Volunteers for Conference committee

Right - I mean if people just want round ups then I guess that is all we need but I am dreaming of something more.. soemthing much bigger and by far better.

GreenatHeart,
I thought of the same thing and spent several hours on google looking for botanical, Horticulture and garden show conventions. I think that is by far the best bet for a first round, however it will probably open up another door of technicalities and things we are not aware of for the DG Admin.

LouC, you know whatever I'm nominated for, you automatically become drafted!

I don't see why it can't be both a national round up and convention. If someone wants to trade that can always be part of it. But there are others of us who would like demos on how to do various things. Why can't we do both while we're at it.

Anne

I agree with Anne.

That's true, it's all semantics anyway..roundup pretty much is a convention in a park

I'll throw my hat in the ring for whatever(almost) you need. I am in TN though........

Tina

AuntAnnie, you said it best! And Lord knows that if two or more of us are going to be together, some trading/swapping/giving will be going on. We just can't help ourselves!

I know isn't it awful!!! tee hee.

me

Hey guys! Listen up! We have a committee to start kicking this thing in the pants. Trish has joined us and we are trying come up with as much info as possible right now. Of course, none of this will be hard and fast until we have a lot of numbers from you. Keep it up. Keep it up. This will one fan-tas-tic get together. We are the world in more ways than one and will probably be able to solve world peace problems if were all in one room. hahahaha
Seriously, if we want it bad enough, it will happen. Sort of like, if you build it, they will come. yeah!

Christi

So right . . "If you build it, they will come" and may I add, " If you build it "right". I know you will find the solutions.

We are more than aware of the great responsibility we have to begin this on the right foot. Many of you have volunteered and will be contacted sooner than later. Costs are foremost in everyone's mind, most especially ours. This would be something we would want to repeat so don't want to do it wrong right out of the gate. Just keep it in mind. Hope for the best. Share your ideas and excitement. You all know it can't be planned by the entire population but we will be depending on you from the get go. This is launch time. Watch out, people, this is lift off!!!

hmmmm ..... we have a Space Shuttle that will be lifting off down here on Thursday - I see those from my front yard, practically every launch! I really look forward to hearing more regarding the Lift Off of a Dave's Garden Annual Conference! Since I would be flying to the Convention/Conference destination, I wouldn't be attending for trading, (kinda hard to carry a bunch of plants on a plane) but there may be some who live close enough that they would want to set up trading tables or such. I just really think it would be a great vacation to be able to meet and greet with other DG'ers as well as attend a lecture or visit a local botanical garden and purchase from attending vendors.

I will be watching and waiting for any updates on this wonderful idea!

You could always trade seeds,

Aha ... hadn't thought about that! I could pack a lot of seed packets in my suitcase! I'm good at that. Last trip to N. Ga and South Carolina I collected seeds from my sisters yard and from the campus at the college my niece attends! My sisters were teasing me wondering what the security people would think if they had to rummage through my luggage with so many seeds and seed pods in baggies!

I have been lurking, and someone mentioned having it the on a weekend in an area that would be a draw. Here are the dates of the major US garden shows. I think that pairing it with a major garden show is critical and a could be the draw needed. I suspect you could book space within the site for a DG gathering. A hospitality and lecture room. I can in vision DG members enjoying a stroll through the show together while maintaining a very visible and verbal presence that might attract new members. DG hats galore. Patti

Atlanta, Ga Southeastern Flower Show Jan. 30 -Feb. 3, 2008
Virginia Mid-Atlantic Home & Garden Show February 15 -17, 2008
Seattle Northwest Flower and Garden Show Feb 20-24, 2008
Hartford, CT Connecticut Flower & Garden Show February 21 - 24, 2008
Charlotte, NC Southern Spring Home & Garden Show February 27 - Mar. 2, 2008
*Boston, MA New England Spring Flower Show March 8 – 16, 2008
*Philadelphia, PA The Philadelphia Flower Show March 2 - 9, 2008
San Francisco Flower and Garden Show March 12 - 16, 2008 at The Cow Palace
Nashville, TN Bloom 'n' Garden Expo April 11 - 13, 2008
*Cincinnati, OH Cincinnati Flower Show April 19 – 27, 2008
The Newport Flower Show and Mansions June 27, 28 and 29, 2008


This message was edited Dec 5, 2007 9:46 AM

Good idea Patti! Why did you put asterisks on some locations... they your favorites?

