Question:
Hi Heather and Kathy: Alright, already! I do like MARTA. I do appreciate not having to pay $5 to park in someone’s yard to attend a sporting event (ever visited Legion Field?). However, I would never claim that no one may say anything bad about my city just because I’m here. Whence came this "right" to live one’s life without ever hearing anything disagreeable? Is it in one of those amendments that Alabama doesn’t teach? (There are several of those, you know 
When I first (finally) halfway learned my way around Atlanta, I enjoyed going there because you guys get all the events we don’t, and people seemed happy to have my business. But I’d really like to know whatever happened to "The City too Busy to Hate." Attitude, attitude — everywhere I go. People who clearly don’t want my business don’t get it. Nothing unfair about that at all. I’ve not made it down to Beale Street in several years, but driving to see my MiL usually entails a Memphis stopover. I’ve never felt threatened unless I made a "wrong" turn, which is true in any larger city (and a lot of smaller ones). My pals who live there don’t seem anxious to leave, and I don’t hang with a crowd who can afford Germantown. — Susan Walker Birmingham, AL — USA Before you buy.
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Susan, I appreciate the customer service view point. Another thread on RCTN has been bewailing the cost of the festivals. For festivals to provide extensive vacation planning materials would likely add to the administrative costs of running the shows. Most people have either access to a computer or a travel agency, both abundant sources of information. People are interested in a wide variety of activities. Either the internet, chamber of commerce or travel agencies would be better suited to provide individualized info. At the 4 festivals I have attended 2 SOCS & 2 CATS there have been plenty of activities for stitchers & I have not had the time for outside tours. As far as family coming along, I wonder how large a proportion of participants that encompasses ? Most participants I’ve met have been at the festival with stitching friends or relatives & focus on the festival activities. Happy Festival Stitches, Mary in MN
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No, I’m not a member of Northern Lights. Interesting, however, that they’re spedning the weekend at Park Rapids; one of my grandmothers grew up there, and we had a humongous (sp?) family reunion there about 25 years ago. I certainly will do my best to get to CATS in Mpls next year. Arliss – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Arliss, Hi! I’ll be looking for you in Mpls in Nov. Are you by any chance a member of the Northern Lights chapter of EGA? I’ll be spending this weekend at their retreat in Park Rapids MN & know there is usually a Bismark group there. Happy Stitches, Mary in MN I’m *hoping* to go to Minneapolis CATS next year, in spite of the November show dates. November in this neck of the woods can mean treacherous travel. :-( BTW, for those of you who have to drive for 2.5 hours to attend one of these festivals, you can count yourself lucky that you’re so close. Des Moines is about 700 miles from Bismarck, and Minneapolis is almost 500 miles. Arliss —
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Hi Mary: OK — I give up on tourist info 
In the interest of saying something nice, I don’t find the class prices unreasonable. Most seem to be about twice what I pay for local classes. That’s not bad considering that my local teachers don’t have any travel expenses and can order supplies "just in time" from the sponsoring LNS when they know their actual enrollment. Happy stitching to you as well. — Susan Walker Birmingham, AL — USA Before you buy.
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I appreciate the customer service view point. Another thread on RCTN has been bewailing the cost of the festivals. For festivals to provide extensive vacation planning materials would likely add to the administrative costs of running the shows. Most people have either access to a computer or a travel agency, both abundant sources of information. People are interested in a wide variety of activities. Either the internet, chamber of commerce or travel agencies would be better suited to provide individualized info.
If you give them the addresses of registrants, many city/county/state tourism bureaus are happy to send material out at their expense. This what they are in business for and my experience has been that they take every chance they can get to promote their area. The exception has been those that simply are too small to handle this type of thing, basically drop-in center type of places.
