Agreed. marlon ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jeff Broadwick" <jeffl...@comcast.net> To: "'WISPA General List'" <wireless@wispa.org>; "'WISPA Board Members List'" <bo...@wispa.org>; <memb...@wispa.org>; <wispas...@wispa.org> Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 5:50 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA Members] [WISPA] [Board] [Wispashow] Decision on WISPAShow
> Hi Rick, > > You asked... > > Personally, I don't think that putting a small to medium sized show on is > that big of a production. FISPA does it with minimal staff. > > I think you could hire someone to do the footwork, working with the > venues, > sell the vendor sponsorships, etc. I know that Greg Boehnlein (ran Ohio > LinuxFest for years) is available for contract work. > > IMHO, the best show that Wispa could do at this moment would be one that > would: > > 1. Raise some money > 2. Provide a fun environment for members and prospective members to meet, > share ideas, and bond (think Wispcon 1-4) > 3. Give a solid tech track and management track > 4. Be in a central, relatively inexpensive venue with a reasonable sized > airport (STL, Indy, Columbus, Grand Rapids, etc.) > > I do not think that hiring someone to manage this is the way to go. It > adds > cost and (IMO) adds little value. Big shows are DYING. Smaller, well > focused, regional shows are doing pretty well. I think the day will come > when a big show will make sense, but not this year. > > > Regards, > > Jeff > > > Jeff Broadwick > ImageStream > 800-813-5123 x106 (US/Can) > +1 574-935-8484 x106 (Int'l) > > -----Original Message----- > From: wireless-boun...@wispa.org [mailto:wireless-boun...@wispa.org] On > Behalf Of Rick Harnish > Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 10:45 PM > To: 'WISPA Board Members List'; 'WISPA General List'; memb...@wispa.org; > wispas...@wispa.org > Subject: Re: [WISPA] [Board] [Wispashow] Decision on WISPA Show > > Butch, Members and Observers, > > > > There is a WISPA Board meeting this Thursday. Now is the time for all to > weigh in on opinions on a WISPA Trade Show. > > > > I have met with one tradeshow developer with Matt and Forbes and have > spoken > to several others by phone/email. There is great interest in outside > parties working with WISPA to develop a show. It seems many of these > options wish to leverage the WISPA reputation and branding to produce a > show > which will be financially rewarding to private interests. The question is > whether WISPA can produce and own its own show as a successful venture. > > > > Our lobbying costs have skyrocketed the last six months, there are calls > for > an Executive Director by many and there is the cost of producing a > tradeshow. Financially, WISPA is not in a position to do all three in my > opinion. WISPA still needs to build membership or raise dues to > accomplish > all three of the above goals. It is another typical chicken and the egg > dilemma. Give us your input. > > > > We can do anything we set our minds to; we have all proven that by > building > our businesses. But at some time we need to recognize that the revenue > generated by 300 WISP members at $250 per year just is not going to > accomplish everything that is desired. Put some serious thought into the > financial aspects of what I just said and really think about the solutions > that you suggest and what is more important to your business and our > industry. > > > > I will tell you that several factors are weighing on this decision but > these > are some of my thoughts: > > > > 1. The desire of the Board and Members to have a successful show which > encompasses the following: > > a. Is educational to our membership > > b. Is affordable to our members > > c. Is cost effective to our vendor members > > d. Is productive in terms of attracting new members > > e. Is breakeven at a minimum in no more than two years > > f. Is in a venue that is easily accessible and has plenty of options for > lodging, entertainment is not overpriced > > 2. The Board realizes the effectiveness of planning a successful show > will > be compromised if done as a volunteer effort. > > a. Dedicated staff/manager is essential to the success > > b. Beginner's mistakes should be minimized > > c. Options are to hire a tradeshow development firm, partner with an > existing tradeshow, hire a consultant and college interns > > 3. A successful Tradeshow venture will take a substantial amount of > capital > to plan, coordinate, down payments, signage and many other expenses. The > options currently under consideration: > > a. Partner with a developer who will front the investment needed, but > will > control the profits (WISPA would benefit from new memberships) > > b. Hire a consultant and obtain key startup investment from our Vendor > Members as High Level Sponsors > > c. Produce a small show in a low cost venue with all investment coming > from > the WISPA Bank Account Reserves at the risk of forfeiting important > lobbying > efforts. > > 4. Location is a