Dave's Garden Party

Goffers will be needed - thank you for the offer.

Thanks, Silver for all of your kind words. You can assured that you will be at the top of the list as soon as we have reason to go forward. AND I KNOW IT WILL HAPPEN.

cross-posted...again.

:-) no problem!

I just don't understand why we can't pick a city first, take an attendance poll next, then contact convention centers, hotels, and vendors in that city with our numbers ready and much more accurate.

Oops, sorry voted twice.....blush....

I would attend if, (a) I can afford it, and (b) I can get enough time off work.

Would love to meet my buddies and think it's a great idea - but also agree the location must have lots of things to do with gardening. And something my hubby can do while I go - he hates to garden since he was forced to do it as a child.....no milking cows either.
Kathy

Not all costs in all cities are created equal. It takes a good bit of work for the people we must contact to gather the prices. If they think we are just fishing, and we are, the other end goes very flat...call us back when you know how many you will have attending, thank you and good day. With a membership of 341,000+ and subscribers of 6630+ makes it impossible to guess.

How we wish we could just give a list of 1 through 10 and answer all of the questions. Why would we not, if we could?

Yes I would do my best to attend. I would try to carpool and hotel share with other DGers from my area to make this an affordable mini-vacation.

Would attend but caregiver here. Will be praying for it to come to fruition! It's a terrific idea.
~Jaye

Thank you so much, daltri. That is kind of answer we so need.

As long as this event is still in the planning stages, I don't see why D.G. folks who would like to go would be discouraged from giving in-put on which cities within the suggested 500 mile radius would be most do-able. Maybe that will come later. Good Luck!

Like most everyone else, depends where, when and how much $.

7,500km . . . too far for me!

Resin

I would certainly try very hard to attend. Cindy

only if it were affordable and it wasn't during planting season....which means probably Feb/March time frame. After that we are busy, as most farmers are, getting ready for the season..........again!

Sounds like a great idea, but a lot to do to get that point. Wish I could be involved in the planning, but I've got so much on my plate now...there is no way.

Blessings to this venture,
Kathy

reasonably priced accomodations and the dates. I work.

The poll lacks a "maybe" answer, or an indication of what "within 500 miles of Dave" means.

It would need to be:
-Affordable, and have informative events. Not just vendors focused on selling me things.

-Within a reasonable traveling distance.

-In a location with other attractions.

-Distinguishable from local gardening shows and the regional get-togethers members here already organize for themselves, which are generally free.

-Fit well within the seasonal calendar for most regions if it involves swaps and trades.

-Provide some advance way to find out who plans to attend. Otherwise it's just a bunch of strangers and I might as well go to any other event.

-Would it be open to the public or just members?

I will do my very best to be there, so I guess that's a YES!!!

Several have mentioned Memphis... We have a botanic garden, and Graceland, and Beale Street... as well as a zoo.

Tunica is less than one hour from downtown Memphis.

I think Trish summed it up, so I'm gonna 'kinda' quote her:

"Memphis, San Antonio, and D/FW are all do-able for me and all are certainly up to the challenge of hosting an event of this nature with accomodations, airports and some visit-worthy botanical sights.

"Skooching" the map a tiny bit further north, St. Louis would also be good for me, and might be more attractive to the upper midwest folks; SL has MOBOT, which would be a fun outing for DG members.

I'd prefer to avoid Houston (traffic) and New Orleans. I doubt it's ready for us! they're stilll digging out.

My answer, Wonderful Planning Group, is YES!

This message was edited Jan 9, 2008 3:19 PM

I think it is a great idea but doubt I could go : ( laura

So long as I can swing the cost, I'll be there. I can start saving up now. It would be easier if it happens when the kids aren't in school.

members. this is a family reunion. not in the DG family can't come.

Plenty of time to save up and plan on all counts! YES YES & YES!

We're going!!!

If it was to be held in the middle of the United States,would more people attend?
If people from each state could rent a small bus of some type or van,and bring several people,would cut cost by a huge margin,in just gas expense alone!
For me it would have to be a time,that my down time is the least as for gardening,wintertime to early spring is that time for me.
Like most people here,not only to I want to meet and get to know everyone,but I also want to visit the Botanicals gardens,or Zoo,or something I haven't seen or been to before,I want to get all I can for the amount of time I'll be there.
If you can set a time and a location,you'll get the numbers your looking for.
Now this time and location can be changed,if needed to be to get the most amonut of people who can attend.
I say try one time and location ,take a vote,after that vote try another time and location,take another vote,and so on,after all were just in the planning stages,and if that works and a time and location is met then try to find out about the cost and expenese of transportation and logging.
After all we do want to make the most out of a Daves Gardening Convention!

I understand the frustration here.

This is a "chicken and egg" issue for sure!

The question is: WOULD you want to come? The (few) details that have been provided are simply to help you make that decision. For example- if there is a huge sewing expo in New York with lots of people there I'd like to meet, and the question is posed to me would I be able to attend. I now at least have enough information available to me to decide if it something I'd consider. I know I'd have to travel to NY, pay my plane, hotel, etc, plus take time away from my family. Do those cons outweigh the pros? I know my family situation well enough to know, given the parameters, whether I'd have a chance to make it or not.

Or as another person put it: "Do you think we should have a baby shower for so-and-so" if enough people think it is a good idea, we can do it.

Otherwise (and the whole point to this vote!!!) we are not going to spend any time, money, or energy putting together a Expo that hardly anyone would attend.

The first step is always to gauge interest.

Broncbuster, I think they tried to answer you. The costs in various cities for something like this, are very different depending on the number of people attending. What costs X$ in St. Louis, may cost XX$ in Dallas or elsewhere. The number of people is what drives that cost. SO, the planning committee is trying to get a general idea of numbers in order to find the place that is the most cost effective, with the most to do given that range of numbers. Is that an answer for you?

Honestly, I'm not into any kind of dinner thing - not into any kind of typical convention. And my DH would croak having to attend anything like that let alone to do with gardening.
Seminars I love,
garden "show" type thing I like very much,
tours: a big thumbs up!

Other considerations - a city with lots of things to do so that accompanying loved ones have a choice of things they might do while the gardeners are busy

Location is critical for me. What cities are being considered? Can it be more centrally located in the country?

Yes, if it's within about 300 miles - which should not be a problem unless New Orleans or West Texas is the location.

broncbuster, because we may all decide to come if it's held in Tulsa, for example, then when they contact the Convention Burueau in Tulsa they could find nothing is available until 2015, or that anything the size we need will cost $20,000 to rent, or whatever. Then the whole thing would be back at Square One. Obviously, I just used Tulsa as a hypothetical example.

Does that help?

Lori - we are all trying to answer him, and I don't think he's looking.

We will be looking for a major airport in the very close area, also getting a bus and sharing the trip with other DGers in your area is really a great way do this. Lori is right we need to know a guess of how many before we can even start to look.

DH and I will try our best to be there

He's at work. Probably got called away.

I would attend if the cost is within my budget.

I would be very interested if it had substance i.e. lectures/plant talks, seed exchange, meet and greet, educational sessions, vendors etc. I would be happy to help with the planning of the event as well. Rachel

Would be interested in attending only if it was within 50 miles or less of us here in Glassboro, NJ