Wisconsin Gathering Planning

[Chunk]

I'm wondering how many folks would like to get together on a Saturday in February to talk about setting up a PR get together. I'd suggest Madison as a place that's fairly central to a lot of the PR Wisconsin area (includes Rockford you know) but that could be changed by concensus. Answer the poll for the dates that would work for you (more than one date can be checked) and we'll go from there. If anyone can suggest a better way of getting this started, please do.

[mjs1973]

Hey Chunk,

I selected all the dates, because at this point in time, I don't have anything planned for any of them. Madison works for me also. One thought that I had, maybe we should start the planning/brainstorming here in this thread, and have a meeting closer to the actual date to nail down a rough agenda. (Not that we would have to follow it of course.) It's close enuf for me that I wouldn't have problem with the meeting either way, just a suggestion I thought I would throw out there.

Any way, a few things that we should plan on talking about are:
(this can be a running list, so please add anything you want to it)

Date of the gathering?
Places to see/things to do?
Where to meet?
Print exchange?

[another view]

Sounds good, and Madison isn't far for me. The 11th or 25th would be best for me.

Here's some of Chunk's thoughts from a different thread. I'd vote for any of them!

"I've been thinking that a get together with a day in Madison (Saturday farmer's market or art fair, Monona Terrace, UW campus, State capitol, State Street, lakes, farmland) and a second day in western Wisconsin's hills (Mineral Point, Hyde mill, hill farms, cheese factories, old courthouse squares [Monroe or Lancaster], Mississippi River). A Milwaukee (Calatrava, domes, Miller Park, brewery tour?, German food, Port Washington, lakeshore) would be fun too. Getting these setup would exceed my nearly non existant organizational skills though so if any of of you other folks would like to get together and talk about it, I'll start another thread and we'll see if we could find a day to gather and yak about it."

[Chunk]

In keeping with Mike's suggestion for building an agenda we can use this sub thread. Just copy the agenda suggestions from the most recent post below this and add your suggestions in reply to it.

Agenda suggestions-
Date of the gathering?
Places to see/things to do?
Where to meet?
Print exchange?
Special photo activities?
Accommodation suggestions

[Chunk]

I was thinking of either some kind of special assignment for the gathering (like a photo project theme specific to Wisconsin) or having some random or preselected times during the gathering when everyone would have to find a subject and photograph it where ever we happen to be at the time.

[another view]

I was thinking of either some kind of special assignment for the gathering

Great idea. I had this at a workshop once - everybody drew two categories from a hat. There were two or three of most of the categories so you would see how different people would portray the same subject. For example, it was a sea kayaking trip and I had "the guides" and "the Cooperage", which was the old building that the company had. Just ideas...

Agenda suggestions-
Date of the gathering? April or later, after the farmer's market opens, maybe when a special event is going on (have to look into this)
Places to see/things to do? Farmer's market which is at the State Capitol, downtown in general, area parks and any of other places already mentioned...
Where to meet? Maybe pick some place at the market (it's huge) so we can hit that first when it's busy
Print exchange? Sure!
Special photo activities? Doesn't UW have an art museum?
Accommodation suggestions ...pass for now...

I take it that this is for the gathering, not next month.

[Trevor Ash]

Madison is a cool town. I only went there once (recently) but I saw a group of lesbian gorillas. No, I'm not kidding.

[adina]

Agenda suggestions- I'd think as long as we stayed in the downtown area, there'd be plenty to do. Capitol, Monona Terrace, State Street, Unversity Ave, UWM...

Date of the gathering? Any day works for me so far

Places to see/things to do? See above

Where to meet? If anyone is staying over, there are hotels right off Capitol square, and attached to the Terrace

Print exchange? You know what they say about best of intentions...mine always get forgotten at home, but I'd love to try again

Special photo activities? I'd prefer no structured agenda, but that's just me.

Accommodation suggestions? If anyone is staying, I can post a list of hotels in the area.

[ken1953]

I chose the 4th and the 18th because those are the days that my daughter is off and I don't have to babysit. However, if it works better for one of the others, I can usually make arrangements for one of the other grandparents/aunts/cousins/friends...whatever...to take over for me one day...if I have enough warning.
As for agenda.......I'm a sponge and am open to anything!!!! I've never done anything like this so I like all of the suggestions. hehe
Ken

[ken1953]

Quote by Chunk..."I've been thinking that a get together with a day in Madison (Saturday farmer's market or art fair, Monona Terrace, UW campus, State capitol, State Street, lakes, farmland) and a second day in western Wisconsin's hills (Mineral Point, Hyde mill, hill farms, cheese factories, old courthouse squares [Monroe or Lancaster], Mississippi River). A Milwaukee (Calatrava, domes, Miller Park, brewery tour?, German food, Port Washington, lakeshore) would be fun too. Getting these setup would exceed my nearly non existant organizational skills though so if any of of you other folks would like to get together and talk about it, I'll start another thread and we'll see if we could find a day to gather and yak about it."

I just read the above quote from Chunk and had a thought. We have so many PR people in a close radius, that it would be nice to try to set up like a monthly get-together to shoot different areas of Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa and maybe even Michigan. Of course any who are near or in the area would be welcome to join in!!! We could use the time to teach each other new tricks, exchange ideas, critique each others work, shoot in different areas and venues. I for one have not seen much of the upper midwest but what I have seen makes me wanna get out more.
It may be too much...but...it's a thought!!!