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Hi there Arliss, I’ve read your post and agree with the fact that we need stitchers to take classes. This year I’ve taught at HOCS and CATS. Both organizations have been great. After 9 shows this year, and teaching classes, extra activities and some shopping for myself. I have to rethink what I’ll do next year. Between the scheduling 9 weeks away from family and the finances of this I’ve to make a decision. The decision will have absolutely nothing to do with the people — it will be both logistical and financial. In other words it will be a business decision. As a teacher I’m not being forced by either group to make a decision. One group has some stipulations but they are not impossible to live with. My main focus is bringing what I love to stitchers. No I will not cancel a class of 1 student or even 0 because someone might sign up. However, note it isn’t always the teachers decision! As I see this we have a 3 way partnership and if one branch breaks down then all 3 will not survive. We depend on eachother and love being together. DesMoines was great – except for the walk. Minnesota was fantastic. Valley Forge was absolutely AWESOME this week. Check the books and I hope to see you next year. Thanks for your encouragement and I’m glad you had fun. Annmarie Allaire The Rambling House
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after reading this I thought maybe we should ask what people like in a
class? That’s a good question. What are we looking for in a class? What does a good class have? What are we after? What do we want? I tend to choose classes that have a technique I want to learn (or learn more about), or a teacher who’s highly recommended. The project isn’t too important to me. If I love it, that’s a bonus. Good instructions, on paper, are important to me. I appreciate it when they are clear, well-written, in the right order for stitching the piece, and have good, clear drawings or photographs. What else do folks look for and appreciate? Nan Evelyn
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Beg pardon for replying to my own posting–I hadn’t read the whole newsgroup before posting it. This topic is already being addressed under "What do you look for when signing up for a class?" No need for two threads! Nan Evelyn
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My point: If you’re going to one of the festivals, please take some classes. This will support the festival itself, support the teachers of the classes, and maybe keep the festivals going. If we lose the festivals, we lose the opportunity to learn from some wonderful people, Arliss
These festivals are indeed in trouble. There were more people on the merchandize mart on Friday then there were on Saturday or Sunday. Which tells me all the CATS members and stitchers who were staying there were in the mart on Friday, making it crowded, but it wasn’t drawing people who were not there for the classes. So Saturday and Sunday should have been more crowded, but it was not. I don’t know the answer, but it was nice to be there among the needleworking crowd and if you have a chance to go, don’t hesitate. Richard – ICQ# 11508285 AIM= joxxter
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I’m *hoping* to go to Minneapolis CATS next year, in spite of the November show dates. November in this neck of the woods can mean treacherous travel. :-( BTW, for those of you who have to drive for 2.5 hours to attend one of these festivals, you can count yourself lucky that you’re so close. Des Moines is about 700 miles from Bismarck, and Minneapolis is almost 500 miles. Arliss
Arliss, I was at that last SOCS in Des Moines too! The mall was amazing! The reason for my post is to mention that I heard at CATS-VF that the November date fo Minneapolis had been moved to late October for just the reason you mentioned…travel and weather concerns. I expect if it is true, then the change will be reflected on the CATS web site. Think of the fun themes they can have for the Murder Mystery Banquet in late October! I will probably go back to Valley Forge, as I am in NC and the Winston-Salem HOCS show is tentativly scheduled for early April, only two weeks after CATS Atlanta. Atlanta is closer, but I can’t see going to both that close together. I have to admit, if Heart was not so close to me, close enough to commute in fact, that I would probably not go, but attend CATS only. It really does depend on the classes and teachers. For now I am giving both shows my time and money, and wish they could just work out their differences like the nice people I’m sure they all are (they are stitchers after all). They could spread out through out the country and year and share. It’s a big country, and a long year. What’s wrong with Florida in late January, or St. Louis in October? If they each took 4 or 5 cities and alternated months (leaving out the holiday months of Nov/Dec) it would make it so much easier for students, teachers and vendors to plan their years. Guess that’s wishful thinking though. I have enjoyed both shows, and hope they continue. Kathy
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I was in the mall at VF on saturday teaching a make-it-take-it. I had students who were there just to buy, not taking formal classes. My roommate and I also had a group of people up on friday evening, some who were from the local area and there for shopping and visiting. Try to remember that some areas have been lucky enough to have a festival twice this year – such as Valley Forge. That makes a difference. Jackie Sam-CLoth Designs – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – My point: If you’re going to one of the festivals, please take some classes. This will support the festival itself, support the teachers of the classes, and maybe keep the festivals going. If we lose the festivals, we lose the opportunity to learn from some wonderful people, Arliss These festivals are indeed in trouble. There were more people on the merchandize mart on Friday then there were on Saturday or Sunday. Which tells me all the CATS members and stitchers who were staying there were in the mart on Friday, making it crowded, but it wasn’t drawing people who were not there for the classes. So Saturday and Sunday should have been more crowded, but it was not. I don’t know the answer, but it was nice to be there among the needleworking crowd and if you have a chance to go, don’t hesitate. Richard — ICQ# 11508285 AIM= joxxter
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I just sent a suggestion via email to CATS that maybe they should change cities from year to year. Currently, there is not a show within driving distance for me to attend. So I have to go to the BIG expense of airplane, hotel and food (about 1/2 of the total cost of the show). I also suggested non-stitching events like ballgames and city tours. I spent a lot of money going to CATS and didn’t leave the hotel!!!! I did attend nine classes, so I did my part in that area! I chose CATS over SOCS because of the classes, but if SOCS came to my hometown, I would go FIND a class to take.
