Hi all,
My IPMS club got into a discussion on how best to improve and promote our model show.
We're located in Pittsburgh PA and average 220 models on the table most years. 75 miles south in Morgantown WV they average
5-600 ( it seems).
We want to know just what we need to do to change things around.
One thing discussed was just what people want from a show. Or for what reason do they attend.
So I thought I'd ask everyone here...
Why do you attend a show?
What makes you travel more than 50 miles to attend a show?
What would you most like to see at a show?
What would you like to see disappear from a show?

Here's a link to our show web site. Please take a look and let me know what you think of it (show promotion or otherwise)
3 Rivers IPMS
Thanks,
Craig

quite simply, i like meeting other modellers, and asking lots of questions about their stuff on show. i've met a few of the armorama UK crowd at shows and its great to meet face to face, and see some of the stuff on these forums "in the flesh"

No out of box? Thats a bit unfair don't you think? I would like to check this competition out, but it's rare I have the opportunity to do anything out of box. How did this rule come about anyway?

Dave,
First thanks for checking out the site.
The "no out of the box" simply means that it's not an issue for the work you're being judged on. If you've done a model OOB, and it's sitting next to a maxed ou kit, it's the quality of the work you've done and not the amount of after market that is important. So instead of only 3 models getting 1st, 2nd & 3rd, you'd have just as good a chance of getting a gold, silver or bronze as the maxed out kit. It's all in how well you've built it.
I hope that makes sense. If not, please post again and maybe someone else can explain it better.

Phil,
Thanks to you as well for commenting here.
Based on your comment I've come up with an idea that I've posted on the club site for the club members to consider.

Thanks again,
Craig
PS: Everyone else, please share your thoughts too. I want all the help I can get to make our show even better.

Hi Craig

I'm with Phil on one of my main reasons for going to a show. To meet other modelers, and see what they have been working on. As to what I think makes a good show , here are a few things to think about.
1. Wider lanes between display tables. This is so guys are not bumping into each other as they walk by. Plus a person has room to bend over and look closer at a piece. another reason for this is for folks like myself. I'm in a wheelchair, and have had to leave shows that I could not move around in.

2. Good lighting. I've been to some shows that had this "dinner show" style lighting and we could not see sh%@t. You want everyone to able to see.

3. How to seminars. This give folks somthing to do after they spent all the mony in the venders area. Plus this gives the public somthing to see. everythjing from basic building tips for beginners to figure painting you get the idea.

4. Vender and snack bar areas that are away from the display tables. This helps the judges avoid feeling the constant stares of builders walking around the outskirts of the tables someplace with places to sit down and talk and hang out. This way folks are not walking around the displays while eating or drinking.

5. Lastly some way to keep small children under control. Anything that keeps them from running in and around the display tables is find with me. Toddilers, and small children can bring adult men to tears when they run into a table sending months of work crashing to the floor.
Well thats it. I'm sure others will add to the list, but this is my 2 cents on what makes a good show. Good luck, Pittsburgh is not that far from here . I'll try and get a ride up there.
Harry

Hi Harry,
Thanks for the feedback.
I'm happy to report that we already meet some of your suggestion
The room layout allows us pretty good space between the vendor tables.
The room is a highschool cafeteria and has good lighting plus one wall is all windows.
We're working on that one for this show as we speak
The vending machines are at one end of the room so there's no way we can move them
That last one is a sticky one. There's really not much a club can do except to talk to the parent(s) and ask them to control their kid. I am happy to say that I don't remember having any trouble with unruley kids at our show in the past.
I hope that you can make it out to the show this year. If you do, pease be sure to look me up.
Thanks again,
Craig
PS: Keep'em coming guys. It's already paying off . Other club members are doing the same thing on the sites they visit

One thing several clubs do here is to raise the tables using 18 inch PVC tubing. This reduces the likelihood of little hands reaching out and touching something and and makes it easier to look at the models: you aren't bending over nearly as far.

We, too, are toying with dropping out of box. At least 75-80% of the OOB winners are also place winners. Quite simply, quality shows thorugh.

A really nice thing we've done when we've had access to a digital projector was to project an image of the winning model as it was announced. That way, everybody knows which Gizamewhatchit Mark III, Ausf D-2 won an award.

While newbies may want showy plaques, those who've been around a while have more plaques than space. We've moved to a custom stand-up medallion of our logo. It's at the point that some folks look at plaques as diorama bases.

Like your club, we have never done sweeps, though we have given one person more than one award when there were fewer than three builders.

A good array of categories, unless the event is booked as a car model contest, figure show or AMPS event is essential. One local event has better than 80% of its classes as cars while promoting itself as a general contest.

Feedback from the judges, escpecially when a model almost got an award (or a better award) is very good to see as well. The only place this is routinely done is at AMPS.

You mean that they are visiting 'other' sites... What is the world coming to?? :-)

But on a serious note, an area where you can sit down, with some tables. It's all well going round the tables, but it's nice to be able to sit down when you want to chat or catch up with people. You mention vending machines, do you also have hot snacks ( like hot dogs... wait, am I trying to teach an American about hot dogs... ) ? Something to keep spouses/kids occupied with something not neccessarily modeling related, i.e. Bouncy Castle, Ball Pool, etc.

Cheers
Henk

Hi guys,
Many thanks for all the great imput.
As I started this over the weekend, I just want to be sure that it gets exposed to everyone throughout the week. So I'll "bump" the thread as needed.
Thanks again,
Craig