[Mldxcc] 2014 DX Convention

[w6de]

I find it incredulous that a representative of your Club stood up and
announced to the assembled attendees of the 2013 International DX
Convention, that the 2014 DX Convention would be fund raiser event for the
benefit of the SCDXC.

If the SCDXC actually follows through, his words will haunt them.  They will
lose all their goodwill with the current set of manufacturers and vendors
who donate to the DX Convention. Why should these companies sponsor an event
to build the treasury of the SCDXC?  In order to avoid the taint of the bad
press that will come from this, the Northern California Clubs will need to
distance themselves from the SCDXC if they want support from these
companies.

I urge the individual members of the MLDXCC to write to the SCDXC and ask
them to not go back to a second rate hotel for what is supposed to be a
premier event.  Time is of the essence here, the SCDXC president said they
hope to have the agreements finalized in the next two weeks.

Dave, w6de
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------
Here is the email I sent yesterday to the SCDXC.
To: secretary at scdxc.org

Members of the Southern California DX Club:

I find it incredulous that a representative of your Club stood up and
announced to the assembled attendees of the 2013 International DX
Convention, that the 2014 DX Convention would be fund raiser event for the
benefit of the SCDXC.

I believe it was your president who stood up and said the SCDXC would not
pay the City Of Visalia for the use of the Convention Center nor would they
pay the higher fees Marriott charged for serving us. He then went on to say
that the SOCAL DX Club needed the money for its own purposes.

Is this how you want to be known to the DX World?

I respectfully ask that you reconsider your position and that you would
consider restating your mission something along the lines of: growing the
International DX Convention into The Premier DX Gathering.  Please don't
take this event backwards.

Respectfully,
Dave, W6DE

I am not speaking for, but I am a member of the Mother Lode DX and Contest
Club.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------

With his permission, here is a copy of the email my brother sent to the
SCDXC. He is more eloquent than I was.

Sent: Sunday, April 21, 2013 1:34 PM
To: 'secretary at scdxc.org'
Subject: Visalia DX Convention

An open letter to the membership of the Southern California DX Club

Folks,

I just spent the weekend at the Visalia International DX Convention. I had a
wonderful time and the venue was excellent. As an attendee I couldn't find
fault with the entire set up or service.
The ability to walk to many available restaurants AND to a bank (dare I
mention a Baskin Robins) in a safe and pleasant downtown environment made
the experience even that much more enjoyable.

The event has outgrown the Holiday Inn, period. Both in amenities and space.
The vendor space at this year's venue allowed conversation and it wasn't a
sweat box. The available meeting rooms allowed an extended program
offerings. The courtyard was much nicer than eating my BBQ lunch in a
parking lot to say nothing of the attitude adjustment sessions. The Banquet
seating allowed room for you to leave the room with tables spaced wide
enough for ingress/egress without having to pick a particular path or
disturb anyone. The Air Conditioning was sufficient to keep the room
comfortable and the service was excellent.

During the morning breakfast your President all but said we weren't coming
back for financial reasons or to the effect that next year's event was a
fund raiser for the Southern California DX Club.

First, I was one of the folks who got booted out of the RV parking. I sucked
it up and still came. Even coming from Bakersfield my fuel cost would easily
equal one night at the host hotel.

Second, This is the INTERNATIONAL DX CONVENTION

This event is NOT an RV get together OR the Southern California DX Club's
Fund Raiser! The goal should be to put on a premier event without LOSING
money.

Please consider that we have international guests that deserve to attend a
first rate event. Their cost to come to California and attend this event far
exceed anyone from SoCal or NorCal. To go backwards and return to a second
rate venue is only a step away from taking the INTERNATIONAL DX CONVENTION
from a premier event to a second rate event.

Respectfully,
Greg Engle
NZ6E
10+ year attendee (first in 1988)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------