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@aol.com says… I just sent a suggestion via email to CATS that maybe they should change cities from year to year. Currently, there is not a show within driving distance for me to attend. So I have to go to the BIG expense of airplane, hotel and food (about 1/2 of the total cost of the show). I also suggested non-stitching events like ballgames and city tours. I spent a lot of money going to CATS and didn’t leave the hotel!!!! I did attend nine classes, so I did my part in that area! I chose CATS over SOCS because of the classes, but if SOCS came to my hometown, I would go FIND a class to take.
Just a small point of clarification….SOCS does not exist any more. There are two large, multi-site, primarily cross stitch shows….. CATS, or Creative Arts and Textiles Show and HOCS, or Heart of Cross Stitch, best called Heart to avoid the confusion with the old SOCS/SOXS (Spirit of Cross Stitch) shows. Both have their good and bad points. I have enjoyed attending both shows, Heart in Winston-Salem, NC (which is very near me) twice, and CATS in Valley Forge, PA which is 8 hours away by car, for the first time this year. Beleive me, there is much discussion and hand-wringing over the sites chosen every year for these two shows. The facility must have enough classroom space, and enough mall space, be cost effective (low cost hotel rooms, food close by, etc), be close to large airports (as much for the vendors and teachers as for the students) and be in a pretty well populated area, though not the really big cities like New York or Chicago because the costs would skyrocket. Sites chosen must also meet other business related criteria (after all, they have to make money to keep running the shows….). Coastal cities can often be ruled out because they don’t have a full radius of population around them to draw local interest from. The US is a big place, and there is just no way these shows can be in *everyone’s* back yard. The vendors and teachers have a hard enough time deciding how may shows to go to already, without adding more sites. As for the non-stitching events, most of the cities have other ammenities than the stitching show, and the hotel itself can usually help visitors identify these events and attractions. I don’t think that it is the show’s responsibility to do more than what they do in helping to identify eating establishments nearby. If someone wants to make a family vacation of the trip, they should find these outside activities themselves. It’s not hard….and the internet makes it less so. When you get right down to it, the only thing I would change is the overlap of the two festivals….I wish they could work together to cover a wider range of areas in a way that would benefit both, and the stitching public as well. Just my 2 cents, Kathy
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Susan, You might want look over the CATS show books for the past 2 years.
Hi Mary: That’s what I get for not checking the site (which I actually have bookmarked, sniff sniff). (snipped) While it is wonderful that you provided so much info it is not the primary function of the festivals to plan people’s vacations. The showbook gives people a starting point though.
