When will the next Orchid Show be held?????

[Keysguy]

Those societies that have already invested in a 2020 show that had to be cancelled must really be on the edge about teeing up a 2021 show with the very real possibility that they might have to cancel again and sustain additional financial loss.

Those that were among the first to have to cancel (FEB-March 2020) need to be making a go, no go decision pretty soon. Wish I had a crystal ball to see if and when we'll ever be able to hold a "normal" show again. And I would also have zero clue how you'd pull off a "socially distanced" show where the society could actually make money let alone break even.

I'm really curious what people are hearing within their local societies. What's the scuttlebutt?

[DirtyCoconuts]

This is not from an orchid society but is dis read an interesting article about gatherings and how they might evolve. I think the biggest challenge will be staggering attendance. It seems that having x number of people enter per hour is the best way to keep the numbers down while allowing events to still happen.

In some states they are probably ready to start things like this. Others are far away

[rbarata]

Who knows?

[Leafmite]

Our Society, Greater Akron Orchid Society, has decided to hold their show the first weekend of March. Money is already being spent. We were able to hold our show this year as it took place just around the time that Covid19 came to Ohio. We hold all our meetings over Zoom but we do not see any way to have an orchid show and orchid judging over Zoom. Should be interesting.....

[Keysguy]

Originally Posted by DirtyCoconuts

This is not from an orchid society but is dis read an interesting article about gatherings and how they might evolve. I think the biggest challenge will be staggering attendance. It seems that having x number of people enter per hour is the best way to keep the numbers down while allowing events to still happen.

In some states they are probably ready to start things like this. Others are far away

Well, that would be our issue, right? The expenses are essentially fixed regardless of the attendance. If attendance say could only be 50%, I'd vote not to do it because we'd lose our a$$ financially....again!

Our Society, Greater Akron Orchid Society, has decided to hold their show the first weekend of March. Money is already being spent.

Ours is supposed to be last weekend of March so this insight is valuable. I get your point about the $ because that's exactly why I'm asking what others are thinking.
We had a fair amount of sunk cost into last years show that was cancelled and I don't want us to go down that path again. Plus, I'm about to start putting out invitations and contracts to vendors in another month if we decide to press on.

[DirtyCoconuts]

I think that digital attendance is a good way to make some of the cost up. Have good live feeds with maybe a 3D tour

Also, make the raffles a bigger deal and include the online tickets. That way people who want to support the club and maybe see some cool plants can do so without leaving and can still win a nice plant or two

Also live stream the lectures for digital tickets etc

You might end up with less people but more tickets sold.

Try to convince vendors to do as much advance sales and have the buyers use the show as a pick up. They buy a ticket instead of paying the shipping.

[Roberta]

A lot depends on the venue... and conditions in the location. San Francisco OS has cancelled the February show, might combine it with their summer Orchids in the Park but the venue is a public building associated with the Arboretum - and so far they don't have any indication from the venue that permission is possible. The Santa Barbara show normally in March is on hold, probably won't happen... they got badly burned when the hammer came down just as the show was to open (everything was already set up) and so they are in a very bad place financially. San Diego (usually at end of March) is also unlikely... if things change there is enough lead time that it could happen (small enough to be nimble) but I'm not holding my breath. Nobody wants to be caught like Santa Barbara was last year... that sort of loss can be fatal. So the calendar is still blank.

[Keysguy]

DC--- some credible ideas there. Thank you.

Roberta-- thank you for your input. We were scheduled for last weekend in March and had to shut it all down just two weeks prior. Bad but goodness gracious, thankfully we weren't all set up like Santa Barbara was.
We were trying a new venue for the March '20 show and they have been very agreeable and helpful through this whole mess or we'd be even worse off financially.

[DirtyCoconuts]

Venues are in the toughest spot so they really have to be as flexible as their financial situation allows bc “places of gathering” is the most dangerous thing right now and that is definitionally what they are

[Leafmite]

It is just a crazy time.

I am actually really enjoying our Zoom Orchid Society meetings. I do not have to travel and we are getting great speakers who would not normally travel here to Ohio. Personally, I would probably love an entirely Zoom Orchid Show. It would be so much less work and I could enjoy everything...without travel.

The problem is, not having 'in real life' shows really hurts vendors. I have often had people describe an orchid (for which they have no idea of a name) and helped them find the orchid (which they buy from the vendor). Orchids, like many flowers, always look much better in real life. Impulse buying probably accounts for much of a vendor's profits. Third, people who want to grow orchids but believe them difficult like being able to ask the vendor or an orchid society member how to grow the orchids correctly. Once they are satisfied that orchids are not as difficult as they feared, they buy some orchids to try. Last of all, if someone wants more orchids and remembers how nice a vendor was at the show, they might look at the tag, google the vendor online and buy more orchids from the vendor. All of this means more profits for the vendor.