----- Original Message ----- From: Lyn Bailey <[email protected]> >.... How many people used the public transportation, here in America, where virtually everyone has a car? Could those few without be accommodated by alternate means? Could arrangements be made to get people to and from the airport. How much difference would it make? Where were the venues with 300 participants, and where were the venues with 125, and what was the difference?
I helped with Portland. We had 305 registrations. We didn't have to decline any teachers, in fact we added two as the numbers grew. The year before was Los Angeles with under 200. Don't remember the exact number. Both were west coast and the economy didn't change much between the two years. It's hard to explain why one drew more people than the other. Oregon had never hosted an IOLI conference before though it had done several regionals. On the other hand, Tulsa hosted two conferences, some years apart. The first was a big one and the second only had about 150. Same location so travel would have been the same for everyone. Maybe the economy changed, or people decided they had been there once so didn't need to see the area again. Again... it's hard to guess the reasons. I was one of those.. went to the first one but had a conflict for the second so couldn't go. IOLI conference dates change some with hotel schedules but are usually between the middle of July and the middle of August. Here in the West, we don't think about school starting because it doesn't start until September. August is summer vacation with state and county fairs and fun activities. It was a surprise when I visited North Carolina and found the schools starting the second week of August. The other side of the coin is that schools don't get out until the middle of June here. We have to consider that when we plan a regional conference in June. We want it late enough so teachers, etc, can attend. East coast schools are out in early May. This does seem to make July as the best month for a conference. It's a point we (IOLI members) may need to consider. There are evaluations and surveys done frequently. The executive conference committee probably had a lot of the information you suggest collecting. As to transportation, my personal comparisons of driving and flying to previous conferences have shown that for one person, flying is usually less expensive. Driving is slower so there's extra meals enroute plus night(s) in a motel. However, if two or three people share a car and the motel room, driving is less expensive though takes much more time. Some of my friends drove to Denver and it took 3 days. I flew and it took 3 hours. When our group hosted IOLI, the hotel had a free shuttle from the airport to the hotel, any time day or night. When we hosted a regional an hour's drive from the airport at a college, we made arrangements to meet anyone flying in and transport them to the college. Most attendees drove so it wasn't an overwhelming chore. In fact, we had the members living near the airport plan their trips so they would meet a plane or two and then come to the college. They timed their return home so they could deliver people back to the airport. There were only a couple special airport runs needed. As far as I know, the AGM is the only required activity of the conference. The rest of the format and activities change with each host group. Many variations have been tried. The existing format seems to satisfy the most people, though nothing makes everyone happy. Having 3 hours of class, then time to 'practice' the new skills each day, for 4 days is easier for the brain, fingers and back than 6 hours a day for 2 days. In most workshops we don't have that time luxury. We bring in a teacher and get as many hours of class as possible in the 2 or 3 days the teacher is there. For the more advanced classes, more time is desired... so 6 hours a day for 4 days is a concentrated dose of learning. The rest day in the middle is quite important for these intense classes. This much concentrated instruction is usually not available in a weekend workshop format. Nothing is perfect or makes everyone happy. We are all individuals with different ideas and likes. I'll appreciate the work of a host committee and just enjoy the conferences I can get to. I'll save my money during the years that conference week conflicts with county fair (I'm superintendent so can't skip it) so I can attend other years. Meanwhile, I'll keep watch on the lace activity calendar and take advantage of smaller workshops or retreats that appeal to me. It's always fun to appear in a class that's not my normal group. A person can meet a lot of new lace friends that way. Alice in Oregon ... where it's supposed to reach 70 degrees today. Spring is really here. - To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [email protected]. For help, write to [email protected]. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
