Re: [Harp-L] Can we learn from differences and increase SPAH attendance?

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

My main impression as well from the railroading website was that this is basically a sales show for vendors, which is very different from SPAH. This reminds me of the sales-based arts-and-crafts shows for people who are quilters or amateur painters, etc. They seem to have a well-organized network of trade events, seminars, periodicals, and TV shows on public television that demonstrate how-to projects the viewer can do (or can marvel at) while promoting and selling products both from the presenter (the DVD, the patterrn book, the supplies) and from manufacturers of equipment and tools.

So they're different from us. Acknowledged. But could we learn from these diverging models and improve SPAH? I'm willing
 to entertain the question, but we have to first recognize where we 
diverge sharply from the hobbyist models presented.

The harmonica community has followed a model that puts primary focus on the players and and their interactions - hanging out, jammming, performing, and exhanging information both informally and through seminars. Harmonica events have never been vendor-driven.

Some harmonica events, such as Jon Gindick's Harmonica Jam Camp and David Barrett's Harmonica Masterclass, have focused on teaching harmonica playing skills. No outside vendors are included, though the instructors may sell product.

SPAH includes teaching among other activities that include paid performances by professional musicians who cannot always commit a year in advance. It also features amateur performances and seminars, often given by the professionals (again, unpredictable far in advance) but also by volunteers.

While SPAH has never been organized as a vendor show, in recent years it has increased the prominence of both vendors and sponsors (who are usually exhibitors but do not directly sell product), but the main focus is still direct interaction among players, both in exchanging information, and in enjoying one another's playing.

Now let's look at the attendance numbers.

So far in this discussion there has been an assumption that having large
 numbers at a harmonica event means having the non-harmonica-playing 
general public coming to hear live music. And this is seen as a 
negative, as it would obscure the value of the event to harmonica 
players, who want to interact with one another.

But let's re-think that assumption. The 22,000 who attend the model railroad convention appear to be dedicated hobbyists, not members of the general public. 

Perhaps there really are 55 model railroad enthusiasts for every harmonica enthusiast in the US and Canada (that's the ratio between 22,000 and the 400 who typically turn up for SPAH). But let's say the ratio is lower - a mere 10 to 1. That's a wild guess, but let's use it anyway.That would indicate the potential for 2,200 attendees at SPAH, or an increase of of 550%.

Can we quintuple the attendance at SPAH of harmonica players and enthusiasts?

What would it take to attract that level of attendance, and to support it with labor and facilities?

Are there enough vendors of harmonica products to fill a venue the size of the one used by the railroading convention? What would it take to attract more than we get now?

Remember what I've always said on harp-l - There are No Dumb Questions.

That means there are no dumb ideas, either.

Don't be afraid to express an idea, however improbable, and don't second-guess yourself with thoughts liek, "oh that wouldn't work" or "they've already thought of it."

Let's see what rises to the surface. Or appears out of the blue.

>From the deep blue sky,
Winslow

Winslow Yerxa
Author, Harmonica For Dummies ISBN 978-0-470-33729-5
Harmonica instructor, The Jazzschool for Music Study and Performance
Resident expert, bluesharmonica.com
Columnist, harmonicasessions.com

--- On Tue, 10/5/10, Warren Bee <spahpublicity@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

From: Warren Bee <spahpublicity@xxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [Harp-L] final words on this recent volunteer debate...Harp festivals/RR shows
To: "Harp L Harp L" <harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tuesday, October 5, 2010, 11:20 AM

I posted the Amhersy RR Society thing to make a point but it flew way over
head. The numbers just didn't make sense to me. I guess to others they did!
To have 22,000 come through the gates you would neeed a good amount if not
the entire 450 members working. I see that Richard made the point that I was
in fact not really helping my case. I was wondering if perhps i may have
spoken to soon and uninformed and maybe I woiuld have to eat crow. Which I
have done many time in my life by the way! :-)

I did some due dilligance and made some phone calls. I spoke directly to the
show office director. This is what I learned: Their is a Show Director and
the Show Office Director. Thyese are PAID positions. Their main jobs is to
invoice the 500 vendors that come and basically make the show what it is.
The vendors are the show! I didn't think it was my business to ask him the
numbers but I venture to guess that 500 vendors, some of them very large
from what he explained, pay a lot of money to be there. The proceeds must be
huge. My new friend on the phone told me they have volunteers whose job it
is to just count money! I inever did find out the price of admission. There
are some things that go on put on by the society volunteers but minimal
compared to the vending. This is a really big show indeed of big  and small
companys selling railroad model enthusiast "stuff". The paid gentleman did
tell me that many of the members liked to volunteer and direct traffic flow
etc.

So? Apples and Oranges once again. Final thought: how many of those 22
thousand actually got to ride on a train?  I know that 100% of all harp
festival attendees get there chance to ride the reeds :-)

-- 
Warren "Bee" Bachman
SPAH Publicity Director
631-521-0472
www.spah.org