Building on the huge success of the 2005 event, I have begun work on a totally new website for the 2006 event. This will be a stand-alone website for the Rod Builders Show, only. It will contain some interactive content so you can download the list of seminars, maps to get you to Charlotte, plane fares, weather forecast, hotels, restuarants etc. In addition, we'll have pages listing all the seminars and demonstrations, the list of vendors, photos from the 2005 event and weekly updates on anything pertinent to the event.

I think this will create a much easier atmosphere for interested builders to get all the info they need about the show, travel, food, lodging, etc., etc. all from one place.

Give me two or three weeks and I'll have it live and will announce it here on the board. A year will go by faster than any of us realize and before you can blink, it will be time for the world's premier rod building event to take place all over again.


........................

Yea, it's getting close Tom, only about 11 1/2 months to go

It took me 11 months to get last year's show to come off so well, maybe the extra two weeks will take some of the pressure off.

..........

Tom,
I hope the Charlotte Westin will again provide a group rate for attendees to the show. It's a grerat hotel! Also, please take note of Independence Airlines (flyi.com) when you search for flights to Charlotte. This year I watched their rates fluctuate wildly within a month of the show. I was able to grab the low R/T rate of $167.50 from Newburgh, NY. Within 10 days it had jumped to over $400. Getting great prices is a fluid situation which needs to be updated frequently. Just listing the airlines and their contact info would give everyone the chance to run quick searches. You have lots of other things to do in the weeks proir to the show without having to find bargain flights. You can save $5.00 by booking directly on an airline's own web site as opposed to an Orbitz or Travelocity type site. That $5.00 is a commission the airlines pay those travel sites. Better for it to be in your pocket at the show.. Hope the turnout in 2006 dwarfs even this year's attendance. This show is just too good not to share.

I don't think we can keep doubling it every year, but I do think we can increase the number of rod builders and vendors at next year's event by a double digit percentage. In fact I know we can. Count on it.

I feel sure the Westin will be the host hotel again next year, but I do want to get more hotels and rates on the site just so people have a wider choice.

By the way, of the 20 some vendors that were at this year's event, 14 have already committed for next year. That's how impressed they were with the show. I suspect the others will soon get back on board and I've had word from 3 others who say they plan to come out and display next year.

..............

Gee! Make it harder on me. I wanted to go to many seminars and missed everyone that I was going to go to. Just met to many people. Still had a great time!

If Myles comes next year, I'll be there again. I think it was probably the greatest thing that I've done since my wedding 28 years ago!!

Putter

I will be there this year!

I am new to rod building but impossibly hooked.

What about a Three Day event??

It will likely remain a two day event. That's so much easier on the vendors, although I have to admit that many told me that because there were so many rod builders there, they often felt like they couldn't service everyone due to the number of builders waiting in line and unable to get to the "counter."

I have considered a three-day event with that Friday being used for many of our seminars. The show floor and the exhibits would not open until Saturday. These things are up in the air and will be considered over the next 30 days.

And it's worth remembering not to mess around with a good thing too much - this was an awesome show with something like 1000 rod builders attending, 25 seminars and demos and more vendors and rod building product than has ever been assembled in one time in one place. It all came off pretty darn well and what we want to do is just tweak it here and there. No radical changes are needed. I think everyone will respond favorably to the small changes that will be made, however.

...................

I got an idea: how about roller skates so every one can see it all?? LOL Just kidding

TOm a suggestion about the interactive portion of that site you're putting together. Since there weer so many of us internetters down there, maybe let us rate the hotels & restaurants ourself? There are some really GREAT restaurants down there, I was amazed. I'd love to try a few of teh other ones that I didn't get to this year, but would prefer to save teh trip if the food isn't all that good.

You can make this a 3-day event yourself - just plan to show up a day early & find a place for 15-20 people to go hang out. You can always find a few guys, pick up a ferw tips, pick up dinner & drinks, as long as you make plans beforehand. imo

I think that's a great idea. Let me get the site assembled and then maybe I will post and ask for peoples recommendations. We can give them a "star" rating of from 1 to 5 or something along with a general price range for meals. Same with the hotels.

.................

And, as the years go by ,this info would become more accurate, & more valuable.

Tom, You made an understatement, "IT CAME OFF PRETTY DARN WELL" It was fabulous!! As a beginner I could not make it to all the demos and seminars I wanted to. It took all of both days and I still did not get everything I wanted. The idea of friday evening seminars and demos gets my vote. Maybe move some of the "discussion" seminars (like the one with you, Frank o'Quinn, Ken Preston, Jim Upton, etc-aka "bull session" to Friday evening also the one with the blank manufacturers) I recognize that getting and funding an appropriate room might pose a problem. I can already sense it is going to be bigger in 2006.

Great Show!!

Ed Smith

If it's only meet up, hang out, chat (no demos & the like) - The Westin has a pretty neat little cocktail bar that several of us gathered in on Sunday night before dinner. A couple of the shows I've done in the past were three day 'sort of' events. Half day Friday (noon-6PM), all day Saturday (8AM-8PM) and half day Sunday (8AM-3PM) events. Fridays were busy, Saturdays were packed, and Sunday by 3PM the crowds were light anyway. Changing the actual "event" in Charlotte might be difficult - and costly. It would mean ALL the vendors would have to agree to the extra day to arrive & set up . If it were only the smallish section that the rodbuilders occupied it might be possible but the rodbuilding section was only 1/3 of the Convention floor space. WAIT - I know we'll all drive up to Tom's workshop on Friday! LOL

We might be able to do something. Let me kick it around and see if there's enough interest for some seminars or something on Friday. Maybe we can,maybe we can't, but your input is appreciated and we'll look into it.

In the meantime:

[home.earthlink.net]

Take a look at the new site I've developed for the show. It will be a great tool to use to keep everyone up to date this coming year.

................

Looks good, just bump up the font size or change the font on the Attractions page, as it's a little hard to read w/o changing the font size in Windows. Besides that, looks good.

I see the Vendor list will be updated in May, and the Seminars in July - how soon/late do you have to decide on whether you are getting a booth or not?

Tom -
Very impressive especially in such a short time. Do you ever sleep? Obviously this is the way to go with a separate web site which accomplishes several things. First it sets up the event as quasi-distinct from the Fly fishing show so that information on seminars, demonstrations, vendors can be kept more up to date; second it focuses attention / provides information on the show in one place as a reference guide (keeps down Rodbuilding.org msg traffic); third it provides a reference point (business rules approach) for anyone who might consider other events (of any size).

Billy,

You can buy a booth up until the last week in December. Some companies came in very late this year - up until a week before the show opened and we played heck in getting the floor layout redone in a satisfactory manner. This year, we'll stick to the deadline - as of December 28th, booth sales will be closed.

Your point about the font size on the attractions page is well taken. I will move it up a tad to make it easier to read.



Ken,

Yes I sleep, but rather than talk about doing something, I just "do." It only took about 4 hours to put the site together and with a few more hours it should be a very helpful resource for next year's show. I have some interactive features to add but it'll probably be a couple months before I have time to get them ready.

The Rod Builders Show is distinct from the Fly Fishing Show but I agree that having a separate site will only further remove the notion that this is a "fly rod" building show. That notion kept some away the first year, but far fewer the second year. By next year, I think that sort of thing will be totally behind us.

The 2005 event was only the second year for the show. As it continues to mature there are many things that will get better. You can count on that. This has already become THE custom rod building event and with continued efforts that will only be further reinforced as we put even more resources into the future editions.


...................