RE: RE: Trade Show Donation?

["Bob Morris" <bobmorris@rmci.net>]

Debi:

I understand your concern but can counter with my own past experience. I was
in charge of convention/symposium exhibits for a company I once worked with.
I never attended a trade show that admitted the "public" for free. In fact
many of them did not admit the public at all!

Then there is another  way to look at the subject. The AERC is holding an
Annual Meeting, the Convention is supplemental to the Annual Meeting. The
Trade Show is supplemental to the Convention. THE MOST IMPORTANT IS THE
ANNUAL MEETING! Then the Convention. Then the Trade Show.

If the Trade Show can be used as a funding operation it is to the advantage
of the membership. The Annual Meeting and the Convention are not income
producers.

I was also, in the past, part of an Equine Expo in our region. I have heard
the same complaints we are getting about the AERC Trade show. The
complainers were parties that were not marketers and they did not return in
subsequent years. In fact most did not continue their business. The true
marketing people, those that cared about their business, used the
opportunity as they knew that the attendees that paid were there in earnest,
not just "tire kickers". They SOLD to the attendees! They did not just stand
around their booths hoping for a sale.

So, you can see that there are two sides. The Board of Directors are at the
meetings, not for fun. They go there to work in you, and the rest of the
members, interest. It costs to be a Director, it is paid with insults and
bitching. Try it some time.
-----Original Message-----
From:	Novahpr@aol.com [mailto:Novahpr@aol.com]
Sent:	Saturday, December 18, 1999 9:23 AM
To:	bobmorris@rmci.net
Cc:	ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject:	RC:   RE: Trade Show Donation?

Bob,

I think that the problem that has everyone upset is that the wording of it.
Donation and mandatory......  This was a surprise to majority of the vendors
who have already paid a hefty booth fee along with a required raffle
donation.  Its not the amount of the entry price and it is an entry price to
the trade show.  The Trails fund is very important and getting people
interested in endurance riding is very important.  Maybe a way the board
should have presented the idea was to still make the trade show free, and
set
up donation boxes next to the door with information about the trails fund.

I've been to several trade shows and have not been charged an entry fee.
AERC is small organization and I personally do not want to see an entry
price
to the trade show, I would prefer a donation box with information on what
the
donation is for.
I believe that the entry fee will discourage some people from even coming in
a seeing what endurance riding is about and we would loose the opportunity
to
gain new people who would help with the trails and other important agendas
of
endurance riders.

I know that the BOD had their hearts in the right place, but I disagree with
the method they are using to get money for the trails fund.

Debi Sanger
Byers, CO


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=