Quote from: "Fuzzy"This is a business event Graham, not a friendly get together.

I will have to 100% disagree with you on this, I do this because I love out art and I have found something in life that I completely feel comfortable with.
I did run the days for a while with no sponsorship and paid for the events myself and paying to get the first star names over as well, and yes I did loose a few pennies but it was what I wanted to do, to give something back that has given myself so much pleasure over the years. David's death was also a factor in the way my life has progressed but I took the bull by the horns so to speak and got up off my backside and made things happen.

I appreciate some people may not get me and what I'm about, I am a little sarcatsic with my sense of humour and if I have upset anyone over the years and I probably have, how about using this as an olive branch and giving me another go as you may be surprised that I'm not as bad as some people may make me out to be, I think my heart is in the right place.

As said before I'm still as passionate now as I was all those years ago, there are so many lovely people in our industry who I'm more than happy to help out if required.

I could spend my time more productively earning money elsewhere than at a care & share day but I choose to have the fun of a day above all else, my choice and I would not have it any other way. I still get the excitement of learning a new model/technique after all these years. The days are a fun get together for anyone to attend not just members of the balloon artistes guild, the club was only set up to give us the working capital to pay for the lecturers to come over so that they could share their knowledge with like minded enthusiastic balloon artistes.

Keep it up Graham.. we are behind you

You have inspired us to move forward and if that can happen after all our time, new people must be totally bowled over by what goes on on the days..

If you think things are still the same as they where and theres nothing for you.... think again and go and look at the pictures where we all made airplanes, but don tlook at them as you would never make some thing like that ( who knows!!) but at the smiles and fun on the faces of those at the day

Pam
xx

When it comes to running business driven balloon days Graham is no Alan Sugar... unlimited events, three DVDs for £99 a year, seriously stay clear of Dragon's Den. It's a club for like minded people who pay a small fee to help with expenses.

Fuzzy, how you can ever say it is a business is beyond me. Graham must sell a few hundred pounds worth of stock at the most and any small profit is well deserved.

BTW, I have a great poem for you (you may have heard it already)...

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear
A bear was Fuzzy Wuzzy
When Fuzzy Wuzzy lost his hair
He wasn't Fuzzy Wuzzy!

 

Keep it up Graham  
Nippy 99 you crack me up!!  

Quote from: "Fuzzy"This is a business event Graham, not a friendly get together.

Erm - you can't have been to any of the C&S Days I've been to then, Fuzzy.

BTW - in my 'real' job I go to business events and training.  A week's training is normally coming in at about £3000.  About £500-£600 for a one day event, usually miles away from my home (ie, London).

A few quid for a great day of fun with like minded, kind, funny people is SO removed from my real life that I can promise you, this is not a business event.

Keep up the great work Graham.  I have learned so much, laughed loads and met so many wonderful people through the Care and Share Days.  Oh, and no charging £600 a day now, ok?)  

--Neil

Well I veer away from controversy now as I usually end up with egg on my face. But I have to say a few things.  And no doubt upset some people.  First of all Nippy you crack me up.  Your poem made me laugh.  

Secondly I put my hands up to something.  I was doing a gig in the morning so arrived half way through the day.  I sat with Ingrid to say hello as she is a good friend but I don't get the chance to meet her often.  I thought I was talking quiet but I think Ingrid and I were two of the guilty parties (talking).  I really thought I was keeping my voice down but obviously not.  So I hope everyone including Dennis will accept my sincere apologies for this as I know what it is like when someone talks over your lecture.  You can all line up to smack my wrist nest time I am there and I promise to keep mum as I should.  Yes I should know better if that was aimed at me.  

Now Fuzzy - What? I dont recall you attending days.  Maybe you have attended one?  Maybe you could grace us with your presence at some future days if you feel so strongly.  That would be nice.  I look forward to seeing you soon.