Sofonisba, No, but I think they are considered the major ones in the US by garden clubs, magazines and vendors. But I have only been to the one in Boston, and not for years.

There are tons of Big Home and Garden shows, but lots of those emphasize the home part. There are many smaller regional flower and garden shows which might be great if the idea is to get a healthy regional draw of DG members, but I doubt that any regional show would draw a national crowd DG, if that is the intent. I suspect that trying to get a good regional convention going as a role model in the Southwest is probably the best logical starting point as that is where it seems that most of the contributors to this thread are located.

If a TX regional show is a success than we may all find ourselves in San Antonia or Houston some Feb. If Chicago had a good flower show (they may have and I just didn't find it) that is a great convention town. Food, museums, music, architecture and the city itself are terrific. St Louis has a world class Botanical garden and is another great Midwestern possibility. I don't know about their garden shows.

I speak as a 30 year attendee to multiple trade shows and conventions a year (book, gifts, toys, home accessories, and stationary) , both regional and national. And please make sure where ever it is booked that the ladies rooms are larger than the men's. Patti

This message was edited Dec 5, 2007 10:23 AM

This message was edited Dec 5, 2007 10:32 AM

Thanks for all of your input, Patti. That is exactly what we are looking for. The more we hear from you (everyone) the easier it is to know what to do next.

Keep those cards and letters coming.

Christi

We are looking at everywhere at the moment but we have some leads in several areas not on the major list. You do need to remember that hotels will be much higher for us if we have ours at the same time in the same place - more people more demand.

Yes, that is what I had in mind too. Where are the ones in locations with palm trees? :)

Welll we have one on the maybe list with Plam trees... a lot will matter how many people want to come what we can do.

.... Houston?

.... Mobile?

:-) The planning committee will not get into anything about details yet until we get more inforamtion.

If it's in January, February or March I hope it's somewhere warm or I will have to borrow a coat from somebody!

In the meantime the Suggestion commitee will keep supplying more information.

Oh please do. No one is shut out. thinking you will have a lot to do with transportation, Randy.

Keep those cards and letters coming.

I been sitting back and following this idea since it was very first mentioned. I think it a very good idea, but I wonder and this just me, so if ya want to throw dead plants at me ya can, : ) but it seems the whole thing is getting away from the orginal idea of folks meeting and gathering and relaxing.

I been looking at this from a couple of angles. One you have people that will be traveling long distances in some cases. Even with discounts plane fares are expensive and motels and food and such. I try to get to every garden and flower show I can. By the way we don't want to use Atlanta and the Ga convention center there, lots of work to get there.

Lou I know you would to se e every DG'er there, but I think a realistic view needs to be taken. Some people can afford to fly, some folks are in postions, healthwise that they can't but friends might drive them, other folks just can't afford the expense. The needs of everybody needs to be taken in to account.

Might I suggest looking for a place that is busy but not congested. One also that has other attractions available. Some folks may be traveling with families. Maybe oen of the spouse s is really into gardening, but the rest of the family isn't. You would want to have someplace they could visit too. Maybe a place that has museums, amusentment parks, historical places ect. For alot fo folks this may be the only chanc e that they can get away for the year, as a family and financially. Everybody wants to have fun and relax.

I don't know about other folks, but usually once I go through a show I done. I look at evrything, buy all kinds of stuff, take s tons of pics and then I'm either ready to head home or go look at other sites around town.

We have alot of DG'er from Canada and the far North states. A possible way for them to attend that I have seen work at many shows, is to gather us members of communities, get a decent group together and rent a private bus service to do the driving. That way folks can chat and visit on the trip, and meet and talk and share. Usually there is one central meeting point where folsk drive to and leave from there. Alot of times, pulling resources like this is cheaper than a plane , there no stress of driving.

