[TheForge] Re: Seattle Conference

[James Binnion]

On Oct 25, 2007, at 9:26 PM, Kagele at aol.com wrote:

> I have noticed a number of comments about the Seattle ABANA   
> Conference that
> are incorrect.  As the Conference Chairman I feel obliged  to  
> correct the
> record.  First, the Seattle Conference currently shows a  $10,000  
> profit.

While I obviously have not ever been a board memnber and am only  
vaguely familiar with its workings it was my understanding that the  
conference was supposed to not only pay for itself but also make seed  
money for the follow on conference. If that is the case then It seems  
that $10k is not near enough. This could be the reason for the  
perception of the conference loosing money.

>   I think that the bottom line is that  ABANA needs to reinvent it's
> conference concept.  Perhaps something along  the lines of a  
> virtual symposium
> where unique demos are presented electronically  rather than in an  
> actual,
> expensive, physical layout.  People come to ABANA  conferences to see
> extraordinary demos that they wouldn't ordinarily see in  their own  
> affiliate.  I think
> that Powerpoint might be the answer!


I attended the Seattle conference and enjoyed it and compared with  
other conferences that I attend I did not find it too expensive, in  
fact considering the number of demo sites it was very reasonable. I  
must say however that I would not really be interested in attending  
an electronic demo/conference. I go to conferences to not only see  
the presentations but perhaps more importantly to network with the  
demonstrators and other fellow smiths. There needs to be a way to  
preserve the demos and networking to make it worth attending.

James Binnion
jbin at well.com