While the basics are provided, on which I stand corrected, I still do not understand this underlying attitude that customers who actually want something are a problem. Anyone who wants customers would be well advised to do what customers want — not to like it, or to find it reasonable, but to do it. I am now an office administrator for a medical researcher. We truly cannot do some things that participants want due to scientific or ethical concerns. But other than that, we will tap dance on the waiting room coffee table if it keeps the participants enrolled. I am not paid to tell anyone that tap dancing "is not my primary function," and nobody cares whether I think tap dancing is a rational participant retention activity. (Fortunately it hasn’t quite come to that — yet We feel that the participant is doing us a favor, not the other way around. It seems to me that there would be fewer complaints if more businesses — be they needlework festivals or research offices or fast food restaurants — took this attitude. And another thing … Atlanta is full of rude, obnoxious people, and the interstate system was designed by an Auburn engineer on mind altering drugs … Try Nashville (I believe it still has an American hub). Or Louisville (Southwest). I bet Memphis wouldn’t have to be cancelled if it were "instead of" Atlanta rather than "in addition to" (Northwestern hub). I think Jackson, Mississippi, still has an airport. Anything but Atlanta! —
– Susan Walker Birmingham, AL — USA Before you buy.
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Pardon my gaffe (and my replying to my own post) … Memphis was the other festival’s problem … It still has Beale Street and a Northwestern hub and might attract more people if not competing against another southern site. — Susan Walker Birmingham, AL — USA Before you buy.
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says… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – And another thing … Atlanta is full of rude, obnoxious people, and the interstate system was designed by an Auburn engineer on mind altering drugs … Try Nashville (I believe it still has an American hub). Or Louisville (Southwest). I bet Memphis wouldn’t have to be cancelled if it were "instead of" Atlanta rather than "in addition to" (Northwestern hub). I think Jackson, Mississippi, still has an airport. Anything but Atlanta! — — Susan Walker Birmingham, AL — USA
Heather, you want to take this one? Kathy, who has both friends and relations in Atlanta, and has met no more rude people there than in any other city. Never been to Birmingham however.
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– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – says… And another thing … Atlanta is full of rude, obnoxious people, and the interstate system was designed by an Auburn engineer on mind altering drugs … Try Nashville (I believe it still has an American hub). Or Louisville (Southwest). I bet Memphis wouldn’t have to be cancelled if it were "instead of" Atlanta rather than "in addition to" (Northwestern hub). I think Jackson, Mississippi, still has an airport. Anything but Atlanta! — — Susan Walker Birmingham, AL — USA Heather, you want to take this one? Kathy, who has both friends and relations in Atlanta, and has met no more rude people there than in any other city. Never been to Birmingham however.
Oh, my! Yes, I do want to take this one! I wonder who Susan could have possibly met here that so turned her off to ATL! I’ve never met a rude Atlantan (except in traffic! LOL!!! But what town do you know that has "nice" drivers? <VBG Certainly our highway patrol is better than in AL! The interstate system is very simple: it’s the rest of the roads here that are a "challenge." :) The interstate system is just a circle with an "X" and a line through it…how complicated is that? Well, unless you are a baseball player who just got here and drives around and around the circle thinking you will eventually get downtown (yes, this really did happen). Now, there are some Atlantans who don’t like visitors as much as I do…they are the ones that left town during the Olympics (here’s my rude word for them: Idiots!! But I am always *extremely* helpful to people I meet needing directions, and even more so if they are from out of town (the other ones who ask directions being "suburbanites," LOL!) As for Memphis…have you been on Beale Street lately? I was there about a year ago, and it has gone seriously downhill. One of my good friends moved away from Memphis because it has gotten so unsafe to be in (unless you’re in Germantown, I suppose . I couldn’t find enough on Beale to keep me occupied for an hour! There are some beautiful Victorian homes to tour, but I doubt that would keep the hubby and kids happier than Six Flags, our Zoo with the pandas, White Water and American Adventures (water park with kiddie amusement park), two railroad museums, the Puppetry Arts Center, zillions of golf courses, rafting on the Hooch, Stone Mountain, Piedmont Park, Centennial Olympic Park (with Rings Fountain), CNN Center Tours, the Braves, Thrashers, etc., lots of suburban historic town squares, need I go on? I’ve only scratched the surface of what I think kids and hubbies would like, not to mention the more "arty" things or "historic" things or "informative" things that are here for those of us who are a bit more "enlightened" <VBG. And that’s not even touching stuff that’s an hour drive away, either! Sorry to rant so long. I do tend to get defensive about my city. But I also wonder why Susan would have made such a hateful comment when she knows there are quite a few of us here from ATL? 
