where is Rendez-vous 2009 being held?

[+dragonflys]

maybe I am all hyped from Geowoodstock but wouldn't it be nice to have a Canadian Mega event that goes around the country each summer? There are some strong associations in Canada that could pull it off for sure. What do you think?

[+northernpenguin]

maybe I am all hyped from Geowoodstock but wouldn't it be nice to have a Canadian Mega event that goes around the country each summer? There are some strong associations in Canada that could pull it off for sure. What do you think?

 

Hmmm. Hopefully that would be out west.... I'm ALREADY touring Atlantic Canada this year before I head to the Quebec event.... need an excuse to go out to Banff

[+dragonflys]

would be good if it would be east one year and west next to spread it out, I think Alberta or BC would be an great choice for 2009

 

maybe I am all hyped from Geowoodstock but wouldn't it be nice to have a Canadian Mega event that goes around the country each summer? There are some strong associations in Canada that could pull it off for sure. What do you think?

 

Hmmm. Hopefully that would be out west.... I'm ALREADY touring Atlantic Canada this year before I head to the Quebec event.... need an excuse to go out to Banff

[+res2100]

would be good if it would be east one year and west next to spread it out, I think Alberta or BC would be an great choice for 2009

I agree with you...And the middle of summer is a great time to do it in, since the kids are out of school so it's easier for families to plan their summer vacation to correspond to events. The timing for Rendez-Vous Quebec worked out perfectly for us this year. Although we weren't planning on going to Quebec, we were planning on going to the Maritimes, so the Quebec event is only a small detour on the way home and we'll be staying for 4 nights. Would be nice to have it on the West part of Canada somwhere as I have never been to BC before. I'm sure BC could pull it off easily, but not sure if any other Canadian provinces could get the numbers that Quebec is getting.

[+northernpenguin]

I'm sure BC could pull it off easily, but not sure if any other Canadian provinces could get the numbers that Quebec is getting.

 

As New York state just pulled off a Mega in a park just an hour south of the Border, I'm going to suggest that it's neighbor Ontario could pull off a Mega should the local caching community(s) want to come together to do it.

[+dragonflys]

cross border caching is a definite draw, many from Maine are going to the Quebec Mega as it is the closest Mega thay will be able to go to

I'm sure BC could pull it off easily, but not sure if any other Canadian provinces could get the numbers that Quebec is getting.

 

As New York state just pulled off a Mega in a park just an hour south of the Border, I'm going to suggest that it's neighbor Ontario could pull off a Mega should the local caching community(s) want to come together to do it.

[+Thedaviesnisus]

I'm from Windsor, and many of our events are attended by many of our American Geocaching friends. I too have attended many events in the Michigan area. So the idea of planning an event near an international border crossing is a great idea. I know that Windsor is a great border city, and is a strong caching community. I would definetly love to be part of the planning committee for something in the area.

It would be great to have an event that moves aaround the country to showcase the variety Canada has ro offer.

[+wheezor]

Is Rendez-vous Quebec the same time each year?

[+shearzone]

I'm sure BC could pull it off easily, but not sure if any other Canadian provinces could get the numbers that Quebec is getting.

 

Sounds like we have a non-believer here

[+wheezor]

I think the numbers are possible wherever an event is organized as long as you have the right people organizing.

[+dragonflys]

I quite agree, timing is an issue too. Is someone in BC thinking about it

I think the numbers are possible wherever an event is organized as long as you have the right people organizing.

[+res2100]

Sounds like we have a non-believer here

 

I'm not sure about other parts of Canada, but I just don't think it's possible here in Ontario to pull off a mega event, atleast not here in Southern Ontario where I am from. I honestly don't think anyone could do it at the moment. Maybe Ottawa could. We've just hosted a very large event here with a goal of 300 attendees and fell just short of that mark (we would have been the first to pass the 300 mark in Ontario, but unfortunately the rain kept some people away). Others have had their sights set on mega in the past and got less than half of what they expected. For us in Southern Ontario a huge event would be 200-300 people and that would be a handful and a lot of time to organize based on experience.

 

Although it sounds cool at the thought of hosting or attending a mega event, and we'll be attending our first one in Quebec and are looking forward to it. Sometimes bigger isn't always better. These big events seem to be more about socializing and selling wares than about geocaching and related activities.

 

If someone could do it in Ontario, it would be great. It has nothing to do with being a non-believer, but instead on experience and knowledge that I base my comments on. I am sure it will happen one day, maybe in several years from now, but I just don't see it happening anytime in the near future (who knows, maybe my comments will spark a fire under someone to actually try for it in Ontario).

 

The way I see it, you need the right group of people with a solid plan and appropriate financial backing to be able to pull it off, and I am happy to see that Quebec has all of that.

[+dragonflys]

I agree alot with what you are saying Res, time will tell a lot of it.