About the "only a business" comment, I know for a fact that Graham spent money on the days and provided his own balloons out of his own pocket at the beginning.  He charged £10 for the day and gave three bags of balloons away at the end which would have cost about £10.  So he made not one penny profit from the attendance fee and also had to pay for the balloons everyone was using, the travel expenses he incurred to get around different parts of the country to make it easy for people to attend, hotel accommodation because he had to travel up the night before to be able to get to the venue in time in the morning and of course the hire of the hall.  I know that most of the people who attended were not awaare that Graham was paying so much money out of his own pocket to promote and improve our twisting skills.  Until the days started we had no organised twisting days in this country.  Now we have contacts via this site for support and advice and "networking".  We have days we can all pool our knowledge and build our skills.  Yes now Graham has sponsorship for the days and good for him.  You couldn't expect him to go on for ever pay9ing out of his own pocket for people to come to these days.  Even when he was people still used to have a moan at him, steal balloons and leave without helping put away at the end.(not everyone on that).  It seems to me that we all have a lot to thank Graham for and just because he does not blow his own trumpet it does not mean he isnt still putting himself out for us all.  Before the club started he had to take a gamble when he got a star lecturer here.  He had to pay the air fare and a fee for them to do the lecture with no guarantee that he would break even.  And he didnt.  Don't be cynical and think "well he must be getting a load of money out of it or he wouldnt do it."  Thats not true.  These days would never have started in the first place if Graham had not been so generous.  I think it was a good idea to ask people for ideas on how to make the days run more smoothly.  My short reply to his problems is simple.  It is very cheap to come - not like Neil says a heavy fee for a day.  All we need to do is show a little respect and give a few minutes each as he has requested.  I dont think he is asking too much for a few minutes tidy.

Hi Thelma

I appreciate your honesty and your apology is readily accepted. As the person who made the original comment 'should have know better' I will put my hands up and say I meant you! I didn't want to rock the boat or cause trouble both during and after the day so didn't want to be specific. Next time I'll shout over and tell you to shut up - in a nice way of course  

I am sure Graham doesn't want for this to become a 'caress his ego' thread BUT let's get everything in perspective, Graham does an amazing job and we really should be grateful. I've learned new models and hints and tips that I would never have learned had it not been for the C&S days.

Fuzzy - I'm afraid you are a lone voice here. I'm all for honest and open feedback but you are wrong on all counts. Sorry mate.

Hi,  I have only attended 1 care and share day which I enjoyed.  

I look at this site every day, promise you.....  I sometimes reply to a post if I can, what I do not do is take part in the little competitions that go on  :oops: something I will try to do on a more regular basis.

Maybe there are a few people like me,   :?:   we look and make a few comments but as a Balloon Decorator I really did not think that I had much to offer in way of posting pictures -  this I now see is wrong and no matter what they look like we should make the effort and join in more . Even if its rubbish then maybe people could post their "  if you put a bubble here " advice

I work full time,  run my balloon decor biss,  see customers in the week as I am sure a lot of us do , all I am saying is that I will make more of an effort  :lol:

Rgds Debbie xx

OK as the lecturer of the first day and president of United Twisters I will give my 2 cents here.
About the talking:
I must admit I did not suffer from Ingrid and Thelma talking (could be that I just filter my wife's voices anyway? ), but I can imagine people who are following the explanations are distracted by them.
Here with our meetings I always encourage the attendees to confront the talkers directly, this way everybody speaks there minds and it is settled quickly.
Same with mobile phones, this is just a courtesy thing. Not only in lectures/meetings, but just in general in supermarkets, restaurants, public transport, etc. etc.
If you want to make phonecalls, don't bother others with it and go outside and take care of them.

Cleaning, I myself never mind helping out. Even when I attend events I always try to help. With this you created a group feeling and when everybody helps you can all go out to the bar together.
With UT we always have a group of about 20 people helping with setting up the room (tables, chairs, etc) and cleaning up. The first meeting we ever had (in January 2009) I told the members that the club we have is not my club, but our club, so every member is responsible for it.
This also includes cleaning up. I told the members that if we would see that this would not work I would point out 3 people at each meeting who are responsible for the cleaning afterwards. Until now I never had to do this and we can all enjoy the fun in the bar at the same time.
As for the sculptures that are still good looking and nobody want to take we have a deal with a school here so they take them all as decorations for in the school and we do not have to pop them all.

As for the paying versus helping part. Believe me that the amount you pay as a member is just enough to cover the costs (and the more members the higher the costs are), so that comment is better ignored. We have a saying here in Holland that goes "if you know better, do it yourself and find out". It is hard to translate, but I think it covers the subject pretty good.

To finish of on a positive note, it was a blast and if Graham ever asks me to come over and make new friends and meet old ones while lecturing I will not hesitate (and help clean up with a big smile    )

I would have no hesitation in asking you back Dennis, people have been emailing and gettting in touch with very positive comments about the day and your lecture.
The thing that impressed me the most was you at the second party day sitting in the front row and just joining in like all the others,
it came across as you just love latex like the rest of us so thanks for coming over  
Thanks for your comments and hope to see you at the event in Holland at the end of Oct, please let me have all the details to promote it on the site.