I’ll just chalk it up to a bad day, because I’m not rude and obnoxious. Well, maybe occasionally obnoxious. -Heather Lott PS–If any RCTN’ers want to come here and visit, I can’t offer you a place to stay, but I will offer you a tour! — Rotation: Cross My Heart "First Nativity" stocking, Mirabilia’s Autumn Queen, TW’s "Magical Night," Eileen Bennett’s "Lace Squares," Just Nan’s "Lady Scarlett’s Journey," Linda Driskell’s "Heirloom Sampler 2000" Visit my website: http://lottloft.home.mindspring.com/ Before you buy.
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Anyone who wants customers would be well advised to do what customers want — not to like it, or to find it reasonable, but to do it.
First principle of customer service that I was taught. But, then, I’m old school and still believe that the customer is always right. Suggestion: on the registration forms, include a box to check "if you would like to receive information from the host city’s tourist board", and then just forward the addresses to the local visitor’s bureau, for THEM to send out the brochures. And I don’t think it would be too difficult, since the shows go to the same cities each year, to insert a couple lines "while visiting Sacramento, see the Capitol Building (right across the street) and Sutter’s Fort (1 mile), and consider day trips to San Francisco, Gold Country, and the High Sierras" for the benefit of those who don’t know the area. However, anyone with internet access should be able to AskJeeves.com "what is there to do in Sacramento on vacation?" and come up with some answers that don’t rely on the show organizers to do the groundwork for you. Or post here and let one of the locals tell you what we have to offer. — Finished 9/30/00 – Dumbo (Disney) WIP: #1 – getting my health back California Sampler, Holiday Snowglobe, America the Beautiful (Nimble Needle), antique green doll (Vervaco), Xmas cactus Don’t risk your on-line privileges! I report all Spam.
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Susan, You might want look over the CATS show books for the past 2 years. There is generally some info about the big attractions of each city and the email addy for the chamber of commerce in each city. While it is wonderful that you provided so much info it is not the primary function of the festivals to plan people’s vacations. The showbook gives people a starting point though. Happy Stitches, Mary in MN – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I don’t think that it is the show’s responsibility to do more than what they do in helping to identify eating establishments nearby. If someone wants to make a family vacation of the trip, they should find these outside activities themselves. It’s not hard….and the internet makes it less so. Reality check: People have traveling companions. They want to see area attractions in addition to attending class. It is not good customer service to tell attendees that you are not in the business of vacation planning. Especially when they’ve not asked you to plan their vacation but to provide basic information. I worked about 3 years for a woman who ran the training committee of a regional association of nonprofits. (Meaning I did the work, and she got the credit I made all the arrangements for a dozen or so training conferences. Even though I did this for a nonprofit group on a shoestring budget, and the whole purpose of the meetings was professional, the association *expected* me to locate and provide at least a brochure on each conference city. I have seen registration packets for everything from the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association (current boss) to DH’s antique car club. Not everyone has the AHA’s budget, but anyone should be able to equal the services of the antique car club. It is only for owners of a specific type of car and is run out of the president’s home. We still get at least an "area attractions list" for the meet cities. And if the AHA doesn’t try to imply that people ought not be doing anything but business during a convention, it seems inappropriate for a needlework festival to take that stance. — Susan Walker Birmingham, AL — USA Before you buy.
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Arliss, Hi! I’ll be looking for you in Mpls in Nov. Are you by any chance a member of the Northern Lights chapter of EGA? I’ll be spending this weekend at their retreat in Park Rapids MN & know there is usually a Bismark group there. Happy Stitches, Mary in MN I’m *hoping* to go to Minneapolis CATS next year, in spite of the November show dates. November in this neck of the woods can mean treacherous travel. :-( BTW, for those of you who have to drive for 2.5 hours to attend one of these festivals, you can count yourself lucky that you’re so close. Des Moines is about 700 miles from Bismarck, and Minneapolis is almost 500 miles. Arliss
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I don’t think that it is the show’s responsibility to do more than what they do in helping to identify eating establishments nearby. If someone wants to make a family vacation of the trip, they should find these outside activities themselves. It’s not hard….and the internet makes it less so. Reality check: People have traveling companions. They want to see area attractions in addition to attending class. It is not good customer service to tell attendees that you are not in the business of vacation planning. Especially when they’ve not asked you to plan their vacation but to provide basic information.
