PLUS ramblings - *** PLUS2009 (our bi-yearly gathering) *** Read Only. No more posting. - PlanetChristmas! Forums. Read Only. We've moved to http://talk.planetchristmas.com - The Forums of PlanetChristmas have moved to http://talk.PlanetChristmas.com
Wherever the city is..it has to be convenient and be able to handle alot of people. That why i suggested Atlanta. Heck, we had the olympics here. And we have 2 huge convention centers...One being the Georgia World Congress Center.
And Stone Mountain Park has the best Laser Light Show projected on the Mountain.
I dont think Bronners.....or Michigan is even realistic..Too far north....
But then again..people could say Atlanta is too far south...
So....let the best place win.
Last edited on Saturday February 23rd, 2008 10:05 pm by snowlovergeorgia
I would like to see the PLUS alternate between the east coast and the west coast. So every 2 years its fare. Having it always in the middle only makes it great for the people who are in the middle and never easy for the east or west coast. Thats my 2 cents worth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was not implying that bronners would be hosting plus...that's ridiculous...I meant could they handle over 500 Christmas freaks coming through there several times for a week...we all know none of us are normal in that area...
I would probably pass out when I saw the old blow mold displays...it's like our shrine...
I can see it now on the news...Christmas nuts ascend on bronners and leave the shelves empty...film at 11...
but there is a valid point...it would be disrespectful to the vendors to hold PLUS near a Christmas store that carries a lot of their products...
Michelle almost had me sold on Atlanta until she said I had to eat grits...yuck..
I wouldn't mind switching coasts...we can start in Myrtle beach......then head west...
But seriously...I think the focus needs to be on the money...price of transportation and hotels...and other activities and not on christmas related themes in the area.
I know being convenient for Chuck is nice and it has been for the last years...no disrespect intended...but I think now it needs to be more convenient for the people that come.
The people that give up their vacation time...spend $300 on one or more tickets and gas to drive or Lord knows how much on airfare...not only for themselves but for their family. For most of these folks this is their only vacation.
I think even more people would come if PLUS were held in different areas and more activities were planned outside of christmas events...with the amount of people we have we could easily get discounted rates for just about any amusement in any given area.
I know this can be a somewhat touchy subject...but not everyone on PC is on an even playing field....not everyone here is in the upper middle class income bracket...not everyone here has a few weeks or more vacation time available to them....
There are many folks here that would love to attend...but they can only have one week of vacation a year or maybe two and if they get sick through the year some of those days are gone...
They may splurge on a few decorations and talk big on the board but at home there is a budget and if it's not stuck to the bills are not paid...and they have to save every dime and a vacation is a splurge and every penny is accounted for or is doesn't happen...
But they love this hobby and have found a way to balance it and still make ends meet...
But then comes plus that they want to attend but it's expensive...and then add to that airfare...hotel...transportation...food...spending money...and times that by a family of 4...and sometimes even minus a weeks pay if a wife or teenage child doesn't get vacation pay or extra income has to be given up during the trip...
Now you have the dad who's christmas giddy ready to go...mom and 2 kids who could care less....
I think they should have more activities available for them...more discounted tickets set up for area venues and other attractions....maybe a group trip if there are historical spots to see...
And the location scouted should make every effort to make the travel the least expensive and accommodating for folks like this...I don't think plus should be held anywhere that does not off a discount airline such as spirit within a couple hrs drive...at least you could get most of the way fast a cheap then get your rental car and drive on in...you're gonna need it anyway...
Most of these larger cities are going to be highend and expensive...and the crime rate is high too...
I like atlanta...but I wouldn't be comfortable there after dark with Kenya...it's dangerous downtown at night...
I still kinda like the idea of a floating plus...if it would work space wise...with the vendors...
could be even more costly though...I didn't realize how much it costs to get a passport...jeeze...those are expensive...
Hi Jen.....You know i usually agree with you, but i think every big city can be considered unsafe when you think about it. I think a little friendly debating is good...
I mean people flock to New York City every year visiting, and look at its crime rate. So that doesnt stop people from going there. Im not afraid of Atlanta at night, and neither are the people who love its nightlife and venture out there every weekend. Its pretty safe, especially at the places people would take children at night if they needed to. And every city had bad sections for some reason.
