That might actually happen at Moriarty (Albuquerque) in '08. We need to get
a modern winch there.

Bill Daniels


"Mike Schumann" wrote in message
.. .
Winch launching should be a standard feature at every such convention!

Mike Schumann

"Bill Daniels" bildan@comcast-dot-net wrote in message
...
I agree with what Tim said.

However, it should be noted that not every member attends every
convention. I tend to go every three or four years and then only if it is
in the western US. If it were to be held bi-annually, this may mean that
I go only every five or six years. A risk is that with bi-annual
conventions, regions would step in and hold off-year affairs that vendors
might feel compelled to attend which would increase their business cost.
We need to be careful what we wish for.

I like one idea Tim proposed which is to locate conventions at glider
operations where fllight demonstrations are possible. If this could be
an inexpensive location in the central US, so much the better.

Bill Daniels


"Tim Mara" wrote in message
...
You're not alone in reporting a general lack of interest at this and for
that matter the past few conventions..
I made the suggestion to change these to every two years and heard
the same from several others at the last conventions I attended 3 and 4
years ago. Even at that time most of the vendors I spoke with were very
much in favor of this idea, the SSA was not since under the past
management (Management!!????) they saw the convention as the SSA's big
(only) event and fat cow....However the sweat equity, and most costs
don't fall on the SSA but on the vendors and members and though in past
history the local sponsoring clubs stood to make a decent profit from
the conventions, the SSA pretty much took this over and collected these
funds (who knows where these went since the SSA is essentially broke and
begging for more member and advertiser funds and costs...)
The fact remains though that very little changes in Soaring over the
course of one year. Few really new products, inventions or discoveries
need immediate attention....Talks and seminars tend to be last years
re-do's for the most part. Few of these are little more than a few
hocking their products and tend to be more late night infomercials than
comparisons or help sessions.
The costs for vendors is very high and most soaring vendors like
myself are small operators (I do 100% of everything here with no one to
leave behind to mind the store when I'm gone) The costs have to be made
up somewhere and that means higher costs for our customers somewhere
down the line which I would prefer not to do.
If conventions were done every other year vendors can do a better job
of their end, more new and exciting products will be displayed and
attendance will certainly improve making these better events.....
Now if we can only get the conventions moved to an airport or soaring
site away from the downtown convention centers we can really move ahead,
have flying exhibits and shows, make these inviting for outsiders who
then might become interested in saoring, we could have on site used
glider sales and even auctions (one of my really big ideas!) and start
to put soaring interest back into the hands of the members and
businesses that keep things rolling the other 362 days a year!
Tim
Please visit the Wings & Wheels website at www.wingsandwheels.com

"Richard" wrote in message
oups.com...
I thought the displays, the gliders and the talks were excellent, but
as a vendor I was dissapointed with the attendence numbers.

The rumor was floating around that after the 2008 convention, the
Convention would be every two years.

Anyone have thoughts on this idea? Will the SSA publish the
attendence figures?

Richard
www.craggyaero.com



On Feb 11, 9:00 am, wrote:
As I was unable to attend, does anyone have an update on the SSA
convention? How did it all go? How was attendance? How were the
seminars and of course, was there any "breaking news" on new
equipment, software, sailplanes, etc?
Thanks - Renny Rozzoni









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