2011 Annual Conference & National Board

[jacob]

The 2011 national conference is advertised as 17-20 August, but looking at the schedule I'm not seeing anything for general attendees until the opening in the evening on 18 August.  Am I missing something?  Just want to make sure before I book a hotel room.

[FW]

You are welcome to attend the National Board buisness meeting the morning of the 18th.  I understand there will be some interesting agenda items.  Enjoy the extra day and be part of the process. 

[jacob]

Excellent, thank you!

[Turk]

You are welcome to attend the National Board buisness meeting the morning of the 18th.  I understand there will be some interesting agenda items.  Enjoy the extra day and be part of the process.

If they're half as interesting as some of the Winter Board agenda items were, this should be quite an event.

[WT]

Are the Winter Board minutes and the National Board draft agenda around here somewhere?
I can't seem to find them.

[dalemill14z]

Well, the hotel provided is good. I stayed in it for a week for my office work. 

[JC004]

Are the Winter Board minutes and the National Board draft agenda around here somewhere?
I can't seem to find them.

The draft agenda should be out, I believe, this week. 

One of the important items will be: http://captalk.net/index.php?topic=13278.0

[DogCollar]

Is anyone else getting like an email every other day inviting them to come to the National Boards?  This has gotten ridiculous.  I now delete them without reading them.

I'm glad that there are members who are interested in the national affairs of CAP, and I suppose that I should be more interested than I am, but I really don't get into it at all. 

[Eclipse]

Is anyone else getting like an email every other day inviting them to come to the National Boards?

I've gotten a number from NHQ and several from wing passing those same messages on.

I don't know if this is just the marketing plan, or if they are having issues with attendance.  As close as it is, and considering the upcoming election, I wanted to go, but a business trip precludes me from getting down there.

[JC004]

Is anyone else getting like an email every other day inviting them to come to the National Boards?  This has gotten ridiculous.  I now delete them without reading them.

I'm glad that there are members who are interested in the national affairs of CAP, and I suppose that I should be more interested than I am, but I really don't get into it at all. 

Oh, everyone just filters them to their trash now.

I've gotten a number from NHQ and several from wing passing those same messages on.

I don't know if this is just the marketing plan, or if they are having issues with attendance.  As close as it is, and considering the upcoming election, I wanted to go, but a business trip precludes me from getting down there.

Finally.  Now I know it is safe to go.

[MSG Mac]

I'm planing to drive from MD and stay at a much cheaper hotel.

[FW]

Is anyone else getting like an email every other day inviting them to come to the National Boards?

I've gotten a number from NHQ and several from wing passing those same messages on.

I don't know if this is just the marketing plan, or if they are having issues with attendance.  As close as it is, and considering the upcoming election, I wanted to go, but a business trip precludes me from getting down there.

Last I heard, there were just over 410 registered for the conference.  I would expect about 650 attendees by the conference date.  This is about par these days since there hasn't been airlift for quite some time now.  From what I remember, we haven't gone over 1000 attendees since 2001.

[Eclipse]

Finally.  Now I know it is safe to go.

Well, if I'm incentivized....

[MSG Mac]

Last year in San Diego, there were no vender displays at the conference. Is CAP considered a good customer anymore?

[Al Sayre]

Vanguard had a room full of stuff...

[Spaceman3750]

Vanguard had a room full of stuff...

I can't speak for anywhere else but the display they brought for the ILWG conference was pathetic.

[davidsinn]

Vanguard had a room full of stuff...

I can't speak for anywhere else but the display they brought for the ILWG conference was pathetic.

They don't even bother to come to Indiana.

[JC004]

Last year in San Diego, there were no vender displays at the conference. Is CAP considered a good customer anymore?

That is a good question.  There should be a lot of companies that want to advertise to CAP members.

Vanguard had a room full of stuff...

I can't speak for anywhere else but the display they brought for the ILWG conference was pathetic.

The first year they came to ours (and I haven't been to one since, so I don't know), the selection was dreadful.  They had like a ton of colonel insignia, rather than anything decent for company grade, lower field grades, and cadets.  They had the CAP sword but sold out of nearly everything, including almost all the ribbons the night before the conference. 

The selection of items like personal shirts or hats sucked - and still does online.  I know a lot of people that would buy a nice CAP shirt or something, but what they have is silly.   

[titanII]

Vanguard had a room full of stuff...

I can't speak for anywhere else but the display they brought for the ILWG conference was pathetic.

They don't even bother to come to Indiana.

And they weren't  at the 2011 MAWG Conference.

[EMT-83]

Does anyone really expect VG to attend all the Wing conferences?

[titanII]

Does anyone really expect VG to attend all the Wing conferences?

Besides the logistical part (getting people, stuff, etc. to the conference) why wouldn't they? It's not like all the conferences are on the same week, or month even.

[arajca]

Last I asked them about this (18 mos ago), they said they would visit if they were asked. I don't think many wings ask them. Depending on the location, they may just send some stuff and someone at the conference operates the display/booth/sale.

[EMT-83]

Does anyone really expect VG to attend all the Wing conferences?

Besides the logistical part (getting people, stuff, etc. to the conference) why wouldn't they? It's not like all the conferences are on the same week, or month even.

Hmm... money?

Read the posts here on how expensive folks think Vanguard is already, then tack on the cost of an extensive road show.

[JeffDG]

Does anyone really expect VG to attend all the Wing conferences?