But having maybe 500 or more attendees to a PLUS.. the city has to be able to handle it as well. I was just stating that if Atlanta could handle The Olympics....it could certainly handle a PLUS. But there are many great cities to have a PLUS in and we could all make great points on the cities we live in or near.
I think most people go south on vacation anyway. I just think a beach city would be out of the question during the summer time for a PLUS with too many other tourists already being there, problems with accomodations, crowds, and parking. And we all know that most beach cities are expensive. I went to Ocean City twice...i know. On the postive..it was alot of fun and The Boardwalk was awesome.
Then again... a PLUS is costly no matter what. I know my Mini Plus is expensive and its for only 30 people, not 500 or more.
Yet I think all major cities have their strong points as to their attractions and what people can do on their free time, and the fact that they have great accomodations.
Im sorry if im rambling on here....im just talking....
I really think it needs to be a city where there are activities for kids to do as well. Family friendly.
And being me...I still say Atlanta, as we have the new Aquarium, The World Of Coke, Stone Mountain Park, and Centennial Olympic park with its fountains and plenty of hotels of all price ranges, taxis, sidewalks, restauraunts, and nice weather.
Last edited on Sunday February 24th, 2008 01:49 pm by snowlovergeorgia
Having rethought the PLUS venue, I can't concieve of a better place than Pigeon Forge. I already know the lay of the land and know exactly what to avoid.
Since I won't have to go to a different city and find things to avoid, I can spend more time at PLUS and with PLUS attendees which is my goal.
I know to avoid the former HQ hotel and driving in Pigeon Forge. You park your car and stay accross the street, do Starbucks, eat, conventioneer, eat and carouse at a selected bar. Plenty of places to eat and carouse if your timing is right.
Pigeon Forge is growing in a very positive manner in my mind. It is a long drive, but since it is in Tennessee, there is a lot to do and see. I regard Pigeon Forge a place to have a convention, but not a destination. The convention center was new and wonderful. I hope to go back.
OK, I am going to chime in at this point and represent the West coast. I see a lot of posts on here from the Eastern side of the country and while I could very easily say lets have PLUS somewhere on the West coast, I am not. I will also prefence my comments by saying yes, I am a newbie, I have not been to a previous PLUS because I obviously did not know about them....but we are already planning on coming to the 2009 PLUS regardless of where it is. My personal opionion is that it should be held in more of a central location. I know one person stated it should not always be central because it is always convienent for those folks in the central part of the country. But as the old saying goes, you can't please all of the people all of the time. I would think a central location will make it easier for the most folks to attend and at the end of the day, isn't that what the goal is? Non-stop for anyone from the West coast to go to the East coast is a five hour flight alone not to mention the airport times ect. It would be the same for the East coasters if we had it here in Anaheim. I could make some of the same arguements on why Anaheim would be such a great location as some of the others have for Atlanta and probably add even more. I can see why Chuck said, it is a very complex equation to determine the best location. At the end of the day, IMHO, I think a central location makes the most sense to get the most bang for our bucks and the most folks to attend.
lol look and see most want it in a location close to where they are go figure!! i think the best idea is east coast west coast type rotation or maybe just in the middle of the country somewhere?
csmith wrote: Speculation on where PLUS2009 will be held is a bit premature. Although I appreciate everyone's suggestions, in reality, it's a very complex equation because of our event size and the requirement of a family-friendly environment for the non-registrants that are pulled along with the attendees. We also have to factor in accessibility for our vendors.
I anticipate a potential list of cities to be circulated mid-year. Until then... stay tuned!
Everyone-
Chuck's notes above say it all: whether we like it or not, there are many factors in selecting a city for a major event. And they ARE business decisions. Many of the things being debated are nice to consider, but truly do not give any weight to a decision of where to hold the event.
There is another alternative: you CAN have your own event (and I'm not advocating a competing event). Almost everyone on this thread are posting for their own personal reasons or campaigning for their hometown/state/location. If you really think that the West Coast, Atlanta, Michigan, Florida, etc can support an event like this... SET IT UP! Everything doesn't have to be a "mini". You can work towards creating your own event, close to you, and let people know about it.
