john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
I tried searching the Aaw website and could not find where the 2026 symposium will be.
Please be somewhere close....I don’t know either. 2025 is St Paul. Let me do some digging though, and I’ll see if I can find out.
Year | City |
---|---|
1987 | Lexington, KY |
1988 | Philadelphia, PA |
1989 | Seattle, WA |
1990 | Gatlinburg, TN |
1991 | Denton, TX |
1992 | Provo, UT |
1993 | Purchase, NY |
1994 | Fort Collins, CO |
1995 | Davis, CA |
1996 | Greensboro, NC |
1997 | San Antonio, CA |
1998 | Akron, OH |
1999 | Tacoma, WA |
2000 | Charlotte, NC |
2001 | St Paul, MN |
2002 | Providence, RI |
2003 | Pasadena, CA |
2004 | Orlando, FL |
2005 | Overland Park KS |
2006 | Louisville, KY |
2007 | Portland, OR |
2008 | Richmond, VA |
2009 | Albuquerque, NM |
2010 | Hartford, CT |
2011 | St Paul, MN |
2012 | San Jose, CA |
2013 | Tampa, FL |
2014 | Phoenix, AZ |
2015 | Pittsburgh, PA |
2016 | Atlanta, GA |
2017 | Kansas City, MO |
2018 | Portland, OR |
2019 | Raleigh, NC |
2020 | Canceled (COVID-19) |
2021 | Canceled (COVID-19) |
2022 | Chattanooga, TN |
2023 | Louisville, KY |
2024 | Portland, OR |
There is a trick repeat Overland Park is sort of Kansas CityThat is quite a widespread list! The only repeats appear to be Louisville with 2, Portland with 3 and St. Paul to be 3 in 2025.
I second that. I have a little farther drive than you but would be nice.we need one in Milwaukee Wisconsin!!
Thanks! I figured there was maybe some of those.There is a trick repeat Overland Park is sort of Kansas City
I’m never sure how Midwest gets definedI found it interesting that, in the 37 years shown there were only 2 in the Midwest (both Minnesota) and none in Illinois or Wisconsin. Since these states are central, it would be a location that would treat all the same with regard to travel at least.
Makes sense given the population density of each zone. I just looked it up and almost 47% of Americans live in the eastern time zone.Its a tough job- your elected board works hard to get sites that work well.
@Kevin Jesequel got a lot of metrics.
When I was involved with selections we looked at members within a days drive.
Clubs within a days drive.
Airport service. - lots of airlines direct flights to many cities
Also the coverage of the country. Over a five year period- try to get a symposium within a days drive of every member in the lower 48 and southern Canada at least once every 5 years. This has gotten off with COVID
Also projected attendance.
In general eastern time zone locations have the highest, mountain time zone locations the lowes
1997 must have been interesting.Quuite a list of locations...
Year City 1987 Lexington, KY 1988 Philadelphia, PA 1989 Seattle, WA 1990 Gatlinburg, TN 1991 Denton, TX 1992 Provo, UT 1993 Purchase, NY 1994 Fort Collins, CO 1995 Davis, CA 1996 Greensboro, NC 1997 San Antonio, CA 1998 Akron, OH 1999 Tacoma, WA 2000 Charlotte, NC 2001 St Paul, MN 2002 Providence, RI 2003 Pasadena, CA 2004 Orlando, FL 2005 Overland Park KS 2006 Louisville, KY 2007 Portland, OR 2008 Richmond, VA 2009 Albuquerque, NM 2010 Hartford, CT 2011 St Paul, MN 2012 San Jose, CA 2013 Tampa, FL 2014 Phoenix, AZ 2015 Pittsburgh, PA 2016 Atlanta, GA 2017 Kansas City, MO 2018 Portland, OR 2019 Raleigh, NC 2020 Canceled (COVID-19) 2021 Canceled (COVID-19) 2022 Chattanooga, TN 2023 Louisville, KY 2024 Portland, OR
That city does exist is California, pretty small though..1997 must have been interesting.
1997 must have been interesting.
