IPMS Alexander Lippisch, Cedar Rapids, 14 May 2005.
It is always nice when a club decides to do its first show. Many of us have been bugging the folks at IPMS Alexander Lippisch to do an event as they have always seemed to be a fun club. Well, this year they decided to take the plunge. If I can, I always try to support an initial event. I know that they will have a few bumps, but that is to be expected if one has not done something before. Fortunately, they have friends and fellow clubs in the general vicinity to help them out.
First thing was that I didn't pick up a flyer at the Quad Cities Regional, so was unaware that they had a website set up. No matter as Jeff Stevens was kind enough to e-mail me an entry form and directions. It looked suspiciously like the Quad Cities form with a few changes.... Entry was a buck a model with no fee for general entry. Very nice and perfect for those of us who are somewhat cheap. Leaves more $$ for the vendors. The club does open judging (some call it AMPS style or Modified Chicago). That means the model is judged on its own merits and not against the competition. Other than ego-trippers who have to say they are better than X, most of us like this kind of judging as it basically eliminates most of the problems people complain about in judging. Downside is that it takes longer to do if you have a lot of entries.
Hitting the road at 4 AM for the trip up there from where I live, we arrived a bit after 9 AM after an uneventful and somewhat boring drive. The event was held in the community center right next to city hall. Building looked a bit small from the outside and parking in front was limited, but there was quite a bit in the back.
Upon entering, I noted that there were vendors all along three of the four walls and one set of three tables in between for vendors. Two rows of three tables were set up for models and filling fast. Another row of three tables was set up for models and another row of two for a vendor. One table was along a wall for raffle goodies and another for filling out forms.
There were four hobby shops that took up all but two tables that were used for the 'guys selling models' route. One shop vendor was all aftermarket stuff, one was basically all armor, one was all cars and the fourth shop vendor had a mixture of stuff, with no cars. The other two folks had a smattering of stuff.
Slowly the tables started to fill out and more room was made for entries. The vast majority were in the armor and aircraft categories. There were three ships, about a dozen figures, a half dozen dioramas, and a couple of dozen cars. No junior category that I saw. In all, the club had about 140 models on the tables. Really not bad at all for a first show and more than the club expected.
Raffle was a buck a chance and 6 for $5. A nice selection of items were there and most of us walked away with a goodly number of things. Drawings were held every hour from 11 AM to 3 PM. The community center had a kitchen and the members brought food for sale. As tempting as the chow was, we headed for a restaurant about a mile or so away in a large mall. There was a soda machine for drinks though it didn't take dollar bills. Rather unusual in these days.
Award ceremony went on at 4 PM and the club had made resin plaques for Gold and Silver, providing certificates for Bronze. The plaques were nicely done in the form of the club's badge.
Things were packed up after the ceremony and we were on the road again at about 5 PM, arriving home about 11:30, making for a long day.
Overall, I think the club should be pleased with their first event. I had a very good time, talked with a lot of folks, and took home hardware and models. In fact, just about everyone took home something as these types of events usually mean lots of happy modelers.
Upon having time to reflect on things, here are a few recommendations. One is that the venue was good for a first show. However, it was pretty well maxed out in terms of space. Face it, most modelers are not anorexic super-models and if it had been a warm day, it would have gotten pretty stifling in there! The club said they were going to look for alternatives. Secondly, it would have been nice to have a few more places to sit down. Not sure where they'd have put the chairs, but it is something to consider. I generally spend all my time on my feet and did so here as well. Third, and I'm almost embarrassed to mention this, but I did hear some comments on the awards. Frankly, I thought they were fine, but they were a solid color with no info on the event itself. Perhaps a decal to add some color and a date/event wouldn't be a bad idea. Finally, it would be nice to have a website to go to in order to download forms and other info. They really need to send their website info to IPMS/USA for the contest section next year so it is readily available to contestants.
This is no criticism on the group itself. They did a great job pulling off the event and I know that many things came to a head very close to show time. It always does. With this event under their belts, I know that the next one will be even better. Kudos to the folks at IPMS Alexander Lippisch for a memorable event and those who live within driving distance need to add this one to next year's calendar.