Another crazy proposal...

Hey Domi that's a great idea, but how about going that final step? With all the controversy I've read here about the IPMS why not have our own show, if this forum is any indication I think our numbers would overwelm their show anyway. Or instead call it an FSM Modelers Convention, with regular contributors as judges. I think that may actually be easier than trying to co-ordinate with IPMS. A quick pole of our members should turn up a logical place and time, we do have 16,000 of them! It would be great publicity for the mag I'm sure, and being as how they are the best magazine if they were to throw their hat into the ring, I think any one who has anything to do with modeling would want to be there. I know this may sound a little grandious, but it could be a reality with 'a little help from our friends' (thanks Joe Cocker)

Madd Dawg

if its called 'common' sense, how come there isn't more of it around?

That, Jay, is an even better proposal, but organising a show is a big committment... Squatting a show is a bit easier. But, with a few really interested members and the FSM approval, why not!

Very interesting ideas, lets see what we can do.

Sounds like a fun gig.
A few points need to be coordinated first though

1) Particulars of IPMS 2005
2) Endorsement and level of involvement of FSM. WHile they may be willing to give us a clubhouse to play in they may not necessarliy allow us to fly colors at an event
3) Corp group of people that will act as points of contact and coordinators for this effort for the FSM Forum members sortie.

Mike

Oh yeah, lots of organising there! Gonna need people who really want this to happen!

QUOTE: Originally posted by djmodels1999 That, Jay, is an even better proposal, but organising a show is a big committment... Squatting a show is a bit easier.

I agree, squatting a show would be easier.

Organising and Managing a show takes a lot of time and resources. There's planning, promotion and advertisement, finding the right facilities, working with vendors and exhibitors, insurance and much more.

Personally, I would stick with existing venues. Make a strong showing there and in other places and who knows, maybe some day it could happen.

Something else to consider. A lot of people wouldn't be able to attend, but may still want to participate in form or another. Would having people build for show(s) for the FSM Forum Model Club and shipping them to someone to display at a show be a feasible idea? I know packaging would be of the utmost importance. Another idea might be to include photo displays of various subjects, where the photos are contributed by Forum members.

Ya know, if this goes together right...chances are it will be at a hotel.
Hotels have phone jacks for internet access.
Do a webcam broadcast of the show.
Have somone shoot some stills and upload them that night. Sort of a today we saw this....
If not a on site project then at least set something up like Ron did of the Wonderfest shots. Emphasis on the Forum member sortie entries.

Mike

That's an awesome idea.

A webcam broadcast would be awesome. Use wireless and I'm sure you could find someone with a lot of bandwidth that has their wireless network wide open.

Anyways...coverage of the show would be a great idea. Gamespy's recent coverage of E3 2003 was very good. Every day they uploaded pictures and articles. The same thing could be done without a whole lot of effort.

Shipping could be a problem, and for that matter, closer to home, because of transport issues, scale choice would be very important to any themed exhibition/display. Tanks are obviously more 'resistant' that airplanes. So would cars be. Figures would be easier. All that is to be decided later, but I'm still very keen of this idea of a theme, which could be changed every 2 years, of course...

e-participation would be a great idea, particularly for those who won't be able to join in because of money, or other committments, or other reasons. But I still think we need to encourage people to come along. I mean, what would be the odds of me meeting JChurch of Canada or Pvtone from the US..? The models are an excuse to have a nice gathering of like-minded people who would otherwise never meet... What a party this could be!

Realisticaly, squatting a show like the IPMS USA Nationals would be best, at least for the first time. FSM is a US mag, and a lot of FSM Forum members are there already. We need someone to get in touch with the organisers of such a big show and get the ball rolling. In 2007, it could be here in the UK, possibly at the UK Nationals? Maybe the fifth FSM Forum Model Club 'outing' could be the event we organise ourselves. But before we get to that stage, we need to know who we can count on. I've organised my fair share of shows, been member of a model club long enough to know that only a few do the work. I'm sure that out of 16,000 plus people here, we can manage to motivate a fairly large number of people. This would be a planetary first, guys and dolls! We've got to do it, or at least try.

I think it's a great idea. I would try to make it, if for no other reason than to put some faces with all these names and of course to see some of your models. Pictures are great but it's not like see them in person.

Well I know that if I could, I would go to this show, but for the next 2 years I wont be able too (school and money issues) so the e-entry or shipping a model is very appealing to me. Still, the idea sounds very appealing, and I cant wait to see what happens.

What an awesome idea. I'd need at least 2 years to save up the money but I would love to be part of something like that.

Ray

2005? Well, that gives me time to get that big An-22 together! I like this idea do much that I'll consider re-joining IPMS one more time to participate![:0]

Well, if and when my club ever holds a NATS I'll be sure to help coordinate all of this. However, seeing as we'll never host a NATS if I have anything to say about it...


Fade to Black...

Hosting a web cam sounds like a real cool idea, being able to put faces to names brings it closer to home. But not wanting to pee on everybodies campfire, we have overlooked one very important thing here. What are we going to tell our wives (or husbands) when they want to know why we are flying half way around the world just to visit another model shop? I don't think ' its the only place to get it' is gonna work!

But seriously a meet and greet of this magnitude would be a "must attend", I'm not the only one here who has started a lasting friendship and I'd like to shake his hand one day.

Madd Dawg

you could always try the: it will make it cheaper for me to fly and pick it up than for them to send it by UPS..!

Then, if there's still more complaints: think how much we gonna save by NOT paying the custom duties

Then, if nothing else works: why don't you come along, it will be a fun week end in the middle of nowhere, with a bunch of great guys talking models, resin conversion kits, zimmerit, decals, putty,...

