I think that one of the reasons the NYC fest is able to attract such large numbers is that there are so many people who who fall into one or more of the following categories:
a) In NYC or close enough that they don’t need lodging
b) Live within a day’s drive
c) Have a place to stay available in or near NYC
Those things make it easier and cheaper for the participants. If people have to pay for a plane ticket and lodging, they will be a lot less likely to come.
You only get that kind of critical mass in NY and maybe in LA. Just declaring it a “super dopefest” won’t change that.
It seems that the NY fest has become the de-facto Mega Dopefest. It’s planned far in advance and it’s acquired its own momentum. I agree with 'punha that the drinking age thing is a problem. I’m wondering if, as the OP suggests, that renting a place might be a good idea.
The Amsterdam hijack aside, my wife and I are planning to be in Chicago in the middle of August. It’s our fifth wedding anniversary, and she wants to give me a tour of her home town to celebrate. Any of you Smelly Onion types interested in putting something together while we’re there?
Nah, I understand. As the vast majority of these boards are American, it would be only logical that a mega dopefest took place in the States. As a matter of fact, it should be Chicago for historical reference alone. That’s where it all started!
Well, I would be happy to organize it if it was in Calgary or Banff - I organize conferences for 100+ people as a regular part of my job, so I have quite a few contacts.
Calgary is a pretty large metropolitan city - good restaraunts, mountains are close by, theres a nifty Zoo, with a new africa exihibit which is the bomb, apparently. Other stuff. Beer. You know, all the necessities.
But, I think my dreams of being the Doper to hit the most Dopefests in different parts of the US and world are a bit more easy to reach (Last year PorkDope '02, this year BaghDope '03) solely because of my work schedule.
I dunno … Amsterdam doesn’t look like a particularly good place, despite having pretty passable restaurants and being relatively convenient for clayton_e (I know he’s really holding out for us to get together at Saranac Lake, or perhaps Dannemora! ;)).
But I rather like the idea of a large dopefest, and the Carps can probably make any reasonable-length journey to attend one (during good weather, thank you!).
I rather expect to be going north some time this summer to visit my “kids” and could fit in one or more get-togethers along the way – anything in Virginia, Maryland, eastern or central Pennyslvania, or the eastern half of Upstate New York would be possible for that.
Perhaps East, Central, and West American dopefests and a Eurodopefest, timed to coincide with each other, might be an interesting gimmick – with volunteer recorder people posting from the locations as the events go on?
I would be able to go if it is held on a Saturday nite. So I would be up to meeting some people from those foreign lands of New York, Chicago, and even Iowa.
FTR, putting together an All-Dopefest is on my top 10 things to do with my lottery winnings (should I, you know, buy a winning ticket) - I’d pay for everyone’s airfare and everything!
That being said, I’d be down for a superdopefest, depending on how much it would cost. Since I’m still on a bunch of mailing lists for Las Vegas hotels, I can get a room there for $45/night, but anything much more than that would, sadly, be out of range. (Yes, yes, I’m a poor bastard. )
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