I'm in for Kibbie although I don't particularly like flying there. Any
other sites I would seriously consider.
On 12/2/2014 1:43 PM, john_kagan_at_hotmail.com [Indoor_Construction] wrote:
>
> Nats status
>
> aka We’ve got some decisions to make for 2015
>
> There is good news regarding Johnson City. The basketball program has
> been moved to a new location, and there is a strong possibility that
> the minidome may become available again.
>
> In addition, the site contact and the local parks and recreation
> Director are very happy with us and anxious to welcome us back.
>
> The somewhat bad news is that the athletic department wants to run the
> basketball program in the new venue for a year before making any
> changes to the old site. That means that while Johnson City may be a
> site again in future years, it won’t be ready in time for 2015. I am
> staying in touch with the local contacts to make sure we keep our foot
> in the door.
>
> In the meantime, we need to choose a site for 2015. The options include:
>
> -The “safe bet”: a return to the Kibbie Dome. This is a known
> quantity. We know what is involved in hold the Nats there, and we
> have already run through the process with all the participating
> parties. On the downside, attendance was down from Johnson City
> (expected), and wasn't significantly greater than the usual Kibbie
> Annual (not as expected).
>
> -The outdoor Nats tie-in: there is an effort in progress to find a
> site near-ish to Munie. It might not be a very tall site, but I have
> made it clear that any candidates need to be of a reasonable quality.
> Ball State University has been mentioned several times because we have
> an established relationship. Unfortunately we have not yet identified
> any suitable venues on the campus – but there does appear to be a
> relatively new recreation center (Leo, got any info on it?). The
> Colts Stadium is on the long list, but we don’t yet have an inside
> contact. Mike, how far away from Muncie is the hanger you were looking
> into?
>
> -Thinking outside the box: an established site that is smaller than
> recent Nats venues, such as Kent or the like. It might involve
> changing the Nats format to fit into a smaller time span, at least for
> 2015. There is also some level of risk involved with holding a
> contest like the Nats at a new location. For example, the parking
> situation at Champagne took a little while to sort out, and may or may
> not have contributed to our not being invited back. In another
> example, soccer players from the next timeslot began filtering into
> the Pontiac venue while models were still in the air a couple of years
> ago. Not anyone’s fault, but just a detail that needed to get sorted out.
>
> -Thinking outside the box 2: a site that might not be suitable for all
> the usual events. I’m thinking of West Baden here. The site is
> historic, stunning, and record worthy for the light stuff, but it is
> probably not a place where we could fly DLGs or Coconuts. I wouldn’t
> want to be the one who had to explain why the bottom of the dongle had
> been sheered off (I’m told it has the consistency of Styrofoam)
>
> There are some other options that I’ve shelved, at least for the time
> being. Lakehurst has entry requirements that would be challenging for
> some potential attendees. Round Valley Dome is a great experience
> that I highly recommend, but due to its remote location, attendance
> would likely be even lower than Kibbie. Pontiac is more than we can
> afford until we get our numbers up.
>
> So, how many people would attend a Nats at Kibbie in 2015?
>
> Who would be interested in a smaller, but still flyable venue that is
> close to Munie and the Outdoor Nats?
>
> Who would attend an abbreviated Nats in an excellent Cat II site like
> Kent (I haven’t spoken to Don S about Kent yet, so I’m just using the
> site as a theoretical example)?
>
> Who would attend a sub-set Nats at an epic site like West Baden?
>
>
>
Received on Tue Dec 02 2014 - 12:28:44 CET
This archive was generated by Yannick on Sat Dec 14 2019 - 19:13:48 CET