Personally i think organising our own show would be a great coup for us all and with over sixteen thousand members we may just pull it off . But for now i agree that squatting another show would be the way to go. Maybe as mentiond earlier on this thread doing say the US Nats one year ,the UK Nats the next an so on. I have no experiance organizing a show like this but would do what i can to help. maybe even giving an overseas member the use of the couch for a night or three and a ride to the venue and back. Anyway i realy hope we can pull this one off one way or another...Greg

Seriously, (hard for me to be serious sometimes) perhaps we can take a proper vote not only here, but in each of our favorite forums and get a rough idea of what the general consensus would be.

Then, if not at first a HUGE gathering or meeting at a NATS, we could organize individual smaller meetings at Regionals or even one day shows based on each of our geographical locations, willingness to travel and all that. We could see if there's anyone near enuff to each other where either a carpool or caravan could be formed, or whatever else along those lines. Then build from there.

I'm in Buffalo, NY and, when I have the means, I have NO aversion to traveling for a show, so long as there's some good company along. The farthest I've gone for a one day show was to West Virginia. I went to the NATS in Virginia Beach last year, Columbus '97 and WAS to have gone to Chicago in 2001. (Sore subject ) There's no way that I'd be able to make it to OK this year but Phoenix is a trip in the planning for a crew from my club. Right now we're just gathering intel, but it may be a possibility.

Baby steps...


Fade to Black...

Just thinking of the 'coup' a big gathering of models (and possibly members) from this forum would do..! Nothing stopping a number of people, say from the Easy Coast of the US to meet in a regional show. But for people far away, like me, going to the US Nationals (or a similar big show) would be quite something, and something I would not be able to do every year. For most people in Oz, Japan, the Pilippines, Guatemala, Haiti, France, Saudi Arabia that I've met up in here, such a big show in the US would be, possibly, a one-in-a-lifetime thingy. I can imagine than most people would want to stay at least a few days to visit something in the area, other than the show itself. For ou guys in the US, coming to, say, the UK Nationals would be a similar kind of treat. Going to Oz or Japan would be the same.

So I still think that we need to make it as awesome as possible. More chances of impressing the IPMS dudes to get the space for our amazing display. And maybe more chances to get some help from FSM or else along the way.

From the above answers, there seem to be a certain interest and willingness to do such a crazy thing after all. So, what about finding out where the 2005 USA Nats are being organised? Is it altready known or do we have to wait 2004 to know? Or is there any other big big show in the US we could do. I mean I can start the ball rolling here in the UK, because I've done that before, and know where to go, but I think the first meeting/display has more chances of succeeding in the US, because FSM is from there. Makes more sense. Well, to me anyway! Now if you all want to come to the UK for a little while, just say so.

After finding out about the venue is to decide what kind of display we will want to 'sell' to the organisers. The craziest, wackiest the better I think. And would everyone be interested in 'working' towards it. Does not mean you can not bring in other models, or enter the comp if you want so, but we still need a great display, made up of models coming from all over the world, to show that we are the biggest scale model club around.

Once we've agreed on that, we get a list of people who would be interested in coming along and e-participating (people can join in later of course), and we contact the organisers to propose our little display.

Then there 2 years to glue plastic, save money, get abuse from our spouses, and look out for cheap flights and accommodation. Easy, really!

Just a thought if we can get a large enough group from the UK couldn't we get group discount from an airline?...Greg

yeah, we might!

it'll be worth a try anyway...Gregers. the tight fisted penny pinching Yorkshireman.

QUOTE: Originally posted by djmodels1999 More chances of impressing the IPMS dudes to get the space for our amazing display.

Oh dang, I'm one of those IPMS dudes that you're gonna have to try to impress, and I don't impress easily!


Fade to Black...

THATS A GREAT IDEA!!!!!

Perhaps some fundimentals should be laid out though.
Rules and out lines need to be done.

Perhaps an online commity?

Has anyone contacted FSM for their opinion?

Should this be basic ?

Or commplicated like the IPMS bylaws.

Just a note: Look at how well the Tamiya con's are doing.

Why stop at the nationals?

Sounds like a great idea! I've been to a few out of town venues for shows over the years. They can be a fabulous experience if you road-trip with the right folks. I'm up for it. - Ed

Sounds like a great idea, although I don´t think I´ll be able to make it across the Atlantic in the forseeable future. And I´m not talking floor polish here. I get enough raised eyebrows if I try and convince my girlfriend about a local Land Rover get together. (I can see her point.. Lots of strange people she´s never met before talking about mud, tyre sizes, bit of engine and how bad the heater works vs. lots of strange people she´s never met before talking about glue, the benefits of acryllics over enamel, why we all love our no. 11's and who´s got the best airbrush) Hmm.. At least everyone would speak English in some form or another. I think I can also guarantee that most would be completely harmless people, unless let near booze and anything that can spark a nostalgic rant.

As for the group discount.. Sorry guys, airlines don´t do those things (have tried and failed..). Maybe if we hustle aboard a military transport when nobodies looking, or 'borrow' our own plane..

How much would an ocean liner be? Or go air freight..

In short: I´m in favor of a 'Home venue' version.. Europe, Australia, Where-Eversville..

There's an idea, have a modelers cruise, all of us from the west side of the pond, sail over to the UK pick up all the members from Europe sail back to North America and then a final return to the UK, don't think the wife is gonna argue with a cruise.

Madd Dawg

Hey!! A cruise!! Now you're talkin!!! They have them for everything from country music stars to porn stars (or so I've heard) so why not for a bunch of glue-sniffing plastic addicts?!?

Ray

I have two great themes that I have always wanted to try, but never had a venue.


Puerto Rican Battleships..

Zimbabwayan Bombers..

if someone says a rowboat or a paper airplane Im going postal!