From: miguel@aclcb.purdue.edu (PHILLIP_SANMIGUEL)
Subject: Re: Conventions
Reply-To: miguel@aclcb.purdue.edu
Organization: Purdue University AIDS Center
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 1992 17:33:50 GMT

In article <2AFEBB83@courier>, Angus Orde <A.Orde@leeds-poly.ac.uk> writes:

>I am very impressed at the admission costs of some of the juggling 
>conventions/festivals etc I hear about (usually in the USA).
>
>If these conventions:
>
>a)  last for more than 2+ days, and 
>b)  cater for large numbers (preferably over 1000)
>
>could some kind person please explain how you are keeping down your costs.
>
>Having been part of the organising group of one of the British Juggling 
>Conventions, I know how much it costs (lots!) and even with sponsorship from 
>the City Council, I am dead impressed at these cheap rates.

  I'm pretty sure that no festival in North America (other than well 
attended annual IJA national (international) fests) ever get over 1000
registrants.  Purdue this year broke its attendance record at just under
120 registrants.  The Bloomington fest attracted around 50 people (though
these people included jugglers from Atlanta, Georgia (7.5 hour drive?), 
Blackburg, Virginia and Toronto (9+ hour drive?).  
  Bloomington and Purdue are fairly new fests.  But even Ann Arbor -- which 
has the largest registration of any fest in the midwest (that I know of) 
does not break 150.  
  I don't know how fests on the coasts do.  I'd be interested to know this.
I'm of the impression that even these do not break 200 or 300.
  I believe most of the explanation for this is simply population density -
- which (correct me if I'm wrong) is lower here than in England.  I 
realize there are other factors (but would be interested to see them 
elaborated.) [The globetrotting thomasl must have some insight here.]

  I think Purdue could host a fest with over 1000 registrants; though even 
the mighty Purdue Armory would be getting quite crowded at this level.  
The Armory is allowed to hold 1700 people -- 2350 if the main door is 
padlocked open -- according to Purdue regulations.  The nearest campgrounds 
are somewhat distant (maybe 5 miles (8km) for the closest one.)  There are 
sufficient motels to hold the registrants, I think, because football games 
draw larger crowds than 1000. 
  But where would these registrants come from?  We would have to draw large 
percentages of jugglers from all surrounding states and much of the East 
coast (driving time from Baltimore, for example, to West Lafayette is 
around 12 hours.)
  
  Clearly to attain this kind of attendance at todays juggling population 
it would be necessary to use Steve Ragatz's idea of a regional fest.  
Several of the main fests in the mid-west could pool their resources.  
  Would this be desirable?  I'm not sure.  We have a fest here in the 
midwest (say, within 6 hours of Purdue), on the average, every month.  A 
massive regional fest might take the steam out of these small fests.  
  What might be a better scenario would be increasing the population of the 
IJA by about 10 fold.  Then the national fest would draw over 10,000 people 
and minifests could draw many hundreds.  Could this happen?  Would it be 
desirable?  


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