 

The Mega is really about the socializing and celebrating. I went to GW VI and the caching I did do that day I had to stand in line to sign the logs.

 

I am interested to compare it to Rendez-vous to see if there is any differences. I loved the Mega, met so many great cachers including Canadians, that I would probably never meet except here on the forums.

 

Sounds like we have a non-believer here

 

I'm not sure about other parts of Canada, but I just don't think it's possible here in Ontario to pull off a mega event, atleast not here in Southern Ontario where I am from. I honestly don't think anyone could do it at the moment. Maybe Ottawa could. We've just hosted a very large event here with a goal of 300 attendees and fell just short of that mark (we would have been the first to pass the 300 mark in Ontario, but unfortunately the rain kept some people away). Others have had their sights set on mega in the past and got less than half of what they expected. For us in Southern Ontario a huge event would be 200-300 people and that would be a handful and a lot of time to organize based on experience.

 

Although it sounds cool at the thought of hosting or attending a mega event, and we'll be attending our first one in Quebec and are looking forward to it. Sometimes bigger isn't always better. These big events seem to be more about socializing and selling wares than about geocaching and related activities.

 

If someone could do it in Ontario, it would be great. It has nothing to do with being a non-believer, but instead on experience and knowledge that I base my comments on. I am sure it will happen one day, maybe in several years from now, but I just don't see it happening anytime in the near future (who knows, maybe my comments will spark a fire under someone to actually try for it in Ontario).

 

The way I see it, you need the right group of people with a solid plan and appropriate financial backing to be able to pull it off, and I am happy to see that Quebec has all of that.

[danoshimano]

Is the point of a mega event just to get the icon? I was at both recent large events in Ontario, and with 300 people you can only meet and socialize with a fraction. Having even more people wouldn't add to the social aspect, but rather detract from it, in my opinion.

[+Landsharkz]

Is the point of a mega event just to get the icon? I was at both recent large events in Ontario, and with 300 people you can only meet and socialize with a fraction. Having even more people wouldn't add to the social aspect, but rather detract from it, in my opinion.

 

I guess we did get that icon, but for us it was about being part of the combined energy and being there amongst the masses from all over the world . I guess icon-ho's will like the icon but for me it was about being 'part' of it. .

[+dragonflys]

that wasn't my experience but I have seen that happen at small events too where people were there and gone and I never seen them

Is the point of a mega event just to get the icon? I was at both recent large events in Ontario, and with 300 people you can only meet and socialize with a fraction. Having even more people wouldn't add to the social aspect, but rather detract from it, in my opinion.

[danoshimano]

My point was really that you hit a practical socializing limit way before the attend count hits 500. Therefore, I can't see a mega event as offering any more socializing than a regular event. If there were a mega event nearby, I would surely go because I like events AND I don't mind collecting another icon on the list.

 

But I couldn't justify going out of my way to attend one just because it is a "mega."

[danoshimano]

I should probably explain what I meant by way too many people "detracting" from the social aspect:

 

What I like about events the most is when you are moving about doing the activities, you are constantly running into cachers, at the caches and on the trails. Everyone is wearing name tags, and running into people gives the opportunity to chat, sometimes even just for a few seconds.

 

If there were 500+ people milling about together, I don't see it as being the same. Unlike walking down a trail and meeting a small group coming the other way, or coming to a cache and meeting up with a group that is already there, with hundreds of people in, say, a field, it wouldn't be the same. For me, anyway.

 

Now, in Landsharkz' case I can see them having an advantage because you guys get to be in a booth and have a steady stream of people coming to you!

[+dragonflys]

I agree with you danoshimano, I love events but alot of cachers don't.

 

My original intent of the thread was there are about 4 Annual Mega events state side now and was wondering if there ever could be an annual Canadian one. I was/am on the fence, we'll see how Quebec goes this year. Whether we should or shouldn't is also a valid question too.

[+Landsharkz]

Now, in Landsharkz' case I can see them having an advantage because you guys get to be in a booth and have a steady stream of people coming to you!

Dano it was great, but at the end of the day I sure would have liked a Keith's - that's one improvement we'll have at RVQ2008! We shook hands with so many people that we'd communicated with by e-mail and on the forums but it was pretty hard to have any sort of meaningful conversation with the line up waiting to see our wares. I managed to have some conversations on the way too and from the loo, but that's about it!

[+wheezor]

At geowoodstock were all the events held at the same spot and were there scheduled events happening all day?

[+Landsharkz]

I can't speak for previous GW events but at GWVI the event took over an entire pumpkin farm so all activities (scheduled throughout the day) were on the premises.

[+dragonflys]

here is the schedule for GWVI

 

GW IV Schedule

[+cyberrat]

Is Rendez-vous Quebec the same time each year?

 

I'am a old member of Rendez-vous Quebec 2008. And in the original plan I beleive that

it was created for 400 th of QC.

[+goaliegirl38]

The only drawback I can see to getting high numbers for Canadian mega-events is the insane prices we have to pay to fly within our own country!

