rossboyer Report post Posted March 15, 2009 Dear Ross I prepared these articles for our newsletter. They should also be of value to the Newsletter Editors for the other chapters. I think they would appreciate it if you forwarded the articles on to them. George Myers L2014s ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear Chapter Newsletter Editor I prepared the following short articles to be used in the Great Lakes Converted Coaches’ newsletter throughout the next several months leading up to the Summer 2009 FMCA International Convention. There is a total of nine articles. I expect we will use one of the larger ones, or two of the smaller ones, each month. I am sending them to you for your chapter’s use. I think that people will get more interested in attending if they know something about what to expect. Feel free to edit them for your needs. The article titled “When You Arrive†should go first, but the rest can go in any order. They were designed to stand alone. The title of the program “Convention Program†should be italicized. It is the proper title of a book. The italics will probably not make it through the Internet process, so you will have to do a search for it and fix each time it is used. They can be cut and pasted from this message or you can use the attached Word copy. I hope this helps build some enthusiasm for attending the convention within your chapter. George Myers L2014s Great Lakes Converted Coaches ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` When You Arrive* This is the first in a series of short articles on what you can expect at an FMCA International Convention. We have the first one in our Great Lakes Area since 1997 coming up July 20, 21, 22, & 23, 2009, in Bowling Green, Ohio. Many longtime FMCA members have not attended a convention, so let me tell you a little about them. The items in these articles will describe the standard way I have seen things done at the sixteen conventions I have attended. Some of them may not be possible at a specific event and things do change from one year to the next. FMCA International Conventions are events that can only be described as spectacular. They bring thousands of members together with hundreds of the companies that supply the RV industry. Most first-time attendees come away from them having learned more about coaching than they had learned up to the time when they drove in. My simple descriptions here can only point out the main activities. I can’t cover everything or adequately describe the level of activity and the breadth covered in each one. With a few thousand coaches in attendance, the conventions need a lot of space. In the case of the convention at Bowling Green, more space is needed than is available at one facility. The result is that the convention activities (seminars, exhibits, and entertainment) and some family parking will be at the Bowling Green State University, while the majority of family electric and full-generator family parking will be less than two miles down the street at the Wood County Fairgrounds. Transportation will be provided between, and within, the two areas. Let’s start with your arrival in Bowling Green. There will be plenty of signs directing coaches from I-75 to the appropriate parking areas. For each family there is a “Date of Arrival†time in the confirmation packet you will receive after the convention registration is processed. The arrival times are spread out over two days. You will not be admitted before your time if you just drive up. Families who wish to register when they arrive will most likely be parked on the last day (Monday) before the activities start. Having a few thousand coaches arrive in a small town is a very big deal. It is critical that everyone reads and follows the directions and instructions for arriving. When you arrive at the location where you have been assigned to park, you will normally follow the coach in front of you and park beside them. The coach behind you parks on your other side. If you wish to park next to someone, you need to arrive together at the location or meet in the holding area. If you do not arrive together, you will probably not be able to park next to each other. Unlike GLASS, at the convention there are multiple routes designed and entrances identified for families and vendors. The vendors go in and out one place while the family coaches go in another. Once you are in, you are asked to use a different exit for your car for safety purposes. Once all of the coaches are in, they usually change the traffic patterns. If you have a car, you need to pay attention. Moving your coach once you have arrived at your final parking place is not wise due to parking patterns. You may return to your space to find someone else parking in it! Many folks do go out for LP or to dump and fill with water. There are facilities for this nearby, but doing so is a pain. You are requested to arrive at the convention site with your holding tanks empty, your water tank full, and plenty of LP gas to get you through the convention days. Volunteers are a different case. They arrive starting on Friday, while the earliest regular arrival times for families begin on Saturday. Volunteers still need to arrive together to stay together. They also need to submit and pay for their registration, preferably well ahead of time. Volunteers will receive the standard confirmation materials from FMCA headquarters, but they need to get the specifics on where and when to arrive from their volunteer captain. If your chapter is volunteering and decides to go in as a group, go in with your group regardless of the time stated in your packet. Groups that want to stay together should contact FMCA well ahead of the convention to make arrangements and set a time for their arrival. Caravan Contact at FMCA is Maureen Mullarkey, 800-543-3622, 513-388-5208 or mmullarkey@fmca.com if you have 10 or more coaches coming in together. Smaller groups are usually parked together if they come in together. Groups make up signs for their windows giving their group’s name and a number for each coach, such as “5 of 12.