Pat Brennan wrote:
If we are talking ribbonned shows, I agree with Diana. I would even say
that you would be insane to attempt a ribbonned show without the support of
AOS judges. There is just too much learned knowledge about judging shows,
too many tried rules and schedules, and just too much raw man and woman
power that comes with the AOS judges. Tennis, if you do not understand what
I am trying to say, I highly recommend that you hang out at a couple of
shows from the time registration opens until the start of the preview party.
It will blow your mind; the work, the lost nights sleep, and the skill,
experience, and the dedication of the various people making it happen. I
think you would have more fun repeatedly hitting your thumb with a hammer
than producing a ribbonned show with out the support of AOS judging.

There is nothing that says you show has to be ribbonned, but it would not be
what most of us think of as an orchid show. That is not a bad thing.
Orchids shows are having a hard time right now and maybe a society thinking
outside of the box could come up with a very successful format.

Pat


Although I appreciate the input, my focus here is in trying to find out
from people who have actual experience with such shows and whether they
have been successful, rather than evaluating the possibility in a
theoretical fashion.

Of course, such a show would include ribbon judging, easily accomplished
by experienced orchidists as it is currently done at our second show of
the year, a smaller show than our annual AOS-judged affair. I have been
involved sufficiently with shows to be familiar with the mechanics
involved in the entire judging process, and, more importantly, the expense.

Our current set-up is a full-scale show in the spring and a
smaller-scale show in the fall which we have been ramping up in
preparation to making it a second full-scale AOS-judged show. Our chief
problem has been in getting willing volunteers to set-up, clerk, and man
the various operations involved. No-one seems to be willing to do
anything anymore, and we have scaled back our plans for the second full
show and decided for now to keep it as a smaller-scale non-AOS judged
show. It has brought the entire concept of AOS membership (as a society)
and AOS judging into question. As times are hard and belts
(includingthose of organizations such as ours) tighten, all expenses are
subjuect to new scrutiny.

'Contributions' to judging centers, Orchids, AQ - and the required
laptop, expenses associated with judging (photography, judges'
luncheons, judges' coupons, etc, add up to a sizeable portion of the
organizational budget. Revenue sources are becoiming less reliable and
budgets must be evaluated with an eye at ensuring solvency.