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> Where are you from?
Sydney
> What is your occupation and who do you work for?
Not at all sure what this has to do with a fest - feels like idle curiosity, but
I'll keep the vibe of the show going...
My job title says Manager Business Integration, and its something to do with
change management. I think. I work for Mallesons Stephen Jaques.
> What should Australia’s first larger private/public
> event/show/convention/fest etc be called?
Blockfest SYD (or MEL or BNE etc etc)
The Festival of the Built Environment 2004
Out of the Box
> Where should the event be held?
Depends on what you're about really. I am going to assume that its about AFOLs
coming together and having a fine time, so...
Anywhere that there are large rooms and small rooms and plenty of chairs. Oh,
and tables.
> When should it take place?
Over a long weekend as soon as humanly possible
> How many days should the event take place over?
Depends on how much interesting stuff you can string together. 3 days?
> Answering that, how many days would you attend the event?
Depends on how much interesting stuff you can string together. 3 days?
> Should there be an entry fee/ticket and how much
> should the fee/ticket cost? How much would you be
> willing to pay?
Yes we should pay, to cover the costs less what can be met by sponsors. I'd
probably pay up to $100 for the three days, but I am making a lot of assumptions
about what wonders might be there. My two sons might pay $20 each for a day.
> How many people do you think would attend such an event?
50 odd. Some extremely odd.
> Would you prefer it if the LEGO group/company were involved
> or would you prefer for them not to be?
Goodness gracious, why in Valen's name would I not what them involved. I'm
happy to see them financially supporting something I would like to go to. Less
money I have to find from somewhere else.
> Would you like to help organise it? If so how would you
> like to participate?
Yes, according to my gifts such as they are. I am a handy copywriter, not bad
at service agreements and negotiation, can organise materials layout and
printing, I build mocs, and I play BrikWars and PirateWars.
> Would you want it to attract others from other nations?
Sure. Why not. Doubt it though. But then, I didn't go to Brickfest PDX
either.
> How could/would the event be better than what other
> events around the world have to offer?
Dunno. I'd have thought we'd be thrilled if it was comparable to other events
around the world.
> Who would you like to attend?
AFOLs. And the public is fine too, but it adds a whole mess of complexity.
> What would you like to see at the event?
AFOLs, mocs, BrikWars and PirateWars
> How should it be organised?
Well.
I imagine if we are seriously considering the public, then you'll be wanting
insurance, which means you'll be wanting to form an incorporated community
group, which will want office bearers and accounts and all that. Sounds very
tedious, and that sound you're hearing is over a grand in block money laughing
its way down the drain already.
Or, we get an existing organisation (like say, um, Lego) to host the event which
probably offers the benefits of both absolute savings and the advantage of it
probably being other people's money. Then you'll probably be wanting a
committee and office bearers etc.
> What sort of Audience should the event attract? • Isn't that a bit like:
> Who would you like to attend?
AFOLs. And the public is fine too, but it adds a whole mess of complexity.
> If the event turned out to be a success, would
> you attend another?
God's Holy Trousers! If the first one is a success, I imagine I'd want to go to
the next on the succeeding long weekend.
> If you would attend the next one should it
> be held in the same place again or
> another destination in another state?
Since I don't really care where the first one is, I feel strangely unmoved by
the heady issues of the location of the second.
> Would you donate any of your ‘unwanted’ LEGO
> to the East Timor Children? (If there were a
> deposit box at the event etc).
Sure. But I think I'd prefer to send them something that they can eat. Or a
few quid to stock their schools with books and teachers and roofing. Toys are
fine, and Lego is a very fine toy, and I get the whole learning thingie, but
there are way deeper foundational issues to address in East Timor. Wouldn't
want the broader community thinking we were going to 'let them eat cake'.
> Do you think it would be a cool idea if LEGO
> organised a RLD (Red Letter Day - refer to UK
> posts) type event, for those who were interested?
No idea, and I can't be buggered to go frolicking about in some antipodean
newsgroup to find out. I like the colour red though. Particularly on a pretty
girl. Am I close?
> Do you think it would be cool if LEGO gave us
> a chance (if ever possible) to buy bulk bricks
> from the event?
Sure. I can buy bulk bricks now one way or another. I don't because I do not
want to part with the requisite cash. I guess if Lego starting throwing
discounted anything at me I'd be at least mildly interested. But see I'm not
there for the goodies and the headlines, I'm there to talk to folks with whom I
share a hobby, to enjoy their company and to fool aboout.
> Would you like to buy stuff not normally available to us at the event?
Can't think of anything I can't get that I want. Maybe its a lack of
imagination.
> Would you like to see a ‘World Record’ type activity held at the event?
Can't think of anything more tedious. I fully agree that its cool for jagging
the attention of a story strapped community journo, and might be good for
helping engage sponsors, but I can't imagine actually doing anything directly
related myself. I see that someplace in the world today the record for the
longest sausage was broken, and the new mark stands at 2,020m. I can't get past
asking 'why?'.
> Would you like to see a Commemorative Brick,
> especially made for us, at the
> event? (Like the Promotional Duplo bricks).
Sure. I'd like one as a keepsake fine. Sell them to cover the costs. For the
costs to be reasonable, you'll need to buy quite a few.
> If you were from Overseas, would you like to
> attend an event like this held in Australia?
> If so, would you like to contribute anything
> towards it? (Display, Presentation etc).
If I understand this, its like asking would I go to a fest in NZ etc etc.
No.
I might send them a quid to be going on with it though.
> What do you think would be the overall ideal event
> to be held for Australia’s first large event like
> this? (besides whatever LEGO already do and the National
> meets).
Modular landscapes. PirateWars. Technic robot thingie competitions.
> What was the last event/show/convention/fest etc
> did you last attend that meant
> the most to you? What was the highlight of it?
5 of us got together on the weekend and I had a fine time. Moreso than I
expected.
> Anything I have missed that you would like to add?
The concept of trying to organise fest on the scale of Brickfest PDX scares the
stuffing out of me. I can see a large number of reasons why the situations is
very different and considerably less conducive.
Having had 3 national fests, we seem to find ourselves not planning one for this
year, which would not seem to augur well.
I guess I see the incremental approach. Do another national fest for a day and
do the stuff we like to do for ourselves, and look at it, and ask whether the
public might be interested. If you think yes, then work out on the day how the
national fest would have to be different to accommodate the public, take some
pictures, and put together some promotional material, and invite them along to
the next one, maybe for 2 days, at a registered club somewhere. And if the
public thingie works, then work out on the day how it could be better if you had
a chunk of money, take some pictures and put together some promotional material
and go talk to some sponsors. Get some money from Lego (not because they love
us, but because they see the future value in the public that can be reached).
Hell, after that, you can start thinking about whether this fest can become a
moveable feast and go touring Australia with it, and a small staff of fulltime
employees!
In this way, in fairly low risk and incremental steps, and without burning
anyone out or risking turning off the very AFOLs we would like to encourage, we
can step up to the plate.
This needn't take four years - you could probably get away with each iteration
taking three months or so, for a 12 month programme.
Dunno.
In the meantime, a worthy subject on which to muse.
Richard
Still baldly going...
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