Keystone Division

Jamboree Report/Recommendations

Designate one person to run the clinic program. It is just too much work to chair the event and secure clinicians/set up the clinic program.

Designate a clinic chairman at least 9 months before the Jamboree as it takes a long time to secure clinicians and set up the program.

Encourage all Division 2 members to be on the look out for potential clinicians throughout the year. This would greatly assist the clinic chairman.

Designate a publicity chairman to promote the event, distribute fliers, contact newspapers and publications, etc.

Continue to use the Sewell Center…it got nothing but rave reviews from everybody.

Move the date to the first Saturday in April. This will lessen the risk of snow, and allow us to recruit attendees from Divisions 4 and 5 (Cleveland area) who may instead choose to attend the Kirtland show (also held the third weekend of March). This is also early enough to prevent the risk of conflict with regional conventions which are often held starting in mid-April. Establish this as the permanent date for the Jamboree.

Poll the current division membership if they want to upgrade the food service at the expense of having to raise the Jamboree registration fee.

If after all accounting is done for the current Jamboree and there is found to be a significant financial loss, poll the division membership to see if they would be willing to raise the registration fee so that the event breaks even.

Consider reestablishing a self guided layout tour the Sunday following the Jamboree. I held one for the out of towners, and it was very successful in getting them to attend.

Analysis of the registration data shows that almost all of the increase in registration numbers was due to the three railers that I encouraged to attend the Jamboree. Interestingly, attendance was up 23% compared to the 2005 Jamboree, and 23% of our registrants were three railers. Many of them were from out of town. Most attended because I recruited several well known three railers to serve as clinicians. However, I asked them to speak on subjects of interest to model railroaders in any scale. It obviously worked in terms of increasing attendance, and reducing the financial loss. I would recommend doing this again, but also attempt to attract well known N, S, Narrow gauge, and large scale clinicians, as these groups were all poorly represented at the Jamboree.

Expand the above idea by establishing a third clinic room for scale specific clinics to again encourage attendance by model railroaders besides those working in HO scale. One or two clinics from each scale could be presented in this room during the course of the day.

Consider moving the Free-Mo layout to the long and wide hallway behind the International Suite which would about double the amount of linear footage available for the layout.

Better publicize or re-evaluate the A-V room which appeared to be underutilized during the day.

Ideas for next year’s banquet speaker (someone special since it is our 50th anniversary): Sam Posey (race car driver) who wrote “Playing with Trains”, Howard Zane who wrote “My Life with Trains”, or the fellow from England who models Pittsburgh and whose photos appeared in the 2006 NMRA calendar. Assuming extra expense to recruit these people, ask them to give a clinic as well.

Continue to use the La Quinta to house out of towners…they were quite accommodating

We barely fit everyone in the International Suite for lunch. If registration increases, move the white elephant tables to the entry hall.

Secure a few more displays or modular layouts for the entry area which has sufficient space to accommodate them.

Continue the aggressive raffle program. I believe it raised three times what which was raised in 2005.

Respectfully submitted,

Neal Schorr
2007 Jamboree Chair