[meteorite-list] Educational presentations at Tucson?

From: AL Mitorling <mittmet51_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Tue, 12 Mar 2019 17:07:20 -0400
Message-ID: <CALeCmTmgo_1cYTeH3zHyOq-NqszmTrg9S8mJ0mdhJ2mBnO8Obw_at_mail.gmail.com>

Hi Michael,

I think your idea has merit but Doug points out some good points. What I
would suggest if you were able to arrange this, first, I'd have
presentations and talks more during the evenings after dinner time. Second,
if you were to have a list of topics that were going to be addressed along
with a time line, well ahead of the Tucson Show, so people could attend
areas they were interested in. Maybe post the topics a week ahead of time
before the show and post them again just before and during the show, I
think you would get a steady group of people that would attend.

Things like this cost money, but a fee to cover and off set costs would be
fine as long as it wasn't too much or you would loose people. Perhaps a fee
for each talk people want to attend. You might also offer some refreshments
for a modest fee to off set the costs. I'd see if you couldn't get a hotel
to donate a room for the talks. This could be all or part of the cost of
the meeting room.

I wouldn't appreciate dealers making an info commercial but if they gave
solid science type of program, then fine. I have organized sizable
conventions before (over 300 attendees) and it can be a lot of work but
there is a lot of great scientist that are in the area or attend and I am
sure that some of them would be glad to offer informative talks for the
troops during the show. Good luck and hope you are able to succeed! Best!

--AL Mitterling
Mitterling Meteorites

On Tue, Mar 12, 2019 at 6:22 PM Michael Doran via Meteorite-list <
meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com> wrote:

> Hi Doug,
>
> Thanks! Yes that does help. You make some excellent points here.
> Although the Tucson Show lasts a couple weeks, I imagine many/most
> attendees are there for a much shorter period and like you say, their time
> is at a premium.
>
> -- Michael
>
> Michael Doran
> Fort Worth, TX
>
>
>
> On Tuesday, March 12, 2019, 5:04:10 PM CDT, MexicoDoug <mexicodoug at aol.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 why 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 05:07:20 PM PDT