Calling Scotland ... why should we go to Stirling?

[Dave Watterson]

The Autumn Conference - or AGM weekend as it is morer prosaically known - takes place in Stirling in mid October.

Come on, Scottish readers - tell us why we should come.

Dave

[Mike Shaw]

As a mere sassenach... in no particular order, as they say ...

The planned excursions look very good indeed (a trip round a distillery ... yes please!)

The Scots are excellent and wonderful hosts - as I have experienced to my pleasure.

It is an opportunity to meet with people one has only a rare opportunity to meet in a country of outstanding beauty - word is that Peter and Mary of Guernsey Lily fame will be up there this year as well.

And ... I'm going.

What more could one possibly ask for Dave?
(You are going, of course?)

[Lee Prescott]

Well Mike, when you wander around that distillery ---- The Trip....
now that's likely - to be more likely - Trip I mean....careful of the free samples.

and.....don't forget the Toast: = "Slanj", then our intrepid Scots friend Dave might
reply "Slanj-uh va"....
hope I've got the linguistics correct

I can't make it as my "sell by date" is catching up now so enjoy it all!

"Slanj" --- Lee.

[Mike Shaw]

Thanks for the 'advice' Lee ... I look forward to the odd 'slanj', especially as on this occasion I won't be driving to the venue ...

[Dave Watterson]

Hmmm. No Scots have commented yet.

[Lee Prescott]

Well Dave, maybe no Scotties have responded 'cos they don't
sprechen der Englisch ?

immer wieder versuchen ! Ha!

Cheers.....Lee.

[Brian Saberton]

Hopefully everyone has read my piece in the June Film & Video Maker which gives you all the reasons you need to come to Stirling for the AGM. We have already received a substantial number of bookings with the majority of guests coming on the Thursday to make a real holiday out of it. In fact the numbers for Thursday have far exceeded our expectations and we had to increase our room allocation quite early on. We have some cracking tours and who could resist the chance of a sail on Loch Katrine, a visit to Stirling Castle, a trip on the Falkirk Wheel, a tour of the Scottish Parliament building and the Palace of Holyrood House or a splendid scenic drive via Loch's Lubnaig and Loch Earn to the Famous Grouse distillery?

On the Thursday evening I'm giving a personal audio visual show on a Scottish theme (well, I didn't say the weekend was perfect!). Friday night's programme is being kept slightly under wraps at the moment. We have an excellent guest speaker for Sunday afternoon in Janet McBain who recently retired as Curator of the Scottish Screen Archive. Janet is a real enthusiast for film and is a highly entertaining speaker. All that plus the Mermaid and Mini-Mermaid competitions.

You can be sure of a warm welcome, good company, fine food and comfortable accommodation in the Stirling Management Centre which is situated within the 300 acre campus of Stirling University - you could even have a stroll around the lake before breakfast if you feel like the exercise.

[Dave Watterson]

I can second the praise for the venue itself and for Janet McBain. I look forward to Brian's show because I have always enjoyed his films but do not know his still photography.

But the other things need some additional promotion. We have all seen film of the Falkirk Wheel but Loch Katrine is not well-known outside (furth of) Scotland. As an old Edinburgher I know Holyrood House, but do others understand that it is the Scottish equivalent of Buckingham Palace - the Queen's official residence in the capital? Do those who have not had to pay for it know what makes the Scottish Partliament Building so special?

I am being serious ... the names are not enough!

Dave

[Mike Shaw]

I can enjoy it all except that bit about the stroll round the lake - before breakfast even!

Walking is not my scene. Strolling is associated with walking. And the day starts with a wake-up brew at breakfast ... there is no activity apart from rising and ablutions 'before breakfast' on my clock.

But Dave? Does this mean you are going too? Sounds like it's going to be a great turn-out. Around 11 of us so far are grouping together for the train journey - and that includes some who never (normally) go to AGM weekends!

Well done SAMS on putting on a splendid show for us!

[Dave Watterson]

Yes, I would not miss this weekend ... though the Autumn Conventions usually leave me cold.

My concern is that so much preparatory work has gone into it that there is a loss of energy at the publicity stage. There is an assumption that "everyone knows about ..."

Brian's article in FVM and the various flyers help, but all tend to repeat a list of outings without spelling out what makes them attractive.

I care little for the AGM, but as many people as possible should experience the warmth, friendliness and energy of a major SAM event.

Come on, Scotland, SELL it to us!

Dave

[Mike Shaw]

A heck of a lot of preparatory work goes into every one of these events - AGM or BIAFF: far more than one might imagine. It is at least two years of pretty hard graft with a lot of attention needed for even the smallest details. But - I think the excursions generally speak for themselves. In this case, just the nature of the excursions and the number and variety of them were enough to make me seek out the booking form and I know others felt the same. I think SAMS has done an absolutely excellent job - I know that a couple of years ago they were very worried and concerned they wouldn't be able to attract people up to Stirling and that the costs of everything looked frighteningly high: we had similar fears with Worthing last year, with only a couple of (expensive) excursions to offer. AGMs per se are not the most exciting of events - and (thankfully) last only about 20 minutes anyway!

I don't think SAMS need have any fears - from what Brian says, bookings seem to be going well and that means we should have a jolly good gathering, with lots of the wonderful Scottish hospitality. But of course, the more the merrier - I'm sure they'd be delighted to be 'overbooked' and have to find Annexe hotels etc!

[Dave Watterson]

My aim precisely!

[Mike Shaw]

[Lee Prescott]

Hey Dave, (and All),

"An old 'Edinburgher' " that sounds edible....! As most great Scots food is.
I guess now that we'll all have to call you "The Duke"!

Holyrood House must be well known we've just had Mr.and Mrs. Tindall's
after nuptials munching there! Pics. are all over my morning paper!

Re the Scots Parliament Building - sorry - but I thought we'd all helped pay for it!
Looks nice and interesting though for a Temple of "Hot Air"!

Anyway, happy times, (as I'm sure they will be), to all who can go.

Sorry I will miss out.

Cheers......Lee.

[Brian Saberton]

I can assure Dave that the we have not run out of energy on the publicity, or indeed any front, for the AGM which has generated bookings that, as I said, have exceeded our expectations. As far as the tours are concerned the visit to the Scottish Parliament was included following requests from a number of members and I would be very surprised if people aren't aware of the Palace of Holyrood House, the charms of the Trossachs or, indeed Loch Katrine. Garth was very generous in the amount of space he allocated to me in FVM over two editions to give information about the weekend, but with so much on offer I couldn't go into extensive detail and I would argue that to have done so might have been counter productive. After all, I wanted people to read the article, look at the pictures and get just enough information to whet their appetite and think about coming to the event without being bombarded with too much detail which could have made the article indegestable. The high number of bookings suggests that this is what has happened. Mike Shaw is correct when he talks about the amount of work that goes into organising such an event; it's a massive job and we have, and are, working very hard indeed to make the weekend a success and ensure that everyone has a good time.