Actually, the CATS brochure lists some of the major attractions for each location, and it also provides information on tourist bureaus and other tourist numbers. They recognize there are travelling companions, and also that if people are travelling to this, they may want to take in some sights as well. Alison
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I don’t think that it is the show’s responsibility to do more than what they do in helping to identify eating establishments nearby. If someone wants to make a family vacation of the trip, they should find these outside activities themselves. It’s not hard….and the internet makes it less so.
Reality check: People have traveling companions. They want to see area attractions in addition to attending class. It is not good customer service to tell attendees that you are not in the business of vacation planning. Especially when they’ve not asked you to plan their vacation but to provide basic information. I worked about 3 years for a woman who ran the training committee of a regional association of nonprofits. (Meaning I did the work, and she got the credit I made all the arrangements for a dozen or so training conferences. Even though I did this for a nonprofit group on a shoestring budget, and the whole purpose of the meetings was professional, the association *expected* me to locate and provide at least a brochure on each conference city. I have seen registration packets for everything from the annual scientific sessions of the American Heart Association (current boss) to DH’s antique car club. Not everyone has the AHA’s budget, but anyone should be able to equal the services of the antique car club. It is only for owners of a specific type of car and is run out of the president’s home. We still get at least an "area attractions list" for the meet cities. And if the AHA doesn’t try to imply that people ought not be doing anything but business during a convention, it seems inappropriate for a needlework festival to take that stance. — Susan Walker Birmingham, AL — USA Before you buy.
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As I read reports of the CATS and HOCS festivals, I see numerous references to the small merchandise marts and poor attendance numbers in many of the classes. Several years ago, I attended a SOXS and was overwhelmed by the merchandise mart. (To be fair, it was the one in Des Moines, which I understand was always the big one because it came so soon after the trade show.) The classes and events that I attended were very well attended – meaning full, with no room for more. The year I attended happened to be the last one the SOXS festival was held. In the following year, two different organizations came into being – CATS and HOCS. Some of the big names associated with SOXS have now become affiliated with only one show (i.e., Rae Iverson to HOCS; Marilyn from Stoney Creek to CATS, etc.). I have strong suspicions that the formation of two competing organizations at the same time may be very hard – financially and staff-wise – on the vendors, as well as on attendees and/or potential attendees. Consequently, I suspect neither organization is getting the numbers that SOXS did and both organizations may be having a hard time of making it worthwhile financially. Has anyone noticed that the length of at least one (and I think both) of the festivals has been shortened for next year? I sincerely hope this does not spell doom to these festivals. As I see it, a major reason for cutting the length of the festival is that not enough classes are being filled, and people are going mainly for shopping. Costs to the vendors are high, and there is a great deal of work involved in setting up, taking down, packing up, and shipping to the next festival. With two separate festival groups, many of the regular vendors to SOXS have had to decide which show to attend. I imagine some shops are supporting one festival over the other, while some are doing a show for one festival here and a show for the other festival there. Because my finances did not allow me to take a lot of classes at SOXS *and* do major shopping, I chose to take only two classes and two events. The two classes were certainly worth the cost, while the events (Progressive Sampler and Sunday Sampler) were worth far more than what I paid because the meals were included in the cost of those events, we got our projects, we got scroll frames in one event, and we had nationally known designers and teachers (including Skyhooks) teaching us some wonderful stitches. I did very little shopping in the merchandise market – well, I window shopped but didn’t spend a great deal of money. I had already been to The Stitchery Nook in Des Moines before the merch. mart opened and spent a little money there. I also knew that I would be driving back through Fargo (Nordic Needle is the other name for Fargo <g) to return home and would have a chance to shop there. If you have read this far, you’re probably wondering what my point is. Actually, having read through this, I’m beginning to wonder myself. ;-) My point: If you’re going to one of the festivals, please take some classes. This will support the festival itself, support the teachers of the classes, and maybe keep the festivals going. If we lose the festivals, we lose the opportunity to learn from some wonderful people, we lose the merchandise market, and we will eventually lose the festivals. I’m *hoping* to go to Minneapolis CATS next year, in spite of the November show dates. November in this neck of the woods can mean treacherous travel. :-( BTW, for those of you who have to drive for 2.5 hours to attend one of these festivals, you can count yourself lucky that you’re so close. Des Moines is about 700 miles from Bismarck, and Minneapolis is almost 500 miles. Arliss
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after reading this I thought maybe we should ask what people like in a class?