factor > > a. Everyone wants the tradeshow near them. > > b. Maximum attendance will most likely be produced by good marketing and > reasonable cost/benefit tradeoff. > > c. Popular tradeshow venues are Las Vegas, Dallas, Orlando, Chicago, > Lower > cost venues may be St. Louis, Indianapolis, Denver, Columbus, Atlanta. > > d. Location should have access to direct flights > > e. Location should be comfortable in terms of climate/time of the year > > f. Location should have activities nearby for those bringing families > > 5. Everyone will have an opinion > > a. There is no solution that will satisfy all > > b. No matter what solution is decided, be prepared for criticism > > c. Use member input to determine the best solution for members, vendors > and > WISPA > > d. Find ways to produce valuable productive volunteer assets out of those > who take great interest in the program > > > > Respectfully, > > > > Rick Harnish > > > > > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: board-boun...@wispa.org [mailto:board-boun...@wispa.org] On > >> Behalf Of Butch Evans > >> Sent: Monday, February 08, 2010 8:36 PM > >> To: WISPA General List > >> Cc: WISPA Board Members List > >> Subject: Re: [Board] [WISPA] [Wispashow] Decision on WISPA Show > >> > >> On Mon, 2010-02-08 at 12:03 -0800, Forbes Mercy wrote: > >> > While I initially had the same concerns you had and was not even >> > that > >> > personally impressed in our meeting with their promoters, I > >> eventually > >> > decided it was the way to go for one reason, membership. > >> > >> So, here is the board (one member anyway) stating that you (not a > >> committee) decided to go with them. > >> > >> > Also for those who have stated we have made up our minds, those > >> people > >> > are just people stirring s^&t, they speak from no fact whatsoever >> > and > >> > just like to say the board just does what they want, it's crap, > >> untrue. > >> > >> Even YOU say that the board made this decision. Well, not the board, > >> but you and Matt. The message posted to the committee said the same > >> thing. Who is the "those people..." you are referring to? I have > >> stated nothing more or less than fact. > >> > >> > We've been very transparent and this debate is us taking that input > >> and > >> > using it to weigh heavily in our decision. > >> > >> Which input are you referring to? There has been only one message > >> (mine) posted to the committee list and I didn't say one way or the > >> other beyond stating that IF we (WISPA) were to put on a show, it >> would > >> have to be late in the year due to the timing of the messages and > >> discussion (or lack of discussion, to be more precise). FWIW, it >> would > >> appear that the board is not even in complete agreement that the path > >> you and Matt chose is right, as Marlon has been posting things to the > >> show committee list indicating that HE thinks the show should be a > >> WISPA > >> event, too. > >> > >> > It's a huge decision, easy > >> > for members to say "hey you put on your own show" but just think > >> about > >> > the work that would put on a volunteer board versus the idea of what > >> I > >> > stated above. > >> > >> But isn't this a member focused organization? At least this should > >> have > >> been a committee decision. We did not even have opportunity to >> discuss > >> it. We were simply told that you (Forbes) and Matt had made the > >> decision. There was no input to consider. > >> > >> > Most opinions I've read have been self serving ones, 'put > >> > it five miles from my house' kind of thing. We're trying to serve > >> the > >> > entire country and those with the middle America approach are very > >> valid > >> > for that reason. We'd really enjoy hearing these kind of ideas but >> > if > >> we > >> > sit here and argue where all day we'll never get to put it on and >> > yet > >> > another WISPA initiative gets buried in minutia, as a board this is > >> > exactly what we are trying to stop. > >> > >> THEN SEND THE QUESTION TO A COMMITTEE! Isn't that what the committees > >> are for? This isn't even a member's list that you are posting this to > >> (me, either). > >> > >> -- > >> ******************************************************************** > >> * Butch Evans * Professional Network Consultation* > >> * http://www.butchevans.com/ * Network Engineering * > >> * http://store.wispgear.net/ * Wired or Wireless Networks * > >> * http://blog.butchevans.com/ * ImageStream, Mikrotik and MORE! * > >> ******************************************************************** > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Board mailing list > >> bo...@wispa.org > >> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/board > >> No virus found in this incoming message. > >> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > >> Version: 8.5.435 / Virus Database: 271.1.1/2676 - Release Date: > >> 02/08/10 19:35:00 > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---- > WISPA Wants You! 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