 

I had originally planned to attend Rendez-vous, but with flight prices $700+ I decided to give it a miss. In comparison, I paid $200 to fly to Sacramento for GWVI. And it looks like it will be about $500 for me to fly to Nashville for GWVII (depending on how insane gas prices get).

 

So, unless I am able to find a great deal on flights, it looks like I'll be sticking to driveable events in BC and Alta.

[+OusKonNé & Cétyla]

Is Rendez-vous Quebec the same time each year?

Hi everybody!

 

For your information, Rendez-vous Québec 2008 is only in 2008 (because of the 400th anniversary of Québec City).

 

Yes it would be great to have other megas in Canada in the next years.

 

After Rendez-vous Québec 2008, if you need any information or tips of what to do and also what not to do (because we did make some mistakes at the beginning) to organise a Mega-event, please feel free to contact the organisation committee.

 

Cheers,

 

Luc

[+OusKonNé & Cétyla]

The only drawback I can see to getting high numbers for Canadian mega-events is the insane prices we have to pay to fly within our own country!

 

I had originally planned to attend Rendez-vous, but with flight prices $700+ I decided to give it a miss. In comparison, I paid $200 to fly to Sacramento for GWVI. And it looks like it will be about $500 for me to fly to Nashville for GWVII (depending on how insane gas prices get).

 

So, unless I am able to find a great deal on flights, it looks like I'll be sticking to driveable events in BC and Alta.

You are so right goaliegirl38!

 

Canadian flights are VERY expensive. If I ever have to take a flight to go to a Mega-event in AB or BC, I will combine vacations and visit of the city and the province with the event. It is too expensive to take a flight only for a 1 or 2-day event.

 

And I suggest the same for geocachers coming here in Québec City this August. Yes there is the Mega-event and hundred of geocaches in the area. But there is also Québec City and especially the Old Québec City that you have to visit. And all the celebrations of the 400th.

 

When visiting Old Québec City, don't forget this virtual cache (my all time favourite virtual cache):

Tree within the Old City by dex4 (GCHKWJ)

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GCHKWJ

 

By the way, I'm working on a Québec City Area Bilingual Caches Bookmark List:

http://tinyurl.com/yshrz3

 

Cheers,

 

Luc

[+dragonflys]

Thanks Luc. My family and I are spending the week prior viiting Quebec City. Really looking forward to it

 

The only drawback I can see to getting high numbers for Canadian mega-events is the insane prices we have to pay to fly within our own country!

 

I had originally planned to attend Rendez-vous, but with flight prices $700+ I decided to give it a miss. In comparison, I paid $200 to fly to Sacramento for GWVI. And it looks like it will be about $500 for me to fly to Nashville for GWVII (depending on how insane gas prices get).

 

So, unless I am able to find a great deal on flights, it looks like I'll be sticking to driveable events in BC and Alta.

You are so right goaliegirl38!

 

Canadian flights are VERY expensive. If I ever have to take a flight to go to a Mega-event in AB or BC, I will combine vacations and visit of the city and the province with the event. It is too expensive to take a flight only for a 1 or 2-day event.

 

And I suggest the same for geocachers coming here in Québec City this August. Yes there is the Mega-event and hundred of geocaches in the area. But there is also Québec City and especially the Old Québec City that you have to visit. And all the celebrations of the 400th.

 

When visiting Old Québec City, don't forget this virtual cache (my all time favourite virtual cache):

Tree within the Old City by dex4 (GCHKWJ)

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GCHKWJ

 

By the way, I'm working on a Québec City Area Bilingual Caches Bookmark List:

http://tinyurl.com/yshrz3

 

Cheers,

 

Luc

[+Landsharkz]

 

When visiting Old Québec City, don't forget this virtual cache (my all time favourite virtual cache):

Tree within the Old City by dex4 (GCHKWJ)

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?wp=GCHKWJ

 

Luc

 

We were escorted by OusKonNé & Cétyla to this virtual last December and were totally blown away by what presented itself at The Tree. Now that's a perfect Virtual Cache!

 

Quebec was so amazing - every corner we turned presented a new photo op - we're looking forward to exploring it again without the massive amounts of snow .

Perhaps this time we'll be able to actually sign the log of the GWN Geotour cache - last time it was encased in ice! This is one city that really should have a winter friendly GWN Geotour cache - we are really lucky we are going to be there again to get a second chance at this one when it's thawed.

[+dragonflys]

There is a group of cachers in the Maritimes who are trying to organize a Mega event in the summer of 2010. Details to follow.

[+cyberrat]

There is a group of cachers in the Maritimes who are trying to organize a Mega event in the summer of 2010. Details to follow.

 

Good News how organize for 2009 ???

[+Team Three Boys]

I think vancouver would be a great place to hold one as you would get people from all over western canada and the close U.S states washigton and montana.