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Hello Hello!!!!! Arliss, what a wonderful post. I fully concur with you on all points you’ve shared. I remember the 1998 SOXS, and thanks ever so much for your mention of me as a teacher (blush)!! : I can clearly recall how overwhelmed I was by the size of the market and its crowd when I first attended a national needlework festival (1996 DM SOXS). Thanks again and Sweet Stitching!!!! Helen (Skyhooks) hmardis at uiuc dot edu http://www.staff.uiuc.edu/~hmardis/index.html "reply to" address antispammed — frog the xxx. TFTD: Good things turn up when both corners of your mouth do the same 
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – As I read reports of the CATS and HOCS festivals, I see numerous references to the small merchandise marts and poor attendance numbers in many of the classes. Several years ago, I attended a SOXS and was overwhelmed by the merchandise mart. (To be fair, it was the one in Des Moines, which I understand was always the big one because it came so soon after the trade show.) The classes and events that I attended were very well attended – meaning full, with no room for more. The year I attended happened to be the last one the SOXS festival was held. In the following year, two different organizations came into being – CATS and HOCS. Some of the big names associated with SOXS have now become affiliated with only one show (i.e., Rae Iverson to HOCS; Marilyn from Stoney Creek to CATS, etc.). I have strong suspicions that the formation of two competing organizations at the same time may be very hard – financially and staff-wise – on the vendors, as well as on attendees and/or potential attendees. Consequently, I suspect neither organization is getting the numbers that SOXS did and both organizations may be having a hard time of making it worthwhile financially. Has anyone noticed that the length of at least one (and I think both) of the festivals has been shortened for next year? I sincerely hope this does not spell doom to these festivals. As I see it, a major reason for cutting the length of the festival is that not enough classes are being filled, and people are going mainly for shopping. Costs to the vendors are high, and there is a great deal of work involved in setting up, taking down, packing up, and shipping to the next festival. With two separate festival groups, many of the regular vendors to SOXS have had to decide which show to attend. I imagine some shops are supporting one festival over the other, while some are doing a show for one festival here and a show for the other festival there. Because my finances did not allow me to take a lot of classes at SOXS *and* do major shopping, I chose to take only two classes and two events. The two classes were certainly worth the cost, while the events (Progressive Sampler and Sunday Sampler) were worth far more than what I paid because the meals were included in the cost of those events, we got our projects, we got scroll frames in one event, and we had nationally known designers and teachers (including Skyhooks) teaching us some wonderful stitches. I did very little shopping in the merchandise market – well, I window shopped but didn’t spend a great deal of money. I had already been to The Stitchery Nook in Des Moines before the merch. mart opened and spent a little money there. I also knew that I would be driving back through Fargo (Nordic Needle is the other name for Fargo <g) to return home and would have a chance to shop there. If you have read this far, you’re probably wondering what my point is. Actually, having read through this, I’m beginning to wonder myself. ;-) My point: If you’re going to one of the festivals, please take some classes. This will support the festival itself, support the teachers of the classes, and maybe keep the festivals going. If we lose the festivals, we lose the opportunity to learn from some wonderful people, we lose the merchandise market, and we will eventually lose the festivals. I’m *hoping* to go to Minneapolis CATS next year, in spite of the November show dates. November in this neck of the woods can mean treacherous travel. :-( BTW, for those of you who have to drive for 2.5 hours to attend one of these festivals, you can count yourself lucky that you’re so close. Des Moines is about 700 miles from Bismarck, and Minneapolis is almost 500 miles. Arliss