[AT] Portland Set Up Reconsidered

[George Willer]

Danny,

You've nailed it!  Over the years the ATIS group has displayed as a group in
our own special spot and it's been a gathering place for our internet
friends.  We've traditionally lined up like birds on a wire for the annual
group photo in our display area.  That happened for the last time in 2004.
Here's a photo of the original group who were also present at the 10th
gathering.
http://gwill.net/Album/Tractors/!Shows/Portland_2004/originals.jpg 

The directors of the show are responsible for making all the decisions and
we pretty much agree... until this last change.  It may be an improvement
for the show in general (I don't see how) but it's been a disaster for ATIS
to lose a display area.  We had no group photo session at all in 2006.

We usually spend the week from Saturday to Saturday mostly to be with our
friends, but after 32 years at the Portland show (far pre-dating ATIS) we
may consider spending more time at other shows with other friends instead.
We have a lot of options nearer to home.

This thread was started by a request for opinions.  This is mine.

George Willer

> -----Original Message-----
> From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com [mailto:at-
> bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of Danny Tabor
> Sent: Friday, February 16, 2007 10:24 PM
> To: Antique tractor email discussion group
> Subject: RE: [AT] Portland Set Up Reconsidered
> 
>     I'm not speaking about Portland here but I know
> where you are coming from Dean. There are a few shows
> I've quit attending just because they have lost
> something to me.
>     Really for those who display at a show its about
> meeting with old friends and making new ones. The
> tractors are just the excuse for the meeting.
> 
> Danny Tabor
> 
> 
> --- Dean Vinson <dean at vinsonfarm.net> wrote:
> 
> > > I  read this   topic  and   well I  was
> > befuddled---
> >
> > Eddie, for me the real question is whether or not
> > it's worth using a
> > vacation day or two and making the two-hour drive to
> > get over there.  Lots
> > of folks come much farther than that, of course.
> > There are several really
> > nice shows closer to my home than Portland, and if I
> > need parts I've had at
> > least as much success finding them at local salvage
> > yards or on eBay as I
> > have in the swapmeet at Portland.  So why drive over
> > there every year?  (Or
> > as often as I can, anyway).
> >
> > The answer is the sense of community.  I've met a
> > lot of folks from this
> > list at Portland, and it was always a lot of fun to
> > hang around at the
> > official ATIS gathering place, put faces with names,
> > catch up on news since
> > the last time, see various peoples' tractors all
> > assembled more or less in
> > one spot, etc.  And the ATIS spot was a good one,
> > close to other interesting
> > things going on, with some shade for the heat and
> > some shelters not too far
> > away for when it rained, lots of people passing by
> > all the time.  The ATIS
> > group talks up the Portland show pretty well,
> > generates some excitement,
> > makes it an event, encourages people to come.  Fun
> > to go be part of that.
> >
> > I know it may not be possible or even desirable to
> > go back to the way it
> > was.  Growth and change are inevitable and often
> > very healthy and good.  I'm
> > glad to see the show organizers working hard to
> > provide more active
> > tractoring stuff, and am sure they don't need me to
> > be armchair
> > quarterbacking about one little detail.
> >
> > Still, if those healthy changes make it harder for
> > the ATIS group to have
> > the sense of community and belonging at the Portland
> > show that has long been
> > there in the past, it'll certainly cut down on my
> > reasons for going.  I have
> > no doubt it'll always be a good show, just maybe not
> > as personally special
> > to me.
> >
> > Dean Vinson
> > Dayton, Ohio
> > www.vinsonfarm.net
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > http://www.antique-tractor.com/mailman/listinfo/at
> >
> 
> 
> 
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