Re: [Harp-L] SPAH 2013 numbers?

[Bob Harty <bharty@xxxxxx>]

Nice sensitive comment about 300 pounds and the x-large t-shirts......

Sent from my iPad

On Aug 31, 2013, at 10:19 AM, Mick Zaklan <mzaklan@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>   Anybody have a final attendance count?  It should be pretty good.  I
> knew something was up when I pulled in early Thursday afternoon and the
> SPAH t-shirts were already gone---- unless you weighed 300 lbs and could
> fit into an extra-large.  Which was a shame, because I thought this year's
> shirt logo was probably the best one I've seen at these gatherings.   Later
> on that afternoon, someone said the attendance number was over 500.  I'm
> assuming it climbed even higher.
>   At the Sacramento SPAH, a fest that people were initially worried about
> because of low pre-registration, I spoke to one of the officials in
> charge.  I was told that the organization could absorb one bad,
> money-losing convention.  Two in a row and SPAH would probably cease to
> exist.  That particular convention wound up doing fine.
> Hopefully, especially after the 2013 affair, we have a bit of a surplus
> built up to weather any future storms.
>   I had a very disconcerting conversation with someone in St. Louis about
> our list possibly being "euthanized".  I can tell you that if such a thing
> was to happen and harmonica players were no longer able to communicate with
> each other in numbers, it would not bode well for future conventions.
> Especially with harmonica clubs currently withering on the vine.  I don't
> have any proof, but I truly believe our list has alot to do with SPAH
> attendance numbers.
> 
> Mick Zaklan