It's probably getting to be time to start planning for a 2004 Forum Gathering. If you have ideas or would be interested in helping to organize it, step right up and let us know.

[This message was edited by Allen White on May 14, 2003 at 02:49 PM.]

I think we ought to have it in Denver.

I wonder if we could do something in Nashville in conjunction with the NAMM show. It's July 23-25 in 2004...

I'm definitely up for attending, and could help organize. One thing about the NAMM show -- they're incredibly picky about letting non-music retailers in. It's remarkable.

I lived in Nashvegas for six years and have lots of contacts there if we decide we do want to hold it there.

I don't know if people could get in the show, but we would be able to attend non-NAMM type activities and maybe host a hospitality room or something for the Collings folks. Maybe we could get Collings to let us auction off a couple NAMM passes. The winners would get to help out in the Collings booth for some amount of time. The proceeds could be used to offset the hospitality room or the forum expenses for Ed. I don't know. Just thinking out loud.

One other thing is we need to find somebody who can take the lead in planning the 2004 gathering and become the moderator for this portion of the forum. I just don't have time to do it again next year. If anybody wants to do that just send me an email at allenwhite@austin.rr.com or respond here.

Why not Austin, with tour of the company? (or has that been done -- I'm new to this).

I just saw that 03 was in March in Austin -- which is a great time there because it is both SXSW and the rodeo and stock show.

Does the company give any real support to the gathering? Local music venues? Strait Music (the Austin Collings dealer)?

It appears from photos that only a half-dozen came.

Several of us got together in Austin this year. It was the first and put together by Allen White, who did a fabulous job. I wouldn't say Collings sponsored the gathering, but they sure gave us a lot of time, and Bill Collings himself lead the tour. He spend most of the day with us. We also had a BBQ dinner with some of the Collings crew, and Collings (probably Steve McCreary) organized a really great bluegreass band to play while we ate.

Going to visit Austin and Collings is a great thing to do. I've make the trek twice and have enjoyed myself both times. That said, I probably won't be making the trip again anytime soon, so another local guitar player and Collings owner and myself have started investigating having some kind of guitar gathering in the Denver area next year. My local Collings dealer, also a dealer in other fine guitars, would be glad to help host. He also has part ownership in a performance venue right next door to his store which would host a gathering perfomance, open mic, etc. Anyway, far from real yet, but we have a couple 3 interested parties starting to organize.

Well, Denver is a great town, so I'd be up for that; or nashville and coattail the NAMM as Allen suggested.