuals and groups; but of course there are pros and cons for both approaches, and the current mood of the organization is not to go that route.

[bjarvis.livejournal.com]

Years ago, GALA Choruses took all of their quadrennial festival stuff in-house, taking it out of the hands of the locals. While the festivals are more professionally polished, they're also all equally bland and uninspiring.

[dr-scott.livejournal.com]

But one wonders if there isn't some middle ground, where certain things like booking space, vetting contracts, and logistics are done for local clubs with their input, while leaving all the "spice" and localizations to them.

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

and GALA is every 4 years.

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

The Triumvirate in Phoenix all has that going. It's "Convention Planners Inc". Never got further than Peel Off outside their own boundaries.

[omero-hassan.livejournal.com]

I think a "Convention Committee" makes a lot of sense, though I wonder if you'd still have at least some of the same issues, in that there's still only a handful of cities that a) have gay square dance clubs that are b) big enough to provide sufficient volunteers and c) are themselves attractive enough to push people off the fence and into attending.

[davidlevine]

On the other hand, after we held science fiction convention "X-Con '77" in Milwaukee, WI in 1977, we got a letter from the city asking if we'd be interested in holding X-Con '77 in Milwaukee again next year (that would be 1978). So obviously the OTHER form of cluelessness is also present in convention vendors' minds.

[dancecub.livejournal.com]

Since local clubs stopped bidding to host conventions, in 2007 the IAGLCWDC formed a convention-planning committee to handle the big stuff like location, hotel, workshops, meeting rooms, and schedules. The local club, if there is one, takes care of stuff like volunteers, bar runs, local color, and hospitality suites [eye-openers and after-hours parties].
The committee has hosted conventions in Atlanta [twice], Washington DC, Tampa, and Las Vegas. Next year it will host Austin [in May] and Madison [in October]. IAGLCWDC has two conventions each year.

Conventions can be organized by a central, remote committee without being bland and uninspiring. However, Las Vegas taught us that it's best to have the event where there is a local IAGLCWDC club. Our local organization/partner for that one was the Big Horn Rodeo and there were problems. We've had a few conventions in San Francisco in conjunction with Stompede that were wonderful, and we expect to partner with them again in the future.