SSA Conventions. Return to every year?

On Sunday, February 23, 2020 at 4:03:39 PM UTC-6, Burt Compton - Marfa Gliders, west Texas wrote:
....let's consider a return the annual SSA Conventions. Perhaps a mini-convention in the "off" years may be an option, like the fantastic "Soaring Symposium" series offered in the past by Ed Byars and Bill Holbrook. Many of you may not know these names but they were important people in the history of the SSA. Yes, I'd volunteer to help make it happen.

Bert, I was told when we went to biennial conventions that the (overseas) manufacturers could no longer justify an annual expedition across the pond.
Obviously, a convention without a show floor was incomprehensible to the committee that made the decision.

But I -- and surely others -- do not go to the convention to gawk at equipment-candy. I have always gone for the education, for catching up with soaring friends, and for the stories (20 years ago, the local sponsoring club usually collected a bunch of geezers and sponsored a story-telling track that was always fantastic, and that went away with National Management of the convention).

Would a convention focused on learning, stories, history, friends, and new developments be well attended? I can only speak for myself...

DrDan

On 24/02/2020 15:20, danlj wrote:


Bert, I was told when we went to biennial conventions that the (overseas) manufacturers could no longer justify an annual expedition across the pond.
Obviously, a convention without a show floor was incomprehensible to the committee that made the decision.



A comment from afar as I'm in the UK.

The major European/International Aero exhibition held at Friedrichshafen
in Germany every year used to be every two years but switched to every
year a while back. At that point then at least DG, Schleicher and
Schemp-Hirth decided to only attend every two years even though the show
is every year.

If these manufacturers only attend such a major exhibition in their own
country every two years then I'm sure they would be happy to attend the
SSA convention every two years even if it was an annual event given all
the other things happening which would be useful to the membership.


--

Nick Hill

See http://chicagolandglidercouncil.com/seminar.
Held every other year opposite the SSA convention years. Next event in 2021.