I know from first hand experience as the planner of the first convention with Pauls help and then Paul taking over the for the second year because I was completely burned out. We aksed for volunteers over and over again.
Crap I remember the first year practically begging for help. I am not trying to be rude here. But oh crap maybe I am, that is the problem with this organization everyone wants to second guess after that fact. But no one jumps in ahead of time to help out.
My next point is that you don’t have to wait for us to ask for help. If you want to help with convention planning contact the person doing it and say he can I help and what do you need me to do. You would be suprised at the reaction you get.
I know the first year I put in close to 20 hours a week for the first few months, and for the last four months, I spend up to 80 hours a week working on details and crap.
With that being said, that thing you have to worry about is all your planning suddenly being changed at the last minute. It happened this year, I am sure that it could happen again at any time during the planning of next years.
OK - I will do so and request to part of the planning committee (despite all my fears that this will be “planning” in title only).
In addition, it should be considered by all involved that the Event Committee should have a thread and a link on the home page so that members at large know that help is being sought. More specifically, it should update progress, and list some action items we need help with and whoever is chairing the committee should post regualrly about specific tasks that need to be accomplished.
My experience is that volunteers are very willing to do small, easily identified tasks, but hesitant to sign up for an open-ended commitment with little idea of exactly what they are needed to do.
Maybe I missed the calls for help - I am on the board all the time but only visit certain topics and may have missed the posts. Still, I think that it would behoove those who are in charge to send out a mass invitation for the purpose of recruiting more help.
I do know that we asked for volunteers alot. I just heard from Nick that he is turning the convention planning over to a professional company. So I am not sure where that will put all the volunteers for next year.
Paul, Gary-
You and everyone else involved, in my opinion, did a great job.
Being blindsided by the hotel - and then extorted for more $, having food with held, etc, is more than anyone can foresee!
At any rate, I’m best at on-site logistics managing, putting out fires, liason work, etc. That’s what I’ll mostly volunteer for.
Again, great work, and I was happy to be able to volunteer however I could!
If you are truly believed that we were blindsided by the hotel then I am sorry. All of us knew what the contract with the hotel said, both between the hotel and with Freeman the exhibitor company.
Food was not withheld by the hotel, that is a whole other story that I won’t get into.
I am not aware of the “blindsided by the hotel” issue, but most of the other issues are par for the course for a major event and part of the reason one person gets tagged with site management duty, including at least one call per week to the location to update specifics, etc. - any excuse to call so often that they site knows the set up as well or better than you do.
It also is a chance to send multiple faxes including costs so that there can be no confusion…or to support your subsequent complaint to corporate later if there is.
See, Gary? What do I know. I was under the impression that there were some FUBARs because the hotel ownership had changed hands.
I’ll go beck to writing today’s report , sorry . . .
Russ is correct. We the members are NACHI. Who are we trying to find fault with, ourselves?
Paul and all the others made a fantastic event for NACHI.
Russ, and Paul, you can add my name to the assistance list for next year, I too have had some experience in convention planning and operations.
Now one other issue needs to be resolved, the NACHETTE twins, Beegee and Gerry, were not speeding up the interstate as previous suspected. I personally had the pleasure of escorting each, and believe me. they drove very slowly. We had fun and ate lots of Nachos. Sorry if everyone else missed them.
Next year, we will make sure everyone gets the enjoyment of their presence. They are fun to be with. That may explain why I’m married to one of them.