†If you have any special health issues or needs (difficulty walking, 24-hour oxygen, full-generator, non-generator) you really should identify this when you register so that you can park in the handicapped area. Someone who has a hard time walking on uneven ground may find the distance between the tram and their coach a problem. You will receive color-coded signs that indicate when you should come in and where you will park. You must put these in your windshield so that the parking crew can see them and quickly direct you to where you should go. At some point before you go to your final parking space, you should pull over and unhitch your car if it is still attached to the coach. Unlike the GLASS rally, you park your car beside the coach. Each family is given a space that is large enough for their coach and a car with some space left over. I think it is 23 by 40 feet. There are parking places where you can leave your car or a trailer if you do not want it at your site or if it will not fit. One of the first things you should do after you get parked at the convention is to fill out your locator card and take it to the “locator card box†the information center, at the FMCA office, or at the Daytime Entertainment tent. This card will probably be in the confirmation materials you receive by mail after you send in your registration. You can’t fill it all out until you know where you will be parked. Ask the parking people what your area and row designation is. These cards were of great help in finding people in the days before cell phones, but life is much easier if you give your cell number to anyone who might want to find you. You will get your goody bag with the Convention Program at one of the “welcome stations†in the parking areas. FMCA has well-established procedures to get you, and a few thousand other coaches, in and set up. It is really easy, but it surely helps if you read and follow the directions. Other subjects that will be covered in this series include transportation within the convention site, the many services that are available, the seminars, the manufacturer displays, the name entertainment, on-site food services, tours of the local attractions, and the Convention Program that will tell you where and when everything will happen. *This is part of a series to give those who have never attended an FMCA International Convention an idea of what to expect when they get there. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Exhibitor Displays* The exhibitor displays are a major part of all FMCA International Conventions. Most exhibitors are companies that are selling something and use their display to show their products to you. There are also some organizations there promoting their cause. There are two distinctly different areas where the exhibitors show their products. They are the indoor booths and the outdoor display areas. The greatest variety is found at the indoor booths. A booth is a space 10 by 10 feet. The smaller companies usually have one booth while the larger ones, such as Onan, Thetford, and the other major manufacturers of RV appliances, will have several. The outdoor exhibitors are displaying their motorhomes. Most of the outdoor exhibitors have several units. At the 2005 Perry convention there were 379 different companies displaying their products. Because we are not interested in a new coach, we concentrate on the indoor exhibits. We usually make a quick trip through the first day to see what is there. However, almost everyone else is doing the same thing, and it is rather crowded. This quick trip usually takes over an hour. We go back a day or two later when the crowd is smaller and we can get a better look. This also gives us an opportunity to talk to the experts about their products. Not all of the exhibitors are selling things that are strictly RV related; however, most are. With so many exhibitors, I do not have space here to list them all, but here is a sampling of some of the items. - RV appliances, caravan tour groups, satellite TV systems, fashions, RV condo park sites, RV resorts, electrical components, water treatments, coach decorating, cooking gear, awnings, furniture, exercise equipment, investments, car/coach insurance, health insurance, RV driving school, and fire safety equipment. There usually are a few hundred coaches in the outside display area. After the first rush, you can sit down with a salesman and talk about their models and prices. If you see a coach you like, just ask a salesman if you may test drive it. There are usually demo coaches next to the coach display area where you may experience the ride. Some of the companies have sold more than 100 coaches at a convention. If you are not in the market for a coach, you can at least see what is new and what you are missing. As a bus converter, I look for ideas that I can use in my own coach. As the convention approaches, the various exhibitors will be listed on FMCA’s Website at FMCA.com. *This is part of a series to give those who have never attended an FMCA International Convention an idea of what to expect when they get to Bowling Green. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Seminars* The seminars at the FMCA International Conventions have a wealth of information on many subjects, and are the main reason I go. I looked in the 2005 Perry Convention Program and found 56 different educational seminars. There are general RV-related seminars on places to travel, health problems, finances, insurance, Internet on the road, GPS, hosting a rally, safe driving, buying an RV park site, discount clubs, full timing, cooking on the road, and many other subjects. Another category includes the technical seminars on such things as satellite TV, RV refrigerator maintenance, diesel talk for new diesel owners, RV batteries, and many more. The total was 26 technical seminars at Perry in 2005. The last category covers the craft seminars. Some examples from Perry are beading, knitting, and making a tinsel tree. There were nine others. FMCA does not permit sales-oriented seminars at an international convention. However, the reality is that many seminars are presented by people who represent companies and may be biased as to the ability of their product to outperform others. If you find it as pure sales hype, please inform the seminar volunteer monitor at the entrance of the seminar. The monitor will report your comments to FMCA national office in order to take action for future conventions. If you attend a seminar and think it is outstanding, please fill out an evaluation that is either given to you as you enter the room or found on your chair. Seminar evaluations are reviewed to determine if the presenter should be invited to future FMCA conventions. One of the items you receive when you arrive at the convention is a printed Convention Program. Within this program, there are one paragraph descriptions for each of the seminars. Going through this list is one of the first things I do. The convention schedule listing the times and places is in another part of the program. It includes all of the other activities such as side trips, meetings, and entertainment. I go through that section and mark everything I might want to attend, including the seminars. Now I am set to make my decisions each morning as I plan my day. For those of us who will be volunteering to help at the convention, that marked program will show the holes in our schedule when we can take advantage of all the activities. *This is part of a series to give those who have never attended an FMCA International Convention an idea of what to expect when they do. