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I also wanted to respond to the Milwaukee Meet. I agree with other posts that the folks at S.W.I.N.E. did an incredible job. The location and facility were great. The food was excellent. The planning of events was more casual than I would have done it, but it seemed to be conducive to creativity. And the folks all worked very hard. I stopped by on Sunday morning for a short time and helped remove some of the debris...and I was impressed at how much work it took to pull this thing off so that we would have a nice place to play and how little complaining was being done as people sweated their butts off dragging floor covering out and lugging chairs and tables.
The manufacturers and suppliers also came through in a big way. There was a ton of complimentary stuff at our access.
It was a pleasure to meet so many people and to learn new techniques. Steve and Barb were so cordial that it was as if they were hosting the web site on location. Barb reminded me that I had indeed attended a meet in Chicago (which I had denied) by producing a 14 or so year old photo! (that was when I had hair on the TOP of my head!)
The community spirit helped me realize that it's time for me to become a resident here at Letterville.
I was happy to see so many young people at the meet. Lots of beginners of all ages. And I took pleasure in seeing so many experts helping beginners. That's the letterhead way, of course, and should serve as proof of the value of going to a meet versus staying home. The knowledge that is shared is priceless and would be difficult to obtain even if you had the money. What we spent attending will easily be recouped with the knowledge we gained. And lots of people saved money by sharing rides and hotels. The low price of admission helped bring new people because it was so affordable.
I reflect back on the meet with almost no regrets or concerns. However, one troubling aspect was what seemed like young people wasting product. I witnessed some young boys mixing large cups of paint that was clearly much more than they needed. I mentioned to the children not to waste paint (particularly because the paint was not "free" and it falls on the host to dispose of that waste). Another boy got up to his elbows (literally) in purple one shot and had to be cleaned with a solvent. I believe children definitely have their place at meets (there was even a kid's jam area). And those who bring children need to carefully monitor and educate the kids about the product for both practical and safety reasons.
In closing I wish to express gratitude and appreciation to everyone involved. The good will and sharing of knowledge is what makes this craft so rewarding.
Sincerely, Bruce Deveau
------------------ Bruce Deveau 331 Main St. Amesbury, Ma USA 01913 pop04667@tiac.net
Posts: 139 | From: Amesbury, MA USA | Registered: Jul 2000
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Just one addition to your comment, and in deepest respect for life and limb:
I did notice children with free access to saws, unsupervised, cutting HDU without a face mask. They were lucky they didn't cut a finger off. As for the HDU dust, they may have to deal with that issue later in their life.
I agree the kids need to learn and be supervised at the same time. Just a FYI "HEADS UP" for the next meet like this.
We all had a great time! Good post!
------------------ Draper The Signmaker Bloomington Illinois USA
Get To A Letterhead Meet This Summer! See you there! 309-828-7110 drapersigns@hotmail.com Draper_Dave on mIRC chat
Posts: 2883 | From: Bloomington Illinois USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Bruce- It was nice meeting you. I enjoyed your mini-seminar on convex gold letters. I can't wait to try it. My buddy and I talked about your work all the way home. I really liked the panel you were working on when I left (Yellow/white gold/orange outlined flowers). Cool Stuff. It was nice to see a large contingent from the east coast. Hope to see you down the road.
------------------ Rob Larkham RL Graphic D-Sign Chester, MA rldsigns@aol.com
Posts: 517 | From: Chester, MA | Registered: May 2001
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Hey Bruce...We are in a small town called Iron Bridge, just west of Sault St. Marie, Ont. We are on our way home. As soon as I can get a decent access, I'll post a couple then and now photos.
I was very pleased to see so many of the old dogs in attendance at this meet. Let's hope this trend continues. Ken Millar, Bob Behounek, Big Al, David Showalter and the others have forgotten more than I will ever learn. Welcome home!
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At the Duck Soup Splatter Jam.There will be a "kids area" supplied with paper tablets,colored pencils,crayons, sidewalk chalk,with lots of "sidewalk" I belive IF the right things are supplied,then the demand should be met! Hope this helps
------------------ PKing is Pat King of King Sign Design in McCalla,Alabama The Professor of SIGNOLOGY
Posts: 3113 | From: Pompano Beach, FL. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Your comments are most satisfying, thank you. We must always keep the safety of our children a priority, in the future these areas must be closely monitored so nothing bad could happen. Only one minor mishap, but all in all, a great show with some 400+ people attending. Thanks to Jill for taking the 2002 International Meet, good luck, let the S.W.I.N.E. know if you need any help getting started with your meet.
------------------ Jeffery Haberman Slewfoot Signs Jefferson, WI slewfoot_signs@hotmail.com
Posts: 42 | From: Jefferson, Wi. USA | Registered: May 2001
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