[meteorite-list] Educational presentations at Tucson?

From: Michael Farmer <mike_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2019 20:16:53 -0700
Message-ID: <32603A6B-6286-4BE2-A98F-ADFA4CCFABE3_at_meteoriteguy.com>

The main problem is that the dealers are all tied up. I live in Tucson and the show is a time where I don?t have a spare second for about 5 weeks.
I make a large chunk of my yearly income from the Tucson show. It?s a work time for me. Most collectors and buyers come to Tucson with a couple of days. In that time it?s impossible to see the show. The Tucson show itself is massive. Covers venues all over the city tens of miles apart. There just no time to attend such an event during the show.

Michael Farmer

> On Mar 12, 2019, at 3:04 PM, MexicoDoug via Meteorite-list <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com> wrote:
>
> " I've not seen any proposals like this, but it's possible I have missed those threads. If so, I would appreciate hearing about any "lessons learned" from previous attempts."
>
> Hi Michael,
>
> Time at Tucson is at a premium, and the purpose of it is to get around and see what's there. Tucson is an exciting place and there is just too much to see. While some people may have the luxury of time on their hands, with the Internet at everyone's disposal, you'd have to design things to really be fun or interesting, IMO.
>
> We have had events at Tucson before so that is not at all true. Just not really a series of seminars and such. But we had Blood's auction and the Gold Basin Party, IMCA dinner, Parties organized by members of the community, and it is common for groups to get together for dinners for time to catch up with each other. What all these things had in common was that everyone was invited or can do them, they are fun, and they require no real time commitment. After all, we also have/had resources like Meteorite! a now defunct magazine, we have a world class online publication Meteorite-Times.com, the list for discussion where everyone chimes in, though Facebook seems to have taken some critical mass from that. By all means, go for it if you would like to be a force in the community doing this! Just don't be surprised if the response is attenuated due to all the competing things going on, after all ... being in Tucson during the show is a pretty hands on collecting, trading, swapping experience and that's mostly w
hy those from out of toown make the pilgrimage.
>
> Hope this helps add to your thinking
> Doug
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Michael Doran via Meteorite-list <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
> Sent: Tue, Mar 12, 2019 3:52 pm
> Subject: [meteorite-list] Educational presentations at Tucson?
>
> In my previous life as a systems librarian at a university, I regularly attended conferences and user group meetings. An integral aspect of these conferences/meetings were educational presentations done by attendees. It occurred to me that presentations are something that might enhance the experience of attending the Tucson Show.
>
> For example, while I know that there's nothing I can teach the old hands, there are a number of things I'm figuring out as a newbie that I think would be of interest to other newbies. Here are examples of presentations I would be willing to do, if the opportunity presented itself:
>
> 1) Meteorite collection development plans: what they are and why you should have one
>
> 2) Meteorite storage and display solutions for small (< 40 specimen) collections
>
> And as an *attendee* I would really be interested in presentations from people doing actual meteorite science about the work they are doing (geared towards an educated lay audience). Also, I would be interested in presentations from dealers about various aspects of meteorite acquisition, classification, and preparation.
>
> To make this work would require:
>
> A meeting room
> --------------
> A meeting room at one of the main meteorite venues at the Tucson Show that for certain times/days could be devoted to presentations. The room would need to have a basic presentation set-up: a speaker's table and/or podium with a way to connect a computer to a projector and chairs for the audience. The Tucson show lasts two weeks, but I would anticipate that the presentations part would only be for one or maybe two days.
>
> Organization
> ------------
> Someone to:
> - Put out a call for presenters, and
> - Based on response, determine how many time slots were needed, and
> - Assign presentations to time slots in schedule and notify presenters, and
> - Put out a presentation schedule with titles/abstracts prior to Tucson show
> - Prepare meeting room for presentations
> - Assist presenters with use of meeting room equipment
>
> While the organization of this could be done by volunteers (I would be willing to volunteer my time), reserving a meeting room would incur a cost. Perhaps the IMCA would have funds in their budget to subsidize this and would consider taking this on. Another option would be to charge a nominal registration fee to attend this "seminar" portion of the show. Again, I think this would only last a day or maybe two.
>
> If you think this idea has merit, I have some questions for you...
>
> As an attendee, what topics in meteoritics and/or meteorite collecting would you be interested in learning about?
>
> Would you consider being a presenter? If so, what topic(s) would you consider doing a presentation on?
>
> Would you be willing to pay a registration fee to attend a short meteoritics/meteorite collecting seminar during the Tucson show?
>
> If you would rather respond directly to me rather than the list, I can compile/summarize those responses for the list.
>
> Thank you,
>
> -- Michael
>
> ps I've spent a fair amount of time going through the Meteorite Central list archive. I've not seen any proposals like this, but it's possible I have missed those threads. If so, I would appreciate hearing about any "lessons learned" from previous attempts.
>
> Michael Doran
> Fort Worth, TX
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Received on Tue 12 Mar 2019 11:16:53 PM PDT