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Grounds Services* Grounds Services cover about eight pages in the Convention Program for each FMCA International Convention. I counted forty-six different subjects. This section tells you where to find just about everything. Some of the subjects covered include things such as emergency health care, banking, water and dump, car rental, propane, garbage collection, lost and found, mail, showers, telephones, traffic patterns, and local TV stations. Several of the manufacturers will have service teams available at the convention who can work on your coach. They will bring their truck to you. There were 22 different companies with these teams at the 2005 Perry convention. They are listed in the program under “Service Center†in the “Grounds Services†section. These folks are kept very busy and you must go to the company’s desk in the Service Center to make an appointment. There usually is a cost associated with this service. However, many of the companies offer free checkups of their equipment. In Bowling Green, the Service Center will be open at the Ice Arena, beginning at noon on Monday. If you need service, I suggest you check the Convention Program to see if the service provider will be at the convention, and the plan to arrive at the Service Center early in order to schedule a time for service. Because of the high demand, you should make arrangements as soon as you can. Most teams will have a full schedule by the end of the first day. If you want to make an appointment with an outside company for service on your unit, you must go to their facility. They are not permitted on the grounds. *This is part of a series to give those who have never attended an FMCA International Convention an idea of what to expect when they get there. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Transportation* There are various types of transportation used at the FMCA International Conventions to help you get around. At Bowling Green there will be fully roadworthy transit-type busses owned by the university to provide transportation from the fairgrounds to the main activities on campus. Public school busses will also be used to make the short trip from the fairgrounds to the university. At the university, there will be routes designated by a color. The color indicates the coach parking area that the tram serves. A tram transfer station will be established near the indoor exhibits so people may transfer trams to go to various lots. You will find maps in your goody bag, as well as in the Convention Program, and large “You Are Here†maps posted around the university, that show the color-coded parking areas and the areas where each tram will travel. Another form of transportation is provided for the handicapped. Six-passenger golf carts are used for this. They will travel between the activity areas and the family parking areas on the Bowling Green State University campus. I have only seen one case where access to the local public transportation was available, and I do not remember that there was any information about where it went. Before we had a towed, we usually just stayed at the convention. Rental cars are usually available near the convention site. In Bowling Green, there is a rental car location approximately one mile from either the university or the fairgrounds. One time we rented one for a one day trip. If you have a car, take pity on anyone you know who does not and invite them along when you go. *This is part of a series to give those who have never attended an FMCA International Convention an idea of what to expect when they arrive. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Food* There are food service facilities at all of the FMCA International Conventions. These are more appropriately called concessions than restaurants. They are good for lunch or a snack. However, what is actually there varies from one convention site to another, and some have more elaborate facilities. In Bowling Green, I hear that the Student Union will have a restaurant open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There may also be a cafeteria open that is shared by university students if you wish to have some variety. You should check your Convention Program for a listing of other on-grounds restaurants and concessions. If you want a good meal, you usually have to eat in your coach or take the towed out to a restaurant. We go into the conventions with enough food to get us through. We then meet up with some old friends or make some new ones and go out to a local restaurant. My wife’s favorite meal is dinner out. Also, the University will have some of their food services operating during the Convention. Because of the significant increase in the number of folks in town due to the convention being there, the local restaurants may be overloaded. However, we have never had to wait very long to get in. Many chapters have a potluck dinner and business meeting one evening during the convention. We take the makings of our potluck dinner contribution with us from home. By creatively selecting the item, we can use the makings for something else when we get home, should we not run into a potluck. Many people do take the time to make something really great, but we usually have too much else to do to put in a lot of time. If you do not bring anything along, you can go to a grocery store off the site and get something. *This is part of a series to give those who have never attended an FMCA International Convention an idea of what to expect when they get there. