EarthCache event - meeting/conference

[+geoaware]

We have been asked by a number of people recently if we are going to organize and EarthCache event like a meeting or a conference. We have been toying with this idea since EarthCaches started....but the big question is would people attend?

 

If we arranged a meeting over a weekend (starting Friday night and finishing Sunday noon) in the Boulder Area of Colorado - magic mountains full of wonderful EarthCache possibilities....would you travel to participate? If we called for people to give talks on setting up EarthCaches and had the opportunity to go and visit some great potential sites would that be enough? If you had the opportunity to meet the geoaware team, get a pin, see dinosaur footprints and visit cool old mines, would that attract you to come?

 

If not Colorado...where else would you go? Hawaii volcanoes? Australia outback? Maine? California?

 

Give us your ideas and suggestions...

[+lagrac]

How about Regional Meetings? Maybe MidWest, East, West, etc.

 

Although....going to Colorado does seem pretty nice!

[+TheWonderStuff]

Auckland, New Zealand , please.....

Edited September 11, 2008 by TheWonderStuff

[+Cav Scout]

I would go if it was an annual event and was closer to Kentucky. Depending when the event was or would be I could travel to Colorado. I used to live there and its time to visit again .

[+joranda]

I'd love to attend if the pocket book would let that is.

[+shearzone]

I would (likely) attend. I would also be happy to host one of these in Alberta. With some financial support, I could conceivably lead a trip through the southern Canadian Rockies too.

Edited September 11, 2008 by shearzone

[+AuntieNae]

Why not start in Colorado .. then move out to other locations? I think it would be really awesome to learn more and meet up with others who enjoy EC's

 

AuntieNae

[+BiT]

Depending upon the cost and time of year, I would be game.

[+Carbon Hunter]

Unfortunatley - no matter how much I'd like to attend. Travel costs would be prohibitive currently (family of 4 travelling to US / Aus or Europe) is a little steep.

 

But will definitely want to be there and would be present in thought - if not body.

[+Carbon Hunter]

Unfortunatley - no matter how much I'd like to attend. Travel costs would be prohibitive currently (family of 4 travelling to US / Aus or Europe) is a little steep.

 

But will definitely want to be there and would be present in thought - if not body.

[+Accordiongal]

Ready to travel to beautiful Colorado!!!! Any date, any time.

Publish it, and they will come.

 

Long drive, which I have done many times to Colorado Springs.

 

Would be great having a face to face with geoaware, unique event, geologic content from experts face to face.

 

Possability of traveling to Canadian Rockies, oh, they are beatiful and want to return there some day. Another very long drive, but will come.

 

Out of US sites, possibility with enough time to plan, seems that would have to be off in the future.

Gee now you are going to be a travel service for earthcaches.

[+fox-and-the-hound]

I'd attend regional or a traveling annual/semiannual event. If I could drive less than 10 hours to reach it, I'd likely be there, but that's about my limit for any event nowadays.

[Neos2]

We'd probably attend if it were during the summer, when we can get vacation. I haven't been to Colorado in 30 years, and wouldn't mind visiting there again.

[+TerryDad2]

I would love it. It would confirm to my family I'm a nutcase, but I need to keep my reputation up .

 

As you've heard before, finances are an issue , as well as available vacation (never have enough ). If it works out, there are many EarthCaches to see on the way to where ever it is held, and many to place. My girls will love the road trip.

 

For me the Southwest would be good for travel costs and time, but I'd like to see other parts of the country too. I hear Yellowstone/Grand Tetons have a bunch of Geologic Features to see.

 

I think Colorado is a similar driving distance so that might be ok.

Edited September 11, 2008 by TerryDad2

[+AndrewRJ]

I would easily go to one in the Seattle/Portland/Boise area but at this time even Colorado is a bit to far.

[+ZSandmann]

How about New Orleans delta.

 

Several years ago when I was in graduate school I attended the GSA meeting in Salt Lake City and sat in on some Geocaching talks, they were very interesting and I was a new geocacher at the time. alas, at that time I was not an avid enough Cacher to have taken my GPS with me on the flight, I regret I've never logged a cache in Utah or any of the ones GSA sets up for the conference.

[+catsnfish]

We would attend if at all possible. We would have to look at location and timing on an individual basis. Definitely summer would be best for us.

[+climbstuff]

Colorful Colorado or Bust!

[+GEO*Trailblazer 1]

We would attend.

But we would need plenty of advance notice.

 

We are in the Heart of the Nation so all points are about = in the USA

[+GEO WALKER]

I’m thinking that a regional approach may be better from an individuals costs perspective thus gaining better attendance from local cachers.

 

Just a thought here… Many ECs are associated w/some type of Park.

Perhaps a regional approach may present an opportunity to some of the employees of the various “park systems” to attend and gain a better understanding of EC’s and geocaching in general. Hopefully making approvals easier?

[+PinkDolphin]

Could you somehow tie it in with GWVII?

[nebukatneza]

it is only a dream for me to attend to an ec-event and meet all the ec-lovers...

but i think it's too hard/expensive for me to plan a trip to the states....

maybe some day here in germany or europe....)))

[+Touchstone]

Could you somehow tie it in with GWVII?

 

I was going to suggest this. There were several "seminar"type meetings at GWVI in CA, and an Earthcache related topic would be a natural, with a built in audience (numbering in the thousands potentially). It would be great exposure for the GSA and the Earthcaching effort.

 

All the same, CO or CA would be good fit for our family. Plenty of advance notice would be a necessity, most likely beyond the usual three month posting that is is generally allowed on the site (up to six months for more complicated, overnight type Events).

 

I would suggest talking with the Local Reviewer or Groundspeak directly to see if as much as a year in advance would be granted.

[+Landsharkz]

We'd need lots of notice, but we'd certainly consider going if it was PNW or a bit farther afield.

[+danieloliveira]

I would love to attend but from Lisbon it's quite a feat.

I say keep having regular meetings of the kind and maybe one day a particular geological congress will be in the same city at the approximate time as the meeting and then things can be cooked a little better.