Increasing attendence at conferences

[Glenn]

How do we increase attendance to the blacksmithing conferences?

Usually you can count on the same hard core blacksmiths at a conference, but with big names doing demos and the hard work of the organizers, how is the best way to increase attendance?

Saturday all day:
Get up 4 am, attend the conference, leave at say 5 pm and arrive home 9 pm. 8 hours drive time and 3 meals.

Saturday all day, Sunday am to afternoon:
Get up 4 am, attend the conference, overnight, leave at say 4 pm and arrive home 8-9 pm Sumday. 8 hours drive time and 6 meals and one motel bill.

Friday Saturday Sunday:
Get up 4 am, attend the conference, 2 overnights, leave at say 4 pm and arrive home 8-9 pm Sunday. 8 hours drive time, and 8 meals and 2 motel bills.

FSS but beyond 4 hrs drive time requires two vacation days (Thursday and Monday) 10 meals and 4 motel bills.

These are not hidden costs, but costs in addition to the cost of the conference.

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What is the solution to increasing attendance?

Maybe the demonstrater hold one day conferences in a series of localized and adjecent cities? Monday move 50-100 miles then set up for Tuesday, move 50-100 miles then set up for Wednesday etc etc.

Please give us your input. What would it take to get you interested in attending a conference or meeting?

[mike-hr]

Allow camping on site. Folks tend to let their guard down after supper. We've had some of the most memorable demo's doing informal projects late at night. This also saves on motel bills.
Have a workshop so folks can make a project they might not be able to do by themselves. Is there a machine shop, power hammer, or extra strikers on site?
Take a big pinch of the gate fee, and buy large chunks of red meat, and a bag of corn chips.
Have a beginner station so folks who've never forged before can get their hands dirty.
It's a long drive for us to get to meetings. If my wife and son go, they use the opportunity to go on day trips to local fun spots while I'm forging.

[yesteryearforge]

What kind of conference. who is the sponsor ?
I think the largest draw for quad state is the amazing array of tailgaters.

[yesteryearforge]

Dont try to milk the attendees out of their last dollar at every turn.
Some can afford it but the majority of folks that want/need this type of event are on a budgit and one of the line items on their budgit is not blacksmithing conferences

[Ed Thomas]

Personally, I think there are enough big conferences. There are so many that I have to be selective about attending them. Yet each one of these started as a quite modest gathering. The most durable conferences grew steadily around an ever-growing group. Trying to get big almost defeats the purpose and seems more forced and contrived than a genuine gathering of blacksmiths.

I prefer one or two larger conferences a year so I can get exposure to distant blacksmiths and their ideas. And then I like relaxed local gatherings without much hype or fanfare for socializing and sharing skills for the rest of the time.

For a successful conference, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS provide coffee and doughnuts. Then we shall come.

And don't forget the coffee and doughnuts.

[Glenn]

Conferences may have been a poor choice of words. Please expand the discussion to include local blacksmith organizations, hammer ins, and blacksmith gatherings of all sizes.

[jeremy k]

The Central Minnesota Blacksmiths have been having very good turnouts in my opinion compared to others I've talked to: We usually have at least 20-25 plus people show up every month at our hammer-ins. The main thing is that there should always be a live demo with a fire in the forge and metal being pounded to demonstrate some form of process or making of something, as that's what people come for. We have a very good group and fortunately have good demonstrations. Watching is always better than reading or telling someone how to do something - mainly for the ones that have never seen or done it before. Even if is is something simple - people expect to "see" something being done. - Jk -Member CMB

[ladysmith]

Advertise locally outside the usual group newsletter. What we do is interesting enough to merit asking for an article in the newspaper BEFORE the Conference or Hammer-in. There are plenty of local people that would love to learn blacksmithing, but have no idea where to look, and might not realize something so cool could be happening so close to them. Being close cuts the associative costs significantly. Hammer-ins and conferences are a great way to build group membership, which builds future conference membership.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Pam

[Ed Thomas]

Glenn: Okay, then I amend what I said to include this basic rule:

ALWAYS provide coffee and doughnuts and it will be a success.

[Ed Thomas]

Our group routinely gets compliments from visitors about how well we play together, how enjoyable the meetings are and how much they learn from them. I attribute our success primarily to two things... the people who make up the membership are great to be with, and we keep everything very simple and low key. That's it.

Trying to grow is a mistake. Growth just happens by gently tending to the health as it is. Numbers don't mean a thing. People will flock to see something new and different, but won't stay. What you want in an organization is a culture that invites everyone to feel comfortable.

Some basic rules:

1) ALWAYS provide coffee and doughnuts.
2) ALWAYS have the meeting... and ALWAYS meet at the same place and time. This is VERY important and the excuses for not doing it are all wrong. It is really almost as important as rule #1.
3) Play nice.
4) Learn blacksmithing.

Most of our new arrivals come because they have seen members demonstrate in public and like what they saw. So as a group, take turns participating in area fairs and events. Make up business cards with guild information to pass out. When friends do demos together it is always fun, and people pick up on that and want a part of it. If you invite them to attend meetings and share your fun, that's all there is to it.

Provide coffee and doughnuts.