Quote from: "Dave"Sorry I can't find the portfolio button? Club is a good idea!

The portfolio/album button has not been added to the site yet Dave, any thoughts/idea's on how the club should run.

Pricing and location is the issues, I started a group called twisted air about 2 years ago which started out really well but ended up with me teaching basics to beginners, I now meet with a small group of 4 twisters where we share ideas.
The last 6 months have been a bit mental for me so we haven't got together but going to kick start it again in March.
We aim to improve are art and marketing.
I believe that once a club starts more will follow like the magic circle and all the local clubs.
To see the benefits you just need to see what the members of United Twisters can make.
Graham you already have the basics with the care and share days, the fee would depend on what each member would get from it?
Videos hmmm I can't see why not, from what I have heard they do in the magic circle, what do UT think of it?
How much are you thinking of charging?

This is all very flexible and just a starting point, if we had 7 care & share days, Banstead, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Darlington and Bishops Stortford and then three major lecture days, Banstead, Birmingham and possibly Leeds/Darlington. The care and share days I would get a mystery lecturer and the days would run as known. We could possibly video the mystery lecturer at a care and share day and send out a DVD but not after each event as this would be cost prohibited but after a major lecture we could put perhaps 2 care and share lecturers doing a 1 hour lecture/session and a major lecture doing four 1 hour sessions, so 3 DVD's a year with 6 hours of material/lectures on.

We then have to decide costing for people to attend who do not want to join the club, the days need to be priced fairly but with a good advantage to join the club.
If we charged £99 and members got 3 DVD's and 10 balloon days free of charge and then for non members who we most certainly still want to encourage to come along as they are the stars of the future. A care and share day could possibly be £15/20 to attend and a major lecture £35/40. So making a total cost of £210/260, so £99 for the year with all the DVD's is a very competitive price.
It will take a while to build up membership but hopefully with really good named artistes coming over and the members can choose who we invite the membership hopefully will grow and with having sponsorship from Qualatex for the next two years this will help us build the club up so that it is financially possibly to achieve.

I have taken a chance with booking major lectures in the past, Ralph Dewey, Don Caldwell, Patricia Bunnell and numbers at these events has been poor due to the extra charge we need to make due to them flying in from America and I have lost money on all three so with a build up of members we will be able to book top names from the club funds and if anyone is unable to attend a day they will still receive a DVD.

Would very much like more thoughts from everyone and anyone about this, the idea is not to make an exclusive club where outsiders are not welcome, the idea of the club is to take our artform forward.

Some people are emailing me privately about this and a good question has come up about people overseas becoming members and so receiving DVD's.

Would those that have sent me a PM about the subject mind posting them onto the forum for discussion?

The DVD idea would be big positive move forward in my view.

When I attended lectures in the States I got a copy of the audio as well as the lecture notes.

Something which never happens here.

I would also like to know before booking to attend a lecture what is going to happen on the day.

There is a big reluctance for people travel up north or down south (especially with the current cost of gas) which however big the name would not help people to change their mind.

When you book a venue consider the parking.

The only venue that does have a problem with parking is Birmingham, but it's a nice venue and provides a nice sensible priced buffet when required and the hall charge is at a cost effective price. Some halls have quoted me £200 to hire for the day which is totally out of our price range when the days are free or a nominal £10.
Always happy to look at other venues if anyone has suggestions that would fit our needs.

Quote from: "Graham Lee"This is all very flexible and just a starting point, if we had 7 care & share days, Banstead, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, Darlington and Bishops Stortford and then three major lecture days, Banstead, Birmingham and possibly Leeds/Darlington. The care and share days I would get a mystery lecturer and the days would run as known. We could possibly video the mystery lecturer at a care and share day and send out a DVD but not after each event as this would be cost prohibited but after a major lecture we could put perhaps 2 care and share lecturers doing a 1 hour lecture/session and a major lecture doing four 1 hour sessions, so 3 DVD's a year with 6 hours of material/lectures on.

We then have to decide costing for people to attend who do not want to join the club, the days need to be priced fairly but with a good advantage to join the club.
If we charged £99 and members got 3 DVD's and 10 balloon days free of charge and then for non members who we most certainly still want to encourage to come along as they are the stars of the future. A care and share day could possibly be £15/20 to attend and a major lecture £35/40. So making a total cost of £210/260, so £99 for the year with all the DVD's is a very competitive price.
It will take a while to build up membership but hopefully with really good named artistes coming over and the members can choose who we invite the membership hopefully will grow and with having sponsorship from Qualatex for the next two years this will help us build the club up so that it is financially possibly to achieve.

I have taken a chance with booking major lectures in the past, Ralph Dewey, Don Caldwell, Patricia Bunnell and numbers at these events has been poor due to the extra charge we need to make due to them flying in from America and I have lost money on all three so with a build up of members we will be able to book top names from the club funds and if anyone is unable to attend a day they will still receive a DVD.

Would very much like more thoughts from everyone and anyone about this, the idea is not to make an exclusive club where outsiders are not welcome, the idea of the club is to take our artform forward.

I'm in -where do you want me to send the dosh !!!

Quote from: "fairby"I'm in -where do you want me to send the dosh !!!

In that case I must have priced it to low  :lol:

You got me  
I figured i will go to at least C&S @ Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham and at least 2 lectures Birmingham and leeds/darlington plus the DVDs so its got to be worth that !!!
 

Sounds like a fantastic idea. I have got to say that since joining the forum I've been able to improve no end and am eternally grateful to all who post ideas and designs. I've been desperately trying to get through all on here but it's HUGE.....
I would certainly be interested and the price does seem too good to miss too. As Fairby said "Where do I sign up??"

I'm with Neil (Fairby) & KJ!

I'm thinking 'no brainer'...  

--Neil

I too like the sound of it so far - I would be happy to pay the suggested price

I too am in!

When would it start?

I would like to suggest a new area on the forum for members too. To discuss what ever the member of the new twisting collective wish to.

Danny

Shall we start if from the David Brenion lecture on Wed 6th April?
I think the easier way is for everyone to pay £99 when they join this year and we will adjust payment next year depending when people joined and how many events they could have attented. This way the membership can run from Jan to December making it easy to plan for the year, if people join say March to March I would need to make sure that 10 days had been planned throughout each 12 month period rather than the straight Jan/Dec year. So when a new member joins say in Oct they still pay £99 but the next year payment for them may only be £30 depending how many days were planned for Nov/Dec.
To join via the website will be plus PayPal charges, so £105 or you can do a bank transfer or send a cheque for £99.

What shall we call the club and tag lines would be good,
Twist, Twist UK, Twist Together, Together, any other suggestions?
Tag line, "We Care, We Share", "Twist We Care, Together We Share", "Together we Care & Share", "I Care, Together We Share", any other suggestions?

I have an old tape video camcorder that I use to record my DVD's with, so I think it's time to get a more up to date disc/memory one that I'm happy to purchase myself without taking money from the club as I do ocassionally record DVD's for sale, I already have a tripod.
The plan is the three lecture day DVD's will not be edited, so no chapter sections or fancy cutting in and out, just a basic recording with all the noise and fun of people enjoying the day.
Any other thoughts or suggestions we need to think about and decide?

Hi Graham

I'd love it to start with David Brenion's Lecture if it would this be video'd?

As for the name -
Twist UK
UK Twisters,
Round the Bend Twisters,
Balloon Artists UK,
British Balloon Club.
British Balloon Twisting Club
Society of UK Twisters
British Association of Airtists
Tootle Pop

I think I'll stop there!

What do you think?

Danny