Open letter to all event/show planners

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

Last weekend there were steel guitar shows in both Denver and Spokane WA. It reasonable to assume that there are some who would have liked to attend both. It's also reasonable to assume that here are players who would liked to have performed and/or sold their wares at both. This could have happened if either show had been postponed or moved ahead one weekend, Had this happened, both shows would have had a larger audience.

I suggest that those of you who are planning an event co-ordinate your efforts so that there are not 2 shows within a week's driving distance of each other, held on the same weekend.

Just a thought.
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Albert Svenddal · From: Minneapolis, MN

I would agree Mike. The first weekend of May I really wanted to go to the jam in Duluth, but I was already scheduled for the Gospel Jam in Indianapolis the same weekend.
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Bill Ferguson · From: Milton, FL USA

Seems like one time there was a post on this subject and someone was keeping a calendar available to anyone on the forum.

However, I do know that when you are scheduling a show, it is not always possible to move the date due to being able to get a facility to house the event and or being able to get the back up band.

With SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many shows popping up, I see this situation only to compound, not get better.
I also feel this is why our attendance is down at most all the shows (except SL & Dallas). There are just too many shows. Same players, limited audience.

Just my two cents worth.

Bill

Billy Carr · From: Seminary, Mississippi, USA (deceased)

Excellent point here with scheduling shows. That's the very reason I'm scheduling our MSP Club shows in Laurel, MS. on Fridays each time. 3pm till show ends around midnight. Our goal at MSP is to work with other steel shows that'll work with us and for everybody to do good at each show. Our followings are not large, no sense spliting the crowd, in my opinion.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

I agree with Bill that when you schedule a show, and it's usually many months in advance, you can't always change the date. I know I've had to schedule shows way in advance and around what else they have booked at the place we use for both our club jams and shows.

But,it's a moot point with me as I'm out of the "show business".

Mike Perlowin · From: Los Angeles CA

What I'm suggesting is that there be some sort of way that event planners can talk to each other BEFORE they set the dates for their shows.

Perhaps a list of planners should appear on the forum.
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Bill Ferguson · From: Milton, FL USA

Now that's a good idea Mike.

Bill
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Bill Cook · From: Montgomery, Alabama, USA (deceased)

This is a great idea!!!!!! Who ever runs this ball can put me down as a planner. I am planning The ASGA show for 2008 and have allready communicated with some other clubs/shows. This is a needed thread.
Bill

Doug Childress · From: Orange, Texas

Perhaps the forum could start a calendar of events that is monitored by someone. A link could be setup that would provide visability of scheduled programs.

Doug Rolfe · From: Indianapolis, IN

Before I ever started to do the gospel steel show, I tried to find out when others were having one. It appeared that the best time for ours was the first weekend of May. In this part of the country that allowed for decent weather for traveling and no conflicts with others.
We then learned later on that the Honolulu Hawaii show is every other year on the same weekend, but felt that it would of little consequence to our show here in INDY.
We have been doing it the same weekend for 15 years and hope that other will consider our schedule when trying to put one together. We are very limited as to when we can do it as there are many other things going on also.
I don't know that all conflicts can be resolved, but at least we can respect others regionally so that most can attend who wish to do so.
We have already signed the contract for the 2008 show.

Bill Ferguson · From: Milton, FL USA

At one time there was a link from the forum for a show calendar. I don't know if it still exists. Maybe bOb can chime in.
I do remember that the person handling the list had a very hard time getting information ahead of time and it was never up to date.

Bill
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AUTHORIZED George L's, Goodrich, Telonics and Peavey Dealer: I have 2 steels and several amps. My current rig of choice is 1993 Emmons LeGrande w/ 108 pups (Jack Strayhorn built for me), Goodrich OMNI Volume Pedal, George L's cables, Goodrich Baby Bloomer and Peavey Nashville 112. Can't get much sweeter.

Craig A Davidson · From: Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin USA

Mike you have a good idea and it works until things happen like the Dallas show being shifted a week. Then we have to bust our tails to get our show moved. Sometimes you can't win.

Bob Maickel · From: Floral Park, NY

After 34 years of planning and putting on our annual PSGA event here in the Northeast all I can say is Good Luck! Dealing with other shows in your immediate area is a real problem. The promoters feel that they are correct choosing the date involved. They also might be too proud to switch even though the Long Standing Show has established a traditional date on which it holds its annual event. We have to book our hotel 11 months in advance with a signed contract for which PSGA is liable. If we cancel the date to accomodate another show we would pay a heavy fee to the hotel for booking the space and then canceling, and then be faced with finding another facility to host our event.