I think that to start your going to have more folsk that live near by come than those from other states. Your probably gonna have more local town people show up too.

Your going to have some vendor that will show up and come, but alot that aren't. Vendor's aren't goign to come unles s they know it going to be worth their time and money.

An idea especially starting out might be to do like Calloway Garden in Ga. does. Find a place that has big botancial gardens or such ask to put up a big tent. Think the tent at Calloway is about two football fields long. Folks come from all over to it. They can go to the flower show under the tent, spend a day or several days exploring Calloway Gardens and the sourounding areas and have a relaxing time. They have it set up so you can go to the plant tent and then it costs ya seperate if you want to spend the day at Calloway. There plenty of motels there, besides the gardens and boating and fishing, their swiming and golf course and a town that has a big historic claim to it and tons of little shops to explore. Oh by the way it used to cost $500 for a booth to sell plus 15% of sales at Calloway for the day show.

I would definately suggest starting out small. Lots les s headache s for attendees and those doing all the planning if it kept small and fun. Les s chance of problems going wrong too if at first everythign is small and well organized. If it is a succes s than the next one folks wil be looking to have a booth space or speak, but if you try to go to big, to fast and fall on yoru face then there just might be hard feelings among folks and nobody is goign to want to come again and we all know how fast word of computer travels and I think Lou wants everybody to have a good time and do the name of Dave's Garden Folks proud.

Have no idea what such a place would charge to set up a tent or what the tent would cost, but it would give Dger's a place to maybe rent a booth space to sell their plants if they want, would help offset some expense s for those traveling long distances in ; also have a communitity section for thos e who want to bring stuf f to just swap or sit and tables and chat and get to know each other. Charge booth fee plus percentage of sale s of food vendors. Set up a section and charge booth space for those local retail companies that want to display their products.

If it works, in one area, than the information gathered in set-up and procedures and pitfalls coudl always be passed on to another location, so that maybe those in different sections of the country could all meet.

It takes alot to put a good show together. Everybody has to work like clockwork. It has to have dependable people who will be there the days of the show. You have to have reliable, respected vendors. While the show may be open for the public only thre e days, work wil be going on for a week or so even before that. Somebody has to be there at all time s to make sure things go right. Permits, electrictions, security, first aid stations and a whole list of other minute things that so far I haven't seen mentioned yet or maybe I missed reading.

Anybody got a monster field that folsk could bring campers and tents to and set up a tables and grills and have a woodstock for plants. LOL

This from a post to the planning committee. Thank you very much, Star, for all the very kind words. You are correct in that a place to relax and meet each other is the primary reason for this quest. Somedays we all feel like Don Quixote jousting at windmills. The first mention was only 3 weeks ago. Goodness me, look at how far we have come...but how far we have to go.
This will be carefully researched with all of the things that you have mentioned above. Many of you will be called upon to help with lots of details. We are still brainstorming and seeking the best direction. The more input from the membership, the better. This is not for a handful of people but everyone.. and that means all the ideas, pros, cons, any little thing that can be added or subtracted. Necessary to have a committee to gather the ideas and put them into a manageable working format. We have some great talent toiling away. You are one of them, my friend. As you have other points, please share them.

Keep those cards and letters coming.

LouC

LOL, you DID save that one up eh?
It is a very good idea as well.
I'm alumni from a school in Liberia W.Africa and we have a re-union every two years in a different state...This 2008 is going to be Florida in July. We organize the whole thing at a hotel. Granted it's fairly small, but there are loads of Hotels that are large enough and able to host the entire event with confernce halls, rooms, and will provide a meal package along with the room etc etc.
It's better to have a sold out event than not.

What planning commitee...can you provide a post number LouC?

A lot of this enthusiasm came from a day at Rj's home. I was there on Wednesday and we began thinking about it on Thursday.
An idea whose time has come.

Lou... Here's an idea for ya. Was looking over Patti.. bbrookrd's list of the big shows. Dg is a very diverse mix and group of people. It has veggie growers, flowers growers and landscape and tree folks.

It gonna take a long time to get a Dg expo going and set up, but there maybe a way alot of folks could get together and meet alot sooner.