Besides the logistical part (getting people, stuff, etc. to the conference) why wouldn't they? It's not like all the conferences are on the same week, or month even.

What do you mean "besides the logistical part"?  The logistical part means $$$, and Vanguard is a business...it's all about the logistical part.

Let's say it costs them $1,000 per person to get them to a conference (which by the time you look at airfare, hotel, food, car rental, etc is pretty low).  Then they probably need to generate at least $5,000 in sales minimum in order to not lose money on that trip, more likely closer to $20,000.  How many people attend the average Wing conference?  What percentage of those actually buy something?  What's the average purchase amount?

[Eclipse]

Let's say it costs them $1,000 per person to get them to a conference (which by the time you look at airfare, hotel, food, car rental, etc is pretty low).  Then they probably need to generate at least $5,000 in sales minimum in order to not lose money on that trip, more likely closer to $20,000.  How many people attend the average Wing conference?  What percentage of those actually buy something?  What's the average purchase amount?

Um.  If it costs them $1000 to get someone there, then, um, they need to generate $1000 to break even, I think...right?...carry the 14...divide by the square root of pie...mmm....pie....

Some of this falls into customer service, cost or no.  Not all wings have a conference every year, and some are combined with Region conferences.
A couple of travel kits and a couple of interns could cover the territory I would think.

[JeffDG]

Um.  If it costs them $1000 to get someone there, then, um, they need to generate $1000 to break even, I think...right?...carry the 14...divide by the square root of pie...mmm....pie....

Some of this falls into customer service, cost or no.  Not all wings have a conference every year, and some are combined with Region conferences.
A couple of travel kits and a couple of interns could cover the territory I would think.

How much in sales does it take to generate $1,000 in profit?  If they run on a 20% margin, then it will take $5,000...at at 5% margin, $20,000.  You realize there's a difference between gross sales and net profit, right?

[Ned]

[Um.  If it costs them $1000 to get someone there, then, um, they need to generate $1000 to break even, I think...right?...carry the 14...divide by the square root of pie...mmm....pie....

He said $5000 "in sales."  And the $20,000 figure is probably closer, given the costs to cover empoyee travel and billeting, not to mention transportation of the goods themselves.

As you know, even the largest wings only draw a couple hundred folks to the conference.  I'd wager that almost all the trips are money-losers for VG.

Some of this falls into customer service, cost or no.  Not all wings have a conference every year, and some are combined with Region conferences.

I suspect that VG would agree with you, and probably does attibute the losses to customer service and retaining the valuable CAP contract.

I just find it amusing that the same folks who complain about VG's prices also complain that VG doesn't conduct sufficient money-losing activities for them.

A couple of travel kits and a couple of interns could cover the territory I would think.

Employee salaries are not the largest component of the cost, because airfare are hotel rooms almost certainly are much more expensive than a couple of days pay.  It costs as much to fly and house an intern as it does a regular employee.  But since VG lurks on CT, I'm sure they appreciate all your business tips.

Ned Lee

[Eclipse]

^ Nice. 

You're going to need to go a fair piece before you have me on business travel tips, cargo costs, lading, etc.

Money losing?  They tossed us a big chunk for HMRS last year so I'm not overly concerned about their P&L. It's not like CAP is the only
government contractor they have.  Last I checked they were doing business with a few other major "clients".

The expectation that they are at the majority of major conferences should be an tenant of their contract.

A major federal contractor is going to have a travel manager who can mitigate the costs, salaried employees or local temps, and should
have assumed some of this cost is part of doing business with a national organization.

[Ned]

Money losing?  They tossed us a big chunk for HMRS last year so I'm not overly concerned about their P&L.  [ . . .] The expectation that they are at the majority of major conferences should be an tenant of their contract.

I haven't seen the contract, so I can't say whether the conference attendance is actually written, or an informal expectation that they do for large clients.

But I can say that it just seems "inconsistent" to expect them to engage in significant money-losing activities while simultaneously complaining that their prices are too high.

A major federal contractor is going to have a travel manager who can mitigate the costs, salaried employees or local temps, and should
have assumed some of this cost is part of doing business with a national organization.

Of course, but no matter how you label the losses sustained while selling relatively small amounts of merchandise at dozens of conferences a year, it sounds like we agree that the losses due to "CAP roadshows" affect the bottom line of the company.  Which in turn inevitably affects profits, which affects prices.

More conferences means higher prices.

[titanII]

I just find it amusing that the same folks who complain about VG's prices also complain that VG doesn't conduct sufficient money-losing activities for them.

I guess we just want to have our cake and eat it too.

[BillB]

The bookmark I had for the Agendas for NEC and National Board has vanished, so does anyone have the link to the National Board agenda (if it's available yet)?

[MSG Mac]

E-Services left side National Meeting Agenda. the upcoming agenda is not shown

[Eclipse]

You need these.

[titanII]

You need these.

That looks like mostly flashlights, with a lense to see through in the left eye

[Eclipse]

Pretty much, this is CAP crypto, after all.  Basically just white on white text.   

[FW]

The bookmark I had for the Agendas for NEC and National Board has vanished, so does anyone have the link to the National Board agenda (if it's available yet)?

Here it is; hot off the press.

[a2capt]

I guess one night of sleep .. didn't cure a 3.5 week road trip, yet. I just opened that thing and I swear I saw "OPEN SEASON" on the second page.