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PPFA Booth Demo's in Las Vegas?

R

Russ Wood

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Lakewood Colorado
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Grey Owl Framing
The education committee is looking at the possibility of having a schedule of short demos (5 to 15 min??) at the PPFA booth. The thought is that demo's might get more people coming into the booth, and also promote the education opportunities for PPFA.

What do you think?

We don't know if we are going to do it, and if we did, we would probably schedule or "instructors" to be in the booth for say 30 to 60 minutes, on a pre-set schedule, so they could demo several times during their period. This is just in the talking stage.

If we did, what topics should we cover? Some of the ideas thrown out (and these are for discussion only), are such things as "how to fill a ruling pen and draw a line", or "painting bevels", or "how to thread a needle", or "making paste for paper hinges" or ???

What are your ideas?
 
Russ, this is a neat idea. Increases relevance for membership. Also it addresses the who's who in PPFA that is if some of the demo-ers are Who's Who-able.

Even little things are helpful to some framers. Those that are connected know a slice of everybody's brain. I learn something new EVERY time I meet up with just my fellow Chapter board members. Exploiting any MCPF brains is so very powerful. We have 2 on our board and they ooze, just ooze framing knowledge.

David Hewitt MCPF is eager, and delightful about not just explaining but ensuring that framing techniques are understood. He also comes to our events with handy gadgets and gizmos he makes, and hands them out like a granddad would hand out candy. He came to our CPF study group last weekend in Vero Beach, and it was at least an 8 hour drive for him. Sondra Quatraro MCPF hosted the event and she too, a fab "frame brain", she comes up with techniques to mount, secure, adjust, protect ANYTHING.

PPFA is these eagerly helpful people, and they are the unsung, there are loads of the Hugh, Cliff, Ellen variety as well. The rising, like the fabulous Andy. And those that have yet to be exploited yet like Wally Fay (soon to be CPF). I personally do not hold a fraction of the knowledge that these people have but as to needlework, I am queried on materials, mounting techniques, lacing threads, supply locating, preferred substrates etc, whenever I meet framers.

We all hold a piece of the puzzle. And it sounds as what you are offering, dearest Russ, is a sampling table. And once they taste....reel 'em in. Relevance is key. And on the WCAF trade floor finding info that pertains to business decision makers, and framers alike, this could be nifty for PPFA showcasing the real product FRAMERS.
 
Back in the day, PPFA had a booth in the middle of the trade floor in Atlanta. The greats were there doing classes every 30 minutes. Ten to 15 min instruction & demo, then a few minutes for questions, and a few min for the next arrival to set up. These were very popular, and I remember standing in line and in the back for these. There were even a few chairs.

I doubt we can manage this much space in the middle of the floor..and maybe not even on the floor, but I also remember hunting these spots out, and it wouldn't have mattered where they were. I was hungry for knowledge and would have found them anywhere. And lots of others must have felt the same.

The key now to making these successful will be making sure folks know they are happening and where. We are out of the habit, and we will have to be led to them by lots of promotion.

Some ideas I personally would like to see:

Simple material storage solutions
Simple jigs & tools to make
Pricing for profit
Using a lining pen
Demo of lacing
Preservation mounting solutions (not hinging)
Demo of hinging & description of materials

These would have to be quick with samples and simple demos, but almost anybody could benefit from one of them and it would be enough to get someone started in an area they aren't familiar with.
 
encapsulating round objects
basic lacing
making wheat paste hinges
sink mounting

Just trying to think of simple ideas to attract new framers and non PPFA framers to the booth and give ideas to what education from PPFA could provide.

I think it is a great idea!

-Sarah
 
Gregory K. Norris said:
Back in the day, PPFA had a booth in the middle of the trade floor in Atlanta. The greats were there doing classes every 30 minutes. Ten to 15 min instruction & demo, then a few minutes for questions, and a few min for the next arrival to set up. These were very popular, and I remember standing in line and in the back for these. There were even a few chairs.

I doubt we can manage this much space in the middle of the floor..and maybe not even on the floor, but I also remember hunting these spots out, and it wouldn't have mattered where they were. I was hungry for knowledge and would have found them anywhere. And lots of others must have felt the same.
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If we get the same are as last year, in the hall outside the doors to the con, there would plenty of room, if we get inside the convention room then space would be a premium.
 
I love this idea. I would suggest it be keep simple and just test the idea this year and go from there. I also like the idea of using this as a "teaser" for PPFA classes.
 
Randy Parrish said:
I would assume it would be a snippet of one or two points they would discuss in a class or short Q/A
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Randy, yes, I think it would probably be just a snippet of one or two points, because of the time allowance, but who knows?

What I'm trying to do is start the idea flow, so the education committee can make some recommendations. What is going to end up, We don't know.

We don't know if we will have to do it in the existing space, or if we will need a larger space.

We don't know if we have to get approval from WCAF on the topics we might have.

We don't know if we can get PMF to include a listing of a schedule.

We don't know if we can get a big wall poster outside of WCAF to list the schedule.

We don't know who would do some of the "snippets" as you say.

We don't know if we have time to do it for this year.

But we do know, if we start thinking of ideas, and what we might like, and put together a plan, we are in a much better place to start getting answers to the questions we have.

I do know, that as I walk the convention floor, the booths that have the most activities are those that have demo's going on.
 
Ellen Collins said:
What about the 1st 15 minutes of every hour, Potpourri of Tricks, various instructors, no topics list, maybe just a series of signs on an easel. Next hour, Ellen Collins: Lacing Jello Simple Simple
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I like the idea - particularly "Ellen Collins: Lacing Jello". And is lacing really the best way for Jello? Wouldn't pinning work just a well?

Also, because I would like to somehow get publicity from PFM ahead of time, we could get a list of various instructors w/o times (except at start of hour from xx to yy) or topics , listed ahead of time.
 
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