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One of the biggest frustrations for an event organizer is getting the large number of participants they want to see their pet project, their dream, yes, their baby, come to fruition as they imagined it. There are a finite number of people who want to attend these high quality events in the first place. Of that finite number, many have obligations with home/mainstream units that frown on them missing unit max efforts to go "campaigning". In short, we have limited resources in the category "potential participants".
So, Bob announces his event, "Misery in the Mud", the location and the event date. Everyone oohs and ahhs. There is much excitement. Everyone responds "Look for me!"
Three days later, Mike's Messmates announce a grand event, "Guaranteed Squirts from Spoiled Rations" at a location about 300 miles from Bob's and on the weekend following Misery in the Mud. There is more excitement and more responses "Look for me!"
Bob immediately feels pissed off because his event is tied to time and place historically and the Messmates event could happen at the mall food court on any Saturday and why the hell didn't they check the event calendar to see what else was going on or maybe they did and they didn't care and now Bob's event isn't going to have as many people show up because people closer to the Squirts site will go there and the Messmates marching buddies will all go to their event and and and ....
So neither event gets the attendance the organizers desired. Why? Because folks made ZERO effort to maximize the calendar to get the most people in one spot at a time as possible.
DECONFLICTION. Say it out loud. Feel the air as it brushes past your nostrils as you breathe in to say it louder. DECONFLICTION.
What is deconfliction, you say? Oh yes, that's right. Few of us here today were on the AC when it was a terrible dark place of evil men, research and NO farbs. Back in the day, probably before some of you were born, we practiced the dark art of deconfliction. If someone announced an event, people tried really hard not to plop another event down right on top it, either by calendar date or location, or more importantly, both. When that terrible thing did happen, the event host was chastised greatly and in public, sometimes forcing them to change their plans, sometimes forcing them to admit they didn't care. Generally speaking, the event that announced first was given more consideration by the members.
I bring all this up because in looking over the list of events planned over the next couple of years, I see a lot of events on top of events. All of these events will suffer from it. Participants won't get the maximum experience. Organizers will be frustrated trying to attract participants. Scenarios will be scaled back. Some events will be forced to fold up the tents and cancel. Nobody will be happy. People will sell their gear and the hobby will shrink. Sad! Really sad!
Deconfliction. Make it happen people. Embrace it.
So, Bob announces his event, "Misery in the Mud", the location and the event date. Everyone oohs and ahhs. There is much excitement. Everyone responds "Look for me!"
Three days later, Mike's Messmates announce a grand event, "Guaranteed Squirts from Spoiled Rations" at a location about 300 miles from Bob's and on the weekend following Misery in the Mud. There is more excitement and more responses "Look for me!"
Bob immediately feels pissed off because his event is tied to time and place historically and the Messmates event could happen at the mall food court on any Saturday and why the hell didn't they check the event calendar to see what else was going on or maybe they did and they didn't care and now Bob's event isn't going to have as many people show up because people closer to the Squirts site will go there and the Messmates marching buddies will all go to their event and and and ....
So neither event gets the attendance the organizers desired. Why? Because folks made ZERO effort to maximize the calendar to get the most people in one spot at a time as possible.
DECONFLICTION. Say it out loud. Feel the air as it brushes past your nostrils as you breathe in to say it louder. DECONFLICTION.
What is deconfliction, you say? Oh yes, that's right. Few of us here today were on the AC when it was a terrible dark place of evil men, research and NO farbs. Back in the day, probably before some of you were born, we practiced the dark art of deconfliction. If someone announced an event, people tried really hard not to plop another event down right on top it, either by calendar date or location, or more importantly, both. When that terrible thing did happen, the event host was chastised greatly and in public, sometimes forcing them to change their plans, sometimes forcing them to admit they didn't care. Generally speaking, the event that announced first was given more consideration by the members.
I bring all this up because in looking over the list of events planned over the next couple of years, I see a lot of events on top of events. All of these events will suffer from it. Participants won't get the maximum experience. Organizers will be frustrated trying to attract participants. Scenarios will be scaled back. Some events will be forced to fold up the tents and cancel. Nobody will be happy. People will sell their gear and the hobby will shrink. Sad! Really sad!
Deconfliction. Make it happen people. Embrace it.
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