Now at the risk of people getting anti-TCL, I'll give you a quick story:
I found PC in mid-2006. I became a member of TCL in fall 0f 06. For many months I enjoyed the learning on both sites. Then I got to go to the TCL 2007 workshop in Dallas... and I was very excited.
But I'll be honest (and my friends at TCL know this, so it isn't a shock): it wasn't everything I thought it could be. So I had a decision to make: be disappointed or offer to help on the next one. I chose to help.
Since then (last June) I have been working a second job: building the summer 2008 Workshop with some great people! We don't want to compete with PLUS, but we want to have a great event... and we're doing it! A dozen vendors already, 20+ classes, a 56,000 square foot facility, a good attendee price ($60), and already about 100 people registered (5 months out!). Best of all? It's in OUR backyard. We have people coming from all over the country (you're all invited, but this isn't a TCL workshop plug; it's an example of what YOU can do as well) and July 24-26 is going to be a really good time for the decorating enthusiasts that attend.
YOU can do it too! Make your own event. Anyone who's interested in hearing the details of HOW we did it can certainly email or PM me.
I will agree that you can and should put on events in your local areas, big or small, vendors, or not, home or center, doesn't matter. It's the opportunity to get together with like minded folks and enjoy a great time. Attendance doesn't matter either, these gatherings are great even if it's only a few folks. Just takes more work and planning if there are many. I know, been there, done that.
I would, though, highly recommend that you NOT do this during a PLUS event for several reasons. 1. Many of the folks you want to attend your gathering may very well want to go to PLUS. 2. IF you want vendors, they will more than likely go to PLUS because it has a track record with them and they know what to expect as far as attendance and sales and 3. Some may disagree here but so be it, I wouldn't think it would be right to try to compete with PLUS. We are here because of Chuck's willingness to support us and our hobby. He asks very little from us, just the three rules and puts PLUS on for the benefit of everyone and it's a lot of work. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you can't have a gathering during PLUS especially if you can't get to a PLUS event, I'm just saying putting on a huge gathering like the TCL event at the same time as PLUS, in my mind just wouldn't be right. Just my 2 cents.
Flame away. I know you want to.
Marilyn
____________________ Marilyn Caron
The Christmas Lady
I can honestly say that I dont want the PLUS in Atlanta cause i live here...Who cares about little ole me....
The PLUS is a huge fun event for anyone who attends.
While its true you can have your own mini plus which is great and exciting too....nothing compares to the one and only PLUS...
I just know Atlanta as well as a few other cities can support the number of people attending and all the things the plus stands for. Thats whats important in choosing a location.
But no matter what city is chosen, it will be a great event and people will travel and come to it to share their love of christmas.
Last edited on Sunday February 24th, 2008 04:05 pm by snowlovergeorgia
nanac1 wrote: I will agree that you can and should put on events in your local areas, big or small, vendors, or not, home or center, doesn't matter. It's the opportunity to get together with like minded folks and enjoy a great time. Attendance doesn't matter either, these gatherings are great even if it's only a few folks. Just takes more work and planning if there are many. I know, been there, done that.
I would, though, highly recommend that you NOT do this during a PLUS event for several reasons. 1. Many of the folks you want to attend your gathering may very well want to go to PLUS. 2. IF you want vendors, they will more than likely go to PLUS because it has a track record with them and they know what to expect as far as attendance and sales and 3. Some may disagree here but so be it, I wouldn't think it would be right to try to compete with PLUS. We are here because of Chuck's willingness to support us and our hobby. He asks very little from us, just the three rules and puts PLUS on for the benefit of everyone and it's a lot of work. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying you can't have a gathering during PLUS especially if you can't get to a PLUS event, I'm just saying putting on a huge gathering like the TCL event at the same time as PLUS, in my mind just wouldn't be right. Just my 2 cents.
Flame away. I know you want to.
Marilyn
All good points by Marilyn (who has been involved with both PLUS events (more than 1) and the TCL workshops (including this one- couldn't have so much vendor involvment without Marilyn's work).
As I said I am not advocating competeing with PLUS. One of the reasons we did this event in 08 is because it is an off-PLUS year. The "unenforceable rule" has always been not to have (or advertise) an event 60 days before, or 60 days after a PLUS. I think that's a respectful thing to do.
