"Naturally, this "Maiden Voyage in Missouri" will be attended primarily by members of this forum and DSSI, since it's being promoted nowhere else."

Ok, how about this. Instead of having the Maiden Voyage IN Missouri, how about we have the Maiden Voyage ON the Missouri? Mighty Mo is permanently docked at Pearl Harbor. ( Insert laugh here)

It's mostly tongue in cheek but as this grows an idea would be to rotate EE Live around the country allowing participants in the various cities and towns to "host" the event.

As for content, I saw a few posts back about learning by "watching" as opposed to reading. That works best for a lot of people, so my thought would be that those that want to participate as "educators" offer "workshops" in their specialties. This would give the event a varied list of content from beginning to advanced. When the cirriculum is put together, the syllabus would indicate a "recommended pre-requisite" of knowledge or experience, to help newbies like myself, find the basics first, then grow.

I would also suggest that we work something out with ARA so those that are enrolled in the ARA education program can get EU's toward a CRS and CRM.

More random thoughts picked up on a day trip through Chucks head.

Chuck.

Hello,
I was wondering if you have an approximate price for this seminar yet? I am new to this industry, and need all the help that I can get. I would love to rub shoulders with some of the people here. I have gotten more out of this forum that you can imagine. (still need much more)

I am also not opposed to paying for this forum, if it becomes necessary to charge to keep this running. Nothing if free, and the first months of this has more than paid for itsellf.

I wish I could go to LasVegas, but cannot, but maybe when you decide on when to do this I will have the means to make the trip. I certainly have the desire.

Thanks again for all the help you have provided to all of us.

Barbara Sample
RGile Engravers

Quote: [I am not sure if Roy Brewer's Xenetech territory runs as far north as the Kansas City area. ]

Indeed, Roy Brewer's Xenetech territory extends to Kansas City. We'd definitely be interested in participating.

Jeanette,

As we narrow down our costs and date options we will get in touch with you to see what works best.

I have spoken with Terry Viles, the territory Epilog representative, and he is eager to participate. Maybe he and Roy could do a tag-team event. :-)

We will be talking to you soon.

One component of the seminar, which I'd like to see, is pretty much a live version of this forum, wherein we assemble a "Panel" of people capable of answering most any question relating to our industry.

My question is, "Would that aspect be better held at the beginning or end of the session? I would think the end, allowing people to follow up on questions stemming from what they've seen, or an opportunity to ask general questions on topics which weren't covered.

"Engraving Etc. Live!" has a nice ring to it, and the title would certainly be descriptive.

David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA

I agree with the panel at the end...

Will it be a one or multi day event? (multiple panels?)
There should also be opportunities for attendees to interact.

Then there's the big questions how much $$$ for hotel and Seminar.

Ken,

David T. (upthread) addressed the basics of your big questions. Once costs are narrowed down, we'll have a feel for an attendees fee.

Putting the seminar on will be the easy part. The logistics of deciding what to include, what to leave out, where, when, how many days etc. will represent the heavy lifting.

Edit: In my experience with live seminars, opportunities for people to interact have to broken up like a bar room brawl. They're so busy brainstorming etc., it's difficult to get their attention back to what's being presented :-)

David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA

 

David L,
Regarding "panel discussion" I believe that for the first time, it should be the entire event. An open forum if you will.
This will give a great indication of what EE Live would ultimately become and needs.

Just my random thoughts
Chuck

It started out as a get together...now your talking about fees.

Are you going to sell t-shirts and coffee mugs??

Sprinter,

We will only be charging a fee to defray the hard costs of this get together. The costs associated with renting hotel meeting room(s), video projection equipment rental, printed handouts, refreshments, etc.

Sprinter,

No swag. It's as David T. explained.

No attempt to turn your pockets inside-out.

David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA

Aleta,

There's another idea for a topic. Creating a niche. Everyone needs at least one.

To all:

I've re-read this thread, from the beginning. Besides a wealth of ideas for topics/demos etc., the "straw poll", shows (if we hold the attendance to 50) we're about 20% there.

In order to keep costs down, thereby, encouraging a larger crowd, does Chuck's idea of basically establishing "The Panel" and having people bring their most impressive work, for a King Size "Show and Tell" make sense?

Getting a room for a large group of people and having a projector for PowerPoint presentations/Computer Projection may be more managable than the logistics involved in bringing in a lot of equipment.

Just trying to zero in on some things. Last thing I remember, was celebrating the New Year. Now, we're on the verge of March.

Daylight's burning.

David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA

Chuck,

We definitely discuss this topic in Las Vegas. I can speak much faster than I type, and I speak rather slowly :-)

David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA

David,
As a newbie, I personally think that I would get more out of an event that "didn't try to sell me something" . Other than education. It could be like one giant mentoring session. I don't know. Just a thought.

Chuck

David,
In regard to what you said to Sprinter....

"Sprinter,

We will only be charging a fee to defray the hard costs of this get together. The costs associated with renting hotel meeting room(s), video projection equipment rental, printed handouts, refreshments, etc. "

It seems to me that David Lavaneri mentioned we were just going to hold the event at your house and we would all sleep on the floor. You intend to charge for that? ( Insert Laugh here)

Chuck

Chuck,

Sleeping on my basement floor would beat the heck out of Dave Loda's offer to sleep in the barn with his mules. The only four-legger you'd have to sleep with is our friendly little Corgi.

Your right finding that niche has been the thing for me to figure out this last year. I think I have mine figured out, but now have to work out the details and get it started. The niche is different for everyone. We all have strengths to work from.

Put me down, I will be there, I am only about 2 hours away!

Our barn doesn't have the mules, but it has horses, mini donkies, llama and a few goats! They might not share their room though! The can be stuborn!

I would like to see the hands on demonstrations.

Thanks,

OK, you're beginning to make sense :-)

I think it should be free. In order to make that happen, we'll have to strip the idea down to the marrow.

No limit on attendance, other than what the venue will allow. Since you're in the area, is there any such thing as a town hall? Elks Club, etc., etc?

I'd like to open the event to the general public of the area, especially the unemployed. In fact, that would be my desire for future seminars. Go to areas of the country which have been hit hard by outsourcing of jobs and industries.

With that in mind, my presentation will be "Ya Gotta Start Somewhere."

Becoming self-employed, can be a daunting and overwhelming proposition. Especially if a person holds the mindset, there's no use in heading down that road without the latest, greatest, state-of-the-art equipment.

That's a ridiculous notion, and tantamount to saying, "I refuse to learn to drive, because I can't afford a Lamborghini."

Who better to deliver that message, than a person with absolutely no previous business experience, a person who, to this day, continues to run a home-based business, void of state-of-the-art equipment, virtually no advertising budget and rarely hands out a business card?

According to conventional business wisdom, I've broken every-single-fundamental-rule, and by rights, should be bankrupt.

Of course, that doesn't explain how I'm not only able to exist, but thrive, in an area of the world, which arguably, has one of the highest costs of living.

There's no complicated formula to what I've done right, and that's been keeping a keen eye on producing a unique and quality product/service, at a fair (not cheap) price, and running a business based on what I demand from absolutely everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, in my personal and business life -- Integrity.

For those unfamiliar with the word -- Integrity = Doing the right thing, when nobody's watching.

If necessary, I'll bankroll the entire event. Afterall, everything of value shouldn't bear a price tag.

Should it?

David "The Stunt Engraver" Lavaneri
DGL Engraving
Port Hueneme, CA

I'm looking forward to meeting you more all the time David.

Chuck