2009 Storytelling (Un)Conference. West Coast. Let's Do This.

[Tim E]

Given that the National Storytelling Network will not be holding a National Conference in 2009 in Los Angeles (or anywhere else, apparently)*...
let's go to Plan B:

we meet in Los Angeles anyway, without NSN.

Or San Diego. Or Oakland. Or Portland.



Who's in?

At this stage, it's a discussion. Add your thoughts, ideas, suggestions for location, format, time of year, length, etc.

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* See Margaret Meyers and Jo Radner comments of July 21 and July 23 here.

[Brother Wolf]

I agree quality cost money.
Master classes cost money
Focused coaching cost money
Seminars of day length with lots of value cost money.

This is something else...
This is a low bar entrance for the entire storytelling movement
- all the aspects. Give me your poor, your tired, your hungry...
Instead of free - think access for all.

As for sponsorship...
In the current marketing climate there are a lot of people looking for direct marketing windows of opportunity.
Sponsorship is based on a trade of sorts - between marketing to a closed group and money to the event.
Maybe the National Storytelling movement does not have enough interested sponsors to attract to a national event - I have no idea.

Eric Wolf
http://www.ericwolf.org

[B.Z. Smith]

I'd love to invite folks to Tuolumne County, CA. We're at the northgate of Yosemite National Park. Depending on numbers, need for venues, we could bring together a great collection of tellers, etc. Our town, Sonora, is somewhat similar in size and feel to Jonesboro. Plus, we've got a lot of history and plenty of local color--including one of California's BEST folk and acoustic music scenes and one of California's fastest growing arts communities.

We're in the final stages of planning for the second Foothill Farmlands ARTS Festival. Tim E will be joining us to tell stories during that event, as will The Story Quilters, Bill Roberson and Jennifer Aguirre.

We're also the home of 2 regional theatres: Sierra Repertory Theatre and Stage 3.

Late Spring or Early Summer is a very nice time here! We've got a couple of absolutely gorgeous farm locations that would love to host events. We've got a beautiful and versatile community college campus that is right by Columbia State Historic Park.

All Y'all come to Tuolumne County in California's foothills!

[K. Sean Buvala]

Costs are what it's all about. Is it easy to get to your location via plane and car? Modesto is 40sih miles and Sacramento is 70 or so?

Are the room rates below $100 for quality spaces, for example. That would probably depend on time of year.

Sounds like you might have the sponsoring locations, too. Yay!

Great suggestion for this post, thanks for adding it.

[B.Z. Smith]

We're about 50 miles from Modesto. 120 miles from SF. 90 from Sacto; 90 from Fresno. Under 400 from LA.

Amtrak does go to Modesto, as does UAL.

Plane travel here? Only if you've got a small plane or know someone with one. Not impossible, just very expensive.

Ground Transportation can be arranged for groups with enough advance time to plan.

Rooms generally are $100 or less. Plus, I am well-connected with my home (35+ years here; telling here for 33+).

A variety of venues, large and small.

[Margaret Meyers]

Sean, I think you are right on when you talk about costs. The actual conference attendance ticket, like the NSF attendance ticket, is small compared to air fare or gas or rail along with room and meals. I live in the middle of the country and I can't seem to go anyplace for less than $1000 total costs--often it's more. I am more likely to go to something if I see quality keynotes and sessions. It's just not worth it to spend the travel costs and time for something that isn't quality, so I don't mind spending money for a conference fee in exchange for what I can get out of it. The no-fee conference would only be good for people who live very close.

[Albert (Al) Fowler]

Not wading into the discussion, but just for the information of all of you wanting a national storytelling conference held on the west coast, next year's annual conference of the Storytellers of Canada - Conteurs du Canada, will take place in Victoria, British Columbia, 8 - 12 July 2009.
We have a year to go and we have almost closed some package deals with our fast ferry connection to Seattle and Seatac. This is a much smaller conference than the NSN, not as many workshops, but a chance to hear some of Canada's top tellers, to have stories and tea in a real castle - for many years off limits to locals and tourists, and to enjoy Victoria: one of the primary tourist destinations in the Pacific Northwest.

[B.Z. Smith]

Ooh, Sign me up! What a lovely idea. I would love to plan ahead for that event. Do you have a website for the conference? If so, you might create a link in your next message.

[Albert (Al) Fowler]

You heard it here first! The web page for the 2009 Storytellers of Canada- Conteurs du Canada Annual Conference just went up today. You can find it at: http://www.sc-cc.com/english/annual.htm
Being our first day on line we are still working out web kinks and details,. ..however, keep posted. We hope to have concert and workshop details up soon. We will be working on corporate sponsorship in September and then will be able to confirm pricing, packages and more.

[Leslie Slape]

Portland would be OK with me. It's more convenient for the tellers in Washington and Oregon than the California locations.

[Mary Grace Ketner]

Tim and all, at our board meeting last weekend, the Tejas Storytelling Association decided to make sure our conference next summer was the best yet for those of us who are storytelling conference junkies. In fact, we even moved it from a small tourist town to Austin, which now has an international airport, so people can get there more easily.

We have often dropped our summer conference when NSN was meeting nearby, as in Kansas City or Oklahoma City; in 2009 we'll make up for it by "Going National" in late July. (Since we're changing cities, I hope we can keep our date of the last weekend in July.)

Hope to see you there!--Mary Grace

[K. Sean Buvala]

Read this like an invitation: What's TSA thinking of doing to be sure this isn't just a mini-version of national?

[Mary Grace Ketner]

We haven't gotten into details yet as we just had our first post-Texas-conference meeting where we made the decision to change the city. However we generally have one featured storyteller at our conference (as opposed to 5 or 6 at our festival in the spring) who hosts a plenary session/master class then choices of workshops by wise regional tellers with a special interest/expertise who apply and are selected. In the past we've had evening concerts or outings and a sacred stories concert on Sunday. For this session we want to also host something to bring NSN to some folks who have never been to national and who may never do so, and we have a few ideas about that.

So far it sounds a lot like national, doesn't it? only we hope it won't be all that mini. We're open to your ideas, Sean, and those of others. (Thanks for opening the door for my request.)

Tim--We didn't mean to hijack your original good question, but it's likely that several regional or state conferences will take advantage of a target market that doesn't have to choose between two good conferences--especially now that I went and told them our secret!--Mary Grace