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Entertainment* There are two groups of entertainers at the FMCA International Conventions. The daytime entertainers perform on a stage somewhere in the main activity area. The bigger-name evening entertainers present their shows either in a large auditorium or outdoor stadium. At Bowling Green, the daytime entertainers will perform in a tent near the indoor exhibits and the evening entertainment will be at the university’s football stadium. Over the years we have seen some big-name entertainers at the evening shows. They usually perform for a little over an hour. This performance could be by one big- name entertainer or by a large group such as an orchestra. People start arriving for the evening entertainment over an hour before the program starts. By fifteen minutes before the start time, the good seats are mostly taken. The evening actually starts with an FMCA program where announcements are made and the folks who contributed to making the convention a success are recognized. The main entertainment follows. The entertainers at the daytime stage are nowhere near as well known, but most of them are really good. About a dozen different people or groups will be scheduled to perform throughout the convention. Most of the entertainers are from the local area, but many of them are our own FMCA people. To see who will perform at the next convention, go to FMCA.com. When you arrive at the convention, you will receive a program that lists all of the entertainment along with the where and when for each performance. *This is part of a series to give those who have never attended an FMCA International Convention an idea of what to expect. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Tours* Each FMCA International Convention has tours to the attractions in the local area. “Local†could be more than 100 miles. We have not gone on any of these because they require a chunk of time that we want to spend at the other activities. Most tours require a half or a whole day. Although the procedures can vary, most tours are on a chartered bus. They leave from the convention site and may include lunch or snack, transportation, and admission to the designated attraction. The tours start early, often on the day you arrive before the convention starts. They cost extra, usually in the $50-$75 per person range. You do have to sign up for them ahead of time. The people that I have talked to about their tours were quite satisfied. The tours are listed at FMCA.com and will also be included in your confirmation materials. If you think you might be interested, you should check them out before the convention and perhaps make arrangements. If you wait until you have seen the main attractions at the convention to plan a tour, you will find that most of them are over and the remaining ones, to the most interesting places, will probably be filled. *This is part of a series to give those who have never attended an FMCA International Convention an idea of the activities that are available there. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Program Guide* When you arrive at an FMCA International Convention you will receive a goody bag that contains a lot of useful information. You can pick it up at “welcome booths†set up in the parking areas. You may wish to drop off your locator card when you go pick up the goody bag. Along with a lot of information on things in the local area, there will be one copy of the Convention Program, along with two larger map supplements that have the seminar schedule on one side and a large map on the other side. These two reference materials contain a wealth of information. My wife and I each go through the program with a highlighter marking the things we are interested in. We then use it and the map supplement each morning to plan our day. The first section in the program is for the welcoming by all the local and FMCA VIPs and for recognitions of the people who made the convention work. I usually skip over this. The next section lists the entertainment. There is a description, and normally a photo, of each act. At the end of these descriptions is a one page schedule that shows all of the days, times, and places where the entertainment will be. Special events are next. This section lists things such as the Chapter Fair, free coffee and doughnuts, ice cream social, Red Hat tea, line and square dancing, etc. The “Grounds Services†section tells where you can find an ATM machine, computer connections and help, dump stations, emergency medical help, mail center, emergency procedures, and many other items. One of the more important things here is a listing of the tram routes. You really need to read this section carefully because there are a lot of things there that you might need and would not think of. The food service options on the convention grounds is next. The program lists where they are and when they are open. It also tells you what type of food they have and may give a menu. Many of the local restaurants advertise in the program, but they are not listed in a special section. The following section covers the optional tours. It gives a decent description of each one along with the schedule, departure point, and cost. The youth section tells where the youth center is and gives a description of the various youth activities. There are different activities for each age group. This brings us to the midpoint in the program. This is a full color map of the whole area where the convention is held. It shows each of the buildings and display areas along with all of the parking areas. There should also be a single page copy of this map in the goody bag that is easier to carry with you. The meetings, including seminars, are next. They are listed in several ways. The first is alphabetically by type. This is followed by a one paragraph description of each seminar, then the area gatherings, and other special meetings. They are listed in order by day and time. The descriptions are followed by a calendar-type listing without the descriptions. This is then followed by a straight chronological listing. The hundreds of exhibitors are listed in the next ten or so pages. This is followed by maps that show the layout of the outside exhibitor area indicating where each company is located. There are also diagrams of the inside booths that show where each exhibitor can be found. Many of the exhibitors also contribute more than their own displays. This could be by presenting a seminar or sponsoring some activity. The last section acknowledges all of these companies and the individuals that contributed to making the convention a success. There are advertisements throughout the program. The money they pay for this space is a major contribution to funding the convention. Your cost would be much higher without them. You really should pay some attention to these companies, thank them for being a part of the convention, and give them due consideration in your purchases. There is a lot of information there, and it takes a Convention Program that is 8.5 by 11 by about a half of an inch thick. There were 188 pages in the program for the 2005 Perry convention. To ensure that you do not miss something you really want to see, go through the program as soon as you arrive. *This is part of a series to give those who have never attended an FMCA International Convention an idea of what to expect when they get there. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