That city does exist is California, pretty small though..![]()
Curious about the Portland Symposium. I had heard that the Union there had some rules about taking stuff into the center. If on 2 wheels, you could do it yourself. If on 4 wheels you could not do it yourself and they moved it in 'for' you by the pound. I would have had huge problems with that. Any one know if that was true, and/or how much problems that caused. I would have had huge problems with that, since they kind of price themselves out of their jobs...
robo hippy
Las Vegas would be a great location. I lived there for a few years, and it’s so much more than the casinos. Some of the best hiking, climbing, biking, scenery anywhere. Vegas is in a basin surrounded by mountains on all sides. Plenty of wild bighorn sheep, horses, and donkeys to keep you entertained. Lol.
I’ve wondered why not Vegas as well. It’s cheap to fly to from most anywhere in the country too. With any luck, a few of us would be going home with brand new American Beauties! 😂Years ago when I was attending Die Casting conventions, the floor rate in Las Vegas was 1/10 th the floor rate in Minneapolis cause Vegas wanted your money on the tables. Maybe check on Vegas as it has it all.
A thought on this is that AAW depends heavily on volunteers from local area clubs and there may not be many clubs nearby by LV. As a matter of fact only 3 clubs in the whole state.I’ve wondered why not Vegas as well. It’s cheap to fly to from most anywhere in the country too. With any luck, a few of us would be going home with brand new American Beauties! 😂
Aside from LV and Reno, not a whole lot of people in Nevada in general.A thought on this is that AAW depends heavily on volunteers from local area clubs and there may not be many clubs nearby by LV. As a matter of fact only 3 clubs in the whole state.
Oh yes, a more rural setting would be awesome! Some of the bigger cities are too much to navigate and sometimes are unsafe especially at night.I'd suggest looking into smaller mid-size or rural areas (County fair venues, etc) that are not too terribly far from major cities (Example: Chautaqua county fairgrounds, just south of Buffalo, NY) They often have multiple large buildings suitable for gatherings like that (Plus ready access to wood/trees) The downside would be that attendees would have to spread out to multiple hotels and likely do some travelling (But then, It'd be fairly easy to organize a group of tour busses per hotel to transport back & forth) Buffalo has a fairly decent airport, plenty of hotel/motel rooms, and going to someplace a bit more rural, you're likely not going to have Union folks involved in everything. There's pros and cons to the idea, of course, all depends on what y'all are really after... but if one were to happen someplace like I mention which isn't a horribly long drive from here (hour and a half one way, maybe) I'd definitely be in attendance.. LOL! (Another mention I might make: Tioga County, PA fairgrounds, Mansfield, PA is a college town, and about an hours drive down U.S. 6 from here, an hour's drive up Rt 15 soon to be I-99 one day from Williamsport, PA, and visitors could always plan a visit to P.A. Lumber Museum!) You might be surprised at how well attended a more rural venue might be, especially if trying to drum up more woodturning / clubs interest. (and if there were a visitor's day for non-members/ un-ticketed folks to attend for a gate fee, for example - such as to visit the gallery, vendors, etc but not attend the demonstrations without a separate "ticket" to them..)
Just a few ideas maybe worth considering (or not)
We pulled it off in Albuquerque with one club so Vegas should work.Aside from LV and Reno, not a whole lot of people in Nevada in general.
Another thing I'd add that came to mind - What if AAW was to reach out to ALL the wood turning clubs (put together a bullet list of "must have", "Nice to have" and "optional" points) and have the clubs go out to their local municipal authorities or some such (Community Development organizations, Chambers of Commerce, and so on) to see if suitable locations might be pulled together by a (or a group of) municipalities - Smaller rural areas would absolutely LOVE the opportunity to showcase their towns and promote tourism. Then y'all would have half the work done (by the local club(s) or community promoters) without even having to reach out to some big city or the other... Let the membership of the clubs put together the local legwork, and then whoever's in charge of the symposium could finalize and sign off on it with a lot less work for themselves?Oh yes, a more rural setting would be awesome! Some of the bigger cities are too much to navigate and sometimes are unsafe especially at night.
Las Vegas is by far the most inexpensive city in the country to hold a large convention of any kind.Years ago when I was attending Die Casting conventions, the floor rate in Las Vegas was 1/10 th the floor rate in Minneapolis cause Vegas wanted your money on the tables. Maybe check on Vegas as it has it all.