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

[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.