IPMS Will Cook, 6 September 2003
First, I should say that it is nice that IPMS Will Cook is back to doing shows. Their last one was in 1999 and they helped with the Chicago Nats so that obviously burned them out. Doing a show is not an easy task as it usually falls on a few loyal club members to do all the work while the rest buzz around like drones and complain. So thanks to these guys and all the hard workers at various clubs for doing these events.
I initially heard about the show via a flyer. The flyer was excellent and provided a list of categories, time, place, cost and all that. It also had a super map that was easy to follow. The group has a website that offered the same material. However, the webmaster was not successful in having show info there as the files were not in the proper format so that was not a useful resource.
The contest was held in the cafeteria of a local school. Upon arrival, the registration went well, though there was little room for more than a couple of people to fill out the forms. Cost of entry was good with $10 providing unlimited entries to the contestant and $3 providing browse entry for spouses and non-entrants. The entry forms were well done in a two part form. The part with the person's name on it was cut from the form and kept by the club. A good move. I'm sure that if the website had been up that an entry form would have been available.
The room itself was fine for me with the contest tables up on small stilts so folks didn't have to bend over too much to look at the models and it kept kid from pawing the entries. Vendors were situated around the outer rim of the room and while it did get crowded at times, there was sufficient room. I should mention that there were not a ton of entrants and if more had arrived, the room would have soon gotten too small. I should also take this time to mention that the organizers were friendly and helpful, even if a stupid question or two was asked!
The vendors were a good mix of shops and individuals. The usual great bargains could be had and there were those who obviously didn't want to make any money with rather high prices. Most were selling aircraft and armor kits with a couple of folks selling car kits. All were quite pleasant and I managed to empty my wallet with no trouble.
I always like a raffle. This one was very good with a nice selection of good models. I hate it when folks give away catalogues or tubes of superglue to a raffle. Cost was basically a buck a ticket or 6 for five dollars. I got my money's worth on it and some interesting kits as well!
If anything was lacking, it was a place to relax. Some of us are there for 6-7 hours and not having chairs available can be a real problem. All the vendors tables were lunchroom tables with seats on them, but they either had goods on them or were not really thrilled about having people sitting in front of their tables. The organizers should look into providing at least folding chairs. Restroom facilities were nice and clean. Sodas, coffee, and do-nuts were available. There are lots of restaurants nearby.
The club has over 80 categories. This is nice in one way, but it also has its drawbacks. There were many categories that had none, one or two entries in it. Few categories were what I'd call well filled with entries. I personally think that the club should consider cutting back to more basic categories and then expanding them if needed when the category gets crowded. The contest needs a dedicated small scale category (1/100 and smaller) for aircraft, as it is patently unfair (in my opinion) to put a 1/144 Wildcat up against a 1/72 KC-97, for instance. And do we really need 6-7 1/48 single engine prop categories? I'm also going to take this time to mention that I don't think that out of the box should allow aftermarket seat belts/harnesses. Of course, it is their show and if you attend, you have to bide by their rules.
Despite the low entry count (less than 200), Judging took all of the 4 hours scheduled. This may be due to lack of judges, but I think that some of it had to do with them printing certificate awards. You see, they offer a trophy for 1st and a certificate for 2nd and 3rd. This is fine. I don't go to contests to win trophies, even though it is nice when it happens. However, it does take time. I must honestly say that the time from the start of judging to the end of the show is worst for me. I drove 4-5 hours to this show and most organizers don't take into consideration the distance some of us travel. We'd like to be on the road home as soon as possible.
The awards ceremony was about normal, which is to say, a bit too long. During this period, workers started disassembling the contest tables and making a horrid clatter. That was calmed down. They also announced every award winner one at a time and waited until he/she arrived to accept their award. I'd recommend either calling up all the winners in a category at once or placing the 2nd and 3rd place awards with the models and announcing only the first place winners. That will speed things up considerably, especially with all the entries that this show had. All the vendors were packed up and on their way home before all the awards were announced.
OK, so what should the organizers take from this? Good - flyer, venue, registration, raffle, refreshments, vendors, contest table height - basically all the biggies. Bad - no chairs to relax on, innumerable categories, possibly overly long judging time, long awards ceremony.
So, will I go back? You bet. despite the few things mentioned, I enjoyed the show. It was especially nice to have the ability to scarf up on cheap kits. I've been to a few shows where I left with nearly as much money as I came with thanks to the overpriced vendors- that is B.A.D. It would be great if there were more entrants and I'm sure that when Will Cook gets back to having these things annually, things will pick up.
Thanks for a fine show and I look forward to next year.