[opus]

I can't pick a date just yet because I won't know my schedule until school starts. I'll revisit at the end of January.

[masdog]

While I would love to do a gathering in February, my Saturdays are already clogged with sports. There is a good chance I will be free on the 28th, though. Perhaps we can start thinking about a March trip as well.

[mjs1973]

While I would love to do a gathering in February, my Saturdays are already clogged with sports. There is a good chance I will be free on the 28th, though. Perhaps we can start thinking about a March trip as well.

Masdog, the Feb. date is just for planning the actual photo get together, to get some ideas for the gathering. The "real" photo gathering will be later in the summer.

[adina]

Masdog, the Feb. date is just for planning the actual photo get together, to get some ideas for the gathering. The "real" photo gathering will be later in the summer.

HUH?

Perhaps I skimmed to quickly, I thought the gathering was in Feb? Is it like a pizza night thing in Feb? I was thinking y'all were a brave bunch to be aiming for a WI gathering in Feb.

[ken1953]

Yo everyone...it's getting near the end of the month...have we decided on a date??? I'm really excited about this. I recommend we choose someplace for lunch that can accommodate us and then follow Chunks agenda. I don't know Madison well enough to choose anyplace. So would someone else recommend a couple of places.
And to try to get things moving, and so we don't fight lunch hour...I recommend we choose a time from say...1:00-3:00 or so...
The dates are pretty well evenly spread so it's going to be hard to choose. My wife has agreed to watch the grandkids if we choose one of the days I normally have them.
The poll really doesn't help much since it is pretty evenly spread w/ the 4th having 3 votes and the rest 2. So, how does the 4th sound?? It's coming up quick is why I'm trying to get this going??
I recommend in your reply to answer the following.
Dates you can definitely make it.
Is 1-3 a good time? if not please recommend a time.
Dates you definitely "can't" make it!!
A place to meet!!!!
Alternative places to meet???
A letter from your parents why you can't attend...oops no...that's the grandkids question...hahaha
Trying to add a little levity....hehe
Anyway...I'm really looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible.
Ken

[adina]

Say 1 or 2ish?

I have a 6 month old in the morning, this will give me plenty of time to get out there.

So it's what? Me and Ken? I can recommend some places to eat/meet....

[mjs1973]

Any of the dates should work for me, but are people thinking that this is going to be an all afternoon walk around the city type of get together, or is this a get together to plan a bigger gathering? If people are thinking that this is THE get together, I think we should reconsider something when it warms up, but maybe that's just me. As far as places to eat/meet, the Great Dane is nice, there's a Chili's or Pedros if you like mexican, or there are some places on State Street...

What did you have in mind Adina?

[ken1953]

Any of the dates should work for me, but are people thinking that this is going to be an all afternoon walk around the city type of get together, or is this a get together to plan a bigger gathering? If people are thinking that this is THE get together, I think we should reconsider something when it warms up, but maybe that's just me. As far as places to eat/meet, the Great Dane is nice, there's a Chili's or Pedros if you like mexican, or there are some places on State Street...

What did you have in mind Adina?

Michael...it is my understanding that this is just going to be a "planning" session. I guess if people want to do a walk around after we finish planning things, then that would be up to them. But, I am in agreement with you about planning something for a warmer time!!! Of course here in WI...we may have to settle for a "cool" day...haha...(Arizonan humor)...hehe...

I can make the 4th!!!
Ken

[adina]

I thought this was kinda like a pizza night, only for lunch. If that's the case, perhaps something right off the freeway is a good idea. It's too cold, I think, for a big walk around gathering. But just to meet for lunch to plan a bigger gathering, that can be done indoors

[cathpah]

Well if you guys get together this weekend, I'll try to meet up as well. Just in case some of you are really itching to take some photos, but don't want to freeze your cameras, you should certainly go to olbrich gardens (http://www.olbrich.org) because there is a very large indoor greenhouse/conservatory with all sorts of orchids, birds, geckos, and interesting plants....and best of all its heated to around 80 degrees! could be something to think about....

[ken1953]

Well if you guys get together this weekend, I'll try to meet up as well. Just in case some of you are really itching to take some photos, but don't want to freeze your cameras, you should certainly go to olbrich gardens (http://www.olbrich.org) because there is a very large indoor greenhouse/conservatory with all sorts of orchids, birds, geckos, and interesting plants....and best of all its heated to around 80 degrees! could be something to think about....

Hi Cathpah...thanx for the suggestion. I had heard that there is some sort of function this weekend about orchids....should be fun. I'm not sure if any of us is "planning" on anything as far as shooting goes as this meeting is mostly to plan a major get together and to have some lunch and meet each other. We are currently scheduled to meet at Old Chicago on the westside at 2:00 on Saturday, the 4th. We'd love to have you and get a chance to meet you. Also, it sounds like you might have some great ideas for shooting opportunities in the area, something I'm probably not going to be much help on since I don't know the area all that well.
Here is a link to the other thread about this.

Madison this Friday (Feb 4th)

It's subject says "Friday", but she meant Saturday.
Ken