The whole purpose of my post was to encourage all of the people on five pages of this thread to get out there and do something in their areas... THIS YEAR! Whether it's 30 people (like Michelle is having in Georgia) or in the hundreds like we're planning on for Texas, you don't have to wait for Chuck and PLUS to pull like-minded people together who share a hobby.
Ryan, I was just trying to support local gatherings but wanted to also try to prevent folks from trying to compete with PLUS and my rationale behind that.
FOr those who have never hosted a local event, be it for 5 or a 100 they are a great way to get to know folks in your area and beyond, share great ideas and spend a great afternoon or couple of days. Try it you'll like it. Just be prepared for all the work involved. I'm sure anyone who has planned one or hosted one or has one in the works can tell you it takes work but it is so worth it.
Marilyn
____________________ Marilyn Caron
The Christmas Lady
snowlovergeorgia wrote: I can honestly say that I dont want the PLUS in Atlanta cause i live here...Who cares about little ole me....I hope my post wasn't taken as saying you shouldn't consider yourself or the local decorators around you... that wasn't the intent. Quite the opposite: you ABSOLUTELY should consider the local base... by creating your own event! I apologize if that didn't come out right in the first post. It wasn't a criticism of those people saying "have it here", "have it there". It was to show some support of that local demographic.The PLUS is a huge fun event for anyone who attends.
While its true you can have your own mini plus which is great and exciting too....nothing compares to the one and only PLUS...Now on this point I have to disagree. We have THOUSANDS of PC members and just about 300 went to last year's PLUS (last real count of members was when we hit the 6000 mark if I recall). So that means about 5% of our PC community went to the last PLUS. For many reasons (economic, logistic, etc) people just couldn't/didn't go. From everything I heard though, it was a great event and people had a good time, which is the point after all. But to say nothing compares is neither accurate or fair. PLUS is the only game in town right now, so yes it's the best. But as both Marilyn and I said, it's not about how many people show up or where it's held. If the TCL workshop gets 400 attendees does that mean our event is now the show to beat? Not really, because it isn't just about attendees. Some people will think it's better, and others will prefer PLUS. We have four chapters in Texas. Dallas takes over a restaurant for their meetings (usually) and talks Christmas for hours. Houston rents a civic center and does 14 hour marathon meetings/trainings/building workshops. Austin and San Antonio are smaller in members so they have a more infomal meeting (Robert, who is the Austin coordinators calls Austin's get togethers "MEATINGS" because they get together over a plate of BBQ!). So just in our state we have several different variations of the traditional "get together". And they're all successful, just as the big events will be. It's about being respectful of people's space and offering something different for everyone involved. The more options there are out there for people from the Holiday Decorating Community to get together and share, the better it is for our hobby... and THAT is the most important thing. I just know Atlanta as well as a few other cities can support the number of people attending and all the things the plus stands for. Thats whats important in choosing a location. I agree. So make an Atlanta based event! Tag! Your "it" Michelle!
But no matter what city is chosen, it will be a great event and people will travel and come to it to share their love of christmas. Agreed. Now get to work... you have an Atlanta event to plan
I totally understand what you were saying. Just didn't want anyone to think the idea was to compete/replace/downgrade PLUS. I'd love to go to PLUS sometime, but some things have prevented it in the past.
Anyway, I think we're all preaching the same things:
1. Be repectful, no matter what event you have (big, small, etc).
2. Support the ENTIRE community (PLUS/PC, CLC/TCL, and any local events).
3. Do what's best for you and your local community.
Ryan
One last thing to add: as Marilyn said, planning a large event is a lot of work and is NOT a one person job. To give you an idea, this TCL event has been planned since June of last year. In that time myself, Marilyn, Chris, Jeff W, Don, Anthony, Ken, Jeff T, Bryce K, Michael, and Ethan have ALL been involved at one stage or another. That's a lot of people in 8 months and I'll tell you that we couldn't be where we are today without each of them. It's rewarding, but it is hard. Be prepared!
Last edited on Sunday February 24th, 2008 06:24 pm by Ryan_Johnson
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