WOW Atlanta and Tulsa both putting in for bids for 2017 National Convention, They both will be great places, It is hard to get any club to get enough members together that will step up to the plate and commit to a large adventure, as a national convention. Alot of planning and alot of money to prepare for such a task.
As a person that helped with a national convention with another form of entertainment, and this organization actually has a national group of people that is elected from different parts of the states. They help the hosting club in the requirements that is needed to hold a national convention.
I know tis is going to stir up a hornets nest
In my honest opinion a National garden railroad Asc. would really help promote the hobby and help with national conventions that will really create a much more steady convention. It appears to me being to several conventions that each hosting group has to reinvent convention procedures. This committee would help each hosting group with the needed information, and much needed advice of what works and what does not work. The association I was in even gave our small group a check for 25,000 dollars to make the down payments on the conventions hotels and banquets bookings. They helped us to pickout the proper sized hotel/convention. Next year convention holders would always be at this years convention helping where they could, picking up on things that needed to be done. Then after the convention was over, we had a summary of questions to fill out, his was given to the next years convention holders, This would give out a lot of the information that was needed for the next years group. The national committe even helped with the convention, they were always in the back stage, but were there if needed, which really helped.
Their advice was helpful. We had full feedom to do basically our own thing, but convention attendees new what to expect as far as information the convention books had to have certain iformation, the registration information had to follow a certain order, and the hand out bags had to be a minimun of a certain size.
Well anyhow you can take this information and $8.00 and go to starbucks and get a cup of coffee.
Dennis