I have been reading all the comments on this thread with intrest, still with the (is this a business questionin the back
of my mind). I have just read Dennis' and Graham's comments, and it reminds me that when Graham first booked
Dennis for the 'David Grist memorial lecture'  Dennis readily agreed to do the lecture and asked that he received no
payment, becaus he was so honoured to do this.( Graham was able to convince Dennis to accept a small payment)
But to me this gesture is what makes our very small industry very special.
Good on you Dennis
                                                      Colin

Yes I did mention at the day that Dennis kindly offered to do the lecture just for travelling expenses which was nice of him but I thought unfair as the lecture did take Dennis and Ingrid
three full days with travelling. I paid the going rate that seems to be an industry standard.

Hi Graham, not been on the forum since the care and share day, so just read this post (not read all the comments yet)... here are my comments

People abusing free balloons - difficult one to remedy I think - I think it is good to have the balloons needed to twist along available during the day, but, as is the nature nowadays, if it is free - it is abused. There are 2 suggestions I had, both mean more work for yourself though. 1st is to discuss with the person running the day about what balloons are needed for the sculptures being taught, then have those balloons in packs for each person attending... doubt it may work as a lot of work for yourself or the lecturer prior to the day. 2nd is for the balloons to be available but not freely available - so that each time balloons are needed - either yourself or volunteers get them and pass them out... kinda happened like that on the day, but as the balloons were still nearby - they were still open to abuse. Not sure there is an easy answer for this one.

People Talking - Rachel and I both commented on this ourselves on the day. It is downright rude to have a conversation when a lecturer is talking - the room is big enough that if you need a chat, then move to the other side of the room or outside. It was sometimes hard to concentrate on what Dennis was saying when people are jabbering away behind you. Banter and fun during lectures is fine, but at this care and share day, some people were just holding their own conversation - I expect that it will come out on the dvd also, which is unfair for those not attending the day if it is hard to hear Dennis.

Mobile Phones - I always put mine on silent, don't why others cannot do the same - it is disruptive.

Videoing - I will admit, that I am a person who would always like to video lecturs as it is hard for me to remember every twist discussed on the day - but that is why I paid the money to be a part of the Guild. So in that respect, anyone videoing is wrong. If people want a video - then pay for the guild like the rest of us!


Tidying up - First I will say, though we were not mentioned in your post - Rachel and I both helped to tidy up at the end of the day, like we do at every day we attend, we always make sure that the area we sit in is completely clean. We also commented on how many people just left and didn't help to tidy - it is just unacceptable. If you make a mess - tidy it up!!! How to stop it? Again not sure - as the people who don't tidy up, obviously don't really care. Maybe name and shame them on the forum - though they probably would just take it as a joke. Maybe charge everyone attending the day a fee to cover tidying - then if they help tidy up then they get the money back... hit 'em in the wallet. Then the money left over can pay for some bags of balloons for those who tidy up after them. Maybe make a big deal out of it at the day itself - if someone is leaving, then from the stage ask them whether they are intending on tidying up after themselves before they go.

I am glad you brought these things up, as these are the kind of things that have been spoiling the days for Rachel and I.

I wish people would realise that it is a Care and Share day - so care about the other people there by not talking, turning off the phone and not abusing the free balloons and share in the tidying up!!!

One idea that just came to me... Maybe if we bring a loads of carrier bags and attach one to each chair at the side or back, then it may encourage people to put discarded scraps in the bags as they go along.

Just an idea

Went to Twistina's Day Wednesday - just for the morning session as booking in afternoon...

I know the days Graham puts on are 'Care and Share' Days and agree with what they are about..

BUT... when its a normal day PLEASE share your knowledge and skills with who ever wants to be shown if you wish...

BUT when someone has come to do a lecture, the people who come decide they wish to... if its beyond their skill level.... then its beyond their skill level...

We have many levels in this entertainment now... Please DO NOT insult the person on stage or the rest of us who have taken time out to be there by adding a very very basics class in the middle of the room, because a group of people have no knowledge of the basics... The day had started with a basics class run by Graham and moved on to Twistina and her designs..

I know we all like to share, but remember Twistina was doing that too.... Its about all of us not just new people


Sorry to put this, but I thought it very rude and done by someone I would have thought better of

Pam
xx