Philly was just ok to me, but then that was the year I made lunch my main meal and ate like a (piggish) king at the Market every day. Love that place.
Fine, some didn’t like Grand Rapids’ banquet. I loved it, and the whole conference. Hope we go back.
Basically I float in on a few pints of bjcp meeting beers, eat something, and wait for familiar names to be called. I’m probably among the biggest foodies in the conference but until I retire from competition I guess I just don’t care if it’s at least decent. To each their own.
Cheers
Michael
+1 to Philly dinner subpar. I too spent most of my time besides drinking at the conference over at the Market. That place was off the hook. So many good choices of foods to choose from. I want to go back.
“It’s not a secret” - someone from AHA, like 6 weeks ago. I’m sure there’s a possibility that sales could be hurt slightly if news of future locations came out too early, so I haven’t said anything publicly until their discounted hotel period was over. shrug
I’m with you Michael.I’m a huge foodie but when I go to a wedding, event etc. with a meal served for a big crowd I simply lower my expectations and enjoy socializing. Or drinking. Then if the foods good it’s a bonus.
Sounds like we are getting into a rotation. Kinda doubt I’ll go to MN if that is the location next year since I’ve already been there with the conference. Same reason I skipped San Diego last year. I see the conference as a means to visit areas pre-conference and to go to the conference. Finding space for the conference is becoming more and more difficult it seems.
I would definitely go back to Minneapolis mostly because last time I barely got off campus. When the conference is out in the suburbs it’s hard to get out and see what the area has to offer.
It has always been in June (unless you go way back) but not the same weekend.
We can keep our eye out for the 2017 information that will be published at the conference. Keep you eye out on the 8th or 9th. Someone will post it on the forum.
I would be cool with MN again. The summers are cooler than Philly and Baltimore (aside from the occasional tornado) and it stays daylight longer. However, it would be nicer to have a hotel closer to town. It’s a shame nothing could be worked out for Austin. I hear it’s a great town.
Understand totally. My wife and I both were scheduled to work the weekend of June 11-12 and had to sell our souls to go, making double switches with our co-workers because Sunday the 12th is the start point for a new pay period. I have weekends screwed up into August. Problem is that whenever it’s scheduled, someone is gonna be inconvenienced.
I think there are plenty of places to hold the conference, but the issue is the behind the scenes work which is handled by the host club(s). For instance the conference could easily be held in Charlotte with side trips to many local breweries and a pre-conference party bus to Asheville, but it would tax the clubs in NC to almost the breaking point. CBM in Charlotte has a large membership, but they put on a beer festival every year in the autumn for charity which sells 5K tickets and in May they host their homebrew competition. I just don’t see them having enough gas in the tank to handle all the logistics of the conference immediately following their comp with their festival coming up a few months after the conference.
I don’t actually know everything which goes on behind the scenes, but I’m told all the volunteers still pay for the conference despite many never seeing anything other than the room as they deliver beer from the central cooler. I’m not sure how other organizations do it, but it would seem to me if there was a means to not burnout while hosting the conference there would be many more places who could host.
Philly was great…due to a scheduling conflict it was held later in the month. The I tacked on a few extra vacation days and it took me all the way through July 4th. I think the teachers appreciated it being later too.