What about taking the states that have big shows in them, and just renting a booth. Have a big Dave's Garden Gardener's Banner and maybe some photo's up of Dg'er's ( of course we have to put your pic in the center as the inspiration : ) , some pic s of Dg's plants and gardens. There some fantastic gardenrs here with beautiful yards and flowers. Fill the booth with tables and chairs.

Have folks on commitees that in those states or near by that would come. Mini commitees for each show. Have a head person for each area committee and that person can get volunteers for different things and coordinate them all. Each omitte could be responsible for settign up the booth and having a refreshment table filled and ready for Dg'er's to sit and gab. There lots of fantastic cooks and bakers on here. To each comittee you have people that could do flyers and send out atenerarie s for travel, motels, hotels, campgrounds, car rentals, airports and very , very important HOSPITALS. Never know when somebody might get sick or have health issues and need meds.

Folks could attend the big shows at which usually all the big vendors and their new poducts are out. Folks could enjoy the show which woudl be worth the travel and expenses, as you can shop and hear speakers and they could spend as much time as they wante din the Dave's booth chatting and visting.

Besdes a refreshment table, maybe some of the locals coming could have welcome gifts from their gardens to share for those driving or a little somethign else for those flying who can't carry plants.

Could have some folks maybe man a table selling Dg t-shirts or hats or something.

Could have some of the commitee folks maybe use their plants and make mini flower bed displays or show of f their gardenign talents for sowing, repotting or whatever.

The mini comittees would be responsible for greeting comittees too. Nothign wors e than traveling to a new city and not know anybody or where to go or even if the town has a taxi service or not. It so much nicer when there somebody to meet ya and help ya get to your room and how to get about to get to the show and back home again. Soem folks travel with their babies and I don't mean humans ones either, so place s to stay that accomadate pets is sometimes hard to find, but so much nicer if somebody does the ground work for ya.

Don't forget a liast of evening entertainment too. Some folks may want to go out on the town and night and need to know where safe and what offered. Some folks may gather and meet up together later in the evening, but some folsk may want to be on their own and need to know what offered.

The booth rental woudl be expensive I imagine. I know when I set up at Atlanta's Gift mart is was 1,500 for booth for thre e days. Maybe folks from all over DG could place a classified ad and donate a few plants or whatever they have to be able to contribute in a way if they want for sell to cover booth expenses for each area. Have a treasureer that holds finances from these sale s and receipts from those that register thebooth spaces.

Somethign like this might be good on lots of levels.
1. People have a purpose to attend. Meeting other Dg'ers and the big show goping on.

2. It brings the talents of all different Dg members into play.

3. Not have to worry about liability being on any one person's shoulder's other than what goes on in booth space.

4. It gives volunteers now a chance to get their feet wet for a big expo and an insight to what would be intailed with such a show.

5. Dg'ers get to meet and have fun, people attending not Dg'ers get a chance to meet and learn about DG.

6. Does not put a big burden on comitte e members. L eave s comittee members free to enjoy show and folks and not have to worry about traveling and the expenses involved for spending a week in some city themselves.

7. Folks can come back from seeing big shows and Dg booth and everybody can share pics and stories with the whole Dg community. Would give folks working on big expo a chance to se e what folsk are more drawn too and looking for at what it wil take to get them to attend.

Just some thoughts to think about or toss.

Lou... Texas a might big state from what I hear, I get lost going aroudn the corner, so be prepared to come find me. : )

Oh another thought for the big one. Emergency road service. If somebody breaks down always nice to have a number of somebody who can at least get ya to safety and of f the road.

Will be running this by the committee, Star. We all keep up with this thread realllllll close.

Has a committee been selected?

I liked the idea of a big field and a DG Woodstock----

DaveStock

hehehe---perfect!!!

Best yet, RJ. roflol

I too like Dave Stock - we will be talking about a lot of these same things. I know an Expo would be at least a year out from now but planning it well will help there be many many more of these wonderful events to come.

Keep the ideas coming - we are listening.

Master Gardener's love giving seminars and there are tons that are also DGer's. Why not take advantage of their knowledge?

Jeri