For whatever its worth...

[Per Volquartz]

...I live in Southern California and travel extensively through the State each y ear. Some of the areas I frequent on a regular basis are the Owens Valley, the d esert, Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks...

After reading many of the posts in this forum I wonder if there is an interest f or creating "Free" workshops during various parts of the year. The way it would work is like this:

We get a group together, set a time, arrange for accommodations and transportati on. We meet, discuss prints, photography, printing, processing, wine and good fo od...and hopefully have a great time.

Instead of spending money on workshop fees the same amount could cover film, tra vel etc...

If any of you are interested, feel free to email me... (My Land Rover is looking for company...)

[Keith Pitman]

Interesting idea. Keep me in the looop.

[Anthony J. Kohler]

I'm interested as well.

Tony

[John Miller]

I'm interested, keep me in the loop. How about meeting at a national park and camping for a weekend plus maybe a couple of extra days? I think the best talk always comes around a campfire. Just an idea.

[Adrian Ng'asi]

Keep me in the loop

Adrian

[Matt_1193]

I agree with John - doing this in an outdoor setting would be much nicer than sitting around a table.... keep me posted as well, I'd be interested.

[dan nguyen]

Good idea Per..

I'm in So.Cal too...please keep me informed... thanks

[David Grandy]

Although this might be adding a level of complexity to your idea I'd suggest that once you get a few people interested you set up some type of cancellation fee. That fee could be held in trust or escrow at a bank so that no individual would get to use that money and these deposits would be returned to the person once they've shown up.

My point is that when you don't have anything invested in something like this it has no value, so people will cancel without much reason. If they have $200 on the table they won't cancel since there's is a downside. So you may be expecting six and get two and that could cost those two a lot of money!

In my own business I take a $100 deposit for weddings, and that's less than 10% of what they'll end up paying; yet it's enough to get their attention. Before I took despots I found that about 20 -30% of the clients would call and cancel after the wedding had been booked for a few weeks. I was there and they had me, and then they had the ability to keep shopping. If you don't take a deposit or something like that then they have you unless something better comes along. My wife might say "Stay here for Robby?s soccer game this weekend.", but not if I have a non refundable $200 invested! So make people vote with their money.

[Diego Rigatti]

Great idea, Per. Unfortunately (or luckyly) I live in Italy (more precisely, in Milan), but I was born in Venice and I know Rome and Tuscany very well, so if the going-to-be-set-up "Do-the-workshop-by- yourselfes" group will plan to organize a trip to Italy... I could be your guide.

Buona fortuna.

Diego

[Per Volquartz]

14 people (incl. these posters) have emailed me.

This will happen!!!

If you are interested email me right away!!!