We have had situations develop in the past with date conflicts with the Mass Bash and the Rhode Island SGA event, but after contacting the promoters and Officers of those events we were able to reach a friendly understanding of the problem and efforts were made to avoid future date conflicts. We have had players from the Mass Bash and the RISGA on our shows regularly. A quick look at a map shows that RI & MA border CT where we hold our show.

I don't believe there is any malicious intent on anyone's part. It seems that the promoters are so enthused upon agreeing to put on a show, finding a site for it, and choosing a date, that they never think there might be a conflict waiting to disrupt their efforts.

Frankly, Denver and Washington State are far enough apart to hold steel shows on the same day IMHP. With the gasoline prices what they are I seriously doubt that attendees would take in both shows on separate dates. That's one heck of a lot of driving. Actually, it's cheaper to fly.

BTW. we do list shows we are notified about on our psga.org web page. Just click on Steel Shows or Coming Events. The list is by no means complete, but it is regularly up-dated.

Joe Naylor · From: Avondale, Arizona, USA

Well everyone that wants to keep these on different date - as someone else said -- GOOD LUCK --- to make matters worse on the weekend that Mike was talking about we in AZ (the Southwest Steel Guitar Association) had a jam - and for many of our jams we do have people that come from CA (who went to Spokane) and people who come from CO and NM who went to the CO show.

Last January we had our show scheduled and so did Florida - and Yes there were several that had to change plans - we got some of them from the Southeast to AZ and some had committed to Florida - no one blamed any one and I am sure still don't but the point is that when planning these meeting some times the facility where it is being held may dictate the date - we heard that they (the Florida Show) checked and could not change the date and we in AZ could not change either - we try for the last week of January and I think they had previously been some other date. Back east I know that people do not travel that far but Mike and a bunch of the guys from CA have been known to come to AZ more than once for a one day jam. We have also had people from Utah, WA, and many other states.

It is almost impossible to accomplish this but everyone trys - we all want the biggest and best show possible.

My 2 cents worth
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Joe Naylor, Avondale, AZ (Phoenix) Announcer/Emcee owner www.steelseat.com *** OFFERING SEATS AND Effects cases with or without legs and other stuff ****** -Desert Rose Guitar S-10, Life Member of the Arizona Carport Pickers Assoc., Southwest Steel Guitar Assoc., Texas Steel Guitar Assoc., GA Steel Guitar Assoc., KS Steel Guitar Assoc. (Asleep at the Steel) tag line willed to me by a close late friend RIP

Bob Maickel · From: Floral Park, NY

Yep, Joe is correct. Folks out West are used to long drives to get to an event. But it appears that most steel guitarists would like to have a show of any size in their own area, so they would not have to travel very far, which makes sense. BTW, the SWSGA event is a terrific show. Fortunately, it is held at the time of year when the steel guitar snow-birds are in the Valley of the Sun for Winter vacations.

As far as travel is concerned, I attend the ISGC in St. Louis every year. I've been to the Dallas show, and a group of us flew to Phoenix for the 2005 Mesa Show of the SWSGA.

Many years ago I used to drive from NYC to St. Louis, after which we would continue to Denver to visit musician friends and then on into New Mexico and Arizona and Utah before driving back to NY. But I was a lot younger then and petrol was a lot less expensive.

Perhaps an unwritten rule of thumb ought to be established. "Do your best in planning a new steel event - the date of which will NOT conflict with any other long established steel show - try to avoid direct conflicts with similar organizations in putting on shows in your local/regional area. Take the time in the planning stage to do research as to what is going on"

In spite of the large attendance enjoyed by the St. Louis, Dallas, and Mesa shows, we are dealing with a limited special interest audience, the size of which is diminishing in number due to the aging process.

Jeremiah Hanley · From: Springfield, Missouri, USA

Steel guitar shows are a great thing and I don't think there are too many of them. Terry Bethel and the Branson Connection Band is our biggest one around here. That is southwest Missouri and of course the big one is in St. Louis. Think what it would be like if there weren't any. Our Branson show is strictly a 'pro' show. The others around here are for all pickers. I think it would be great if all the shows allowed amateurs to play. It always makes for more involvement. If you can't have very many 'pros' come in, just one big name would be a crowd getter. Of course we here in the Branson area get to play every other month at our meetings. And we love having an 'all pro' event each year. This year we are trying a 2-day event. The first day, different players will play, then on Sunday, the 'pros'. The first day will be in a smaller building and not as large as the main Branson Show on Sunday which is always at the Baldknobbers Theater. So don't despair about the shows. Let's all be happy that we have them.

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