Speaking of extra room, last year I do recall over crowding being an issue and not much expansion room. Has there been any thought put into this in terms of growth?
We talk about this frequently. Woodcraft generously donates the space which also comes with insurance. We've gotten the costs down to renting some chairs, maintaining the web site, some registration materials and a few miscellaneous items. These can be covered with donations. Getting much bigger requires securing a venue, insurance, possibly charging the vendors and attendees, making it a business instead of a hobby and all the associated paperwork.
I think we demonstrated last year that there is a thirst for this type of event. I was amazed how far some traveled. I can envision something bigger and perhaps even one that moves to different locations. If someone or some group wants to embark on this, I would be happy to help but at this point do not wish to take the lead. I suspect the other team members feel the same. I will say that it will take a dedicated team, a budget and planning needs to take place starting almost a year in advance in order to make it successful. In the meantime, we hope all who attend will enjoy MAPG 2014. Lets see if it is bigger or smaller than 2013.
