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WCAF 2025

Have you ever attended a chapter event or meeting? FMO/FC SURVEY

Have you ever attended a chapter event or meeting? FMO/FC SURVEY

  • YES

    Votes: 43 95.6%

  • NO

    Votes: 2 4.4%

  • Does Not Apply

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    45
  • Poll closed .
Mike Labbe

Mike Labbe

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This Poll and Discussion is taking place in conjunction with the current FMO (For Members Only).
Feedback is welcomed, and don't be surprised if you are quoted in an upcoming edition of FMO! :)
Thanks in advance for your participation and healthy discussion.

Have you ever attended a PPFA chapter event or meeting?

This poll is in conjunction with the current edition of FMO
For Members Only (FMO) provides features and news of PPFA and the art and framing industry, profiles of PPFA retailer members, framing tips, marketing ideas, and much more!
http://www.pmai.org/PPFAContent.aspx?id=20300
 
This can a be great one in the future, but can be discussed for this one. (right here)

FMO was released today, and has the poll as worded as above.

Mike
 
Randy brings up a great point.

If you answered "NO", how come? Too far to nearest chapter meeting? Not interested in mingling with local peers? Conflicts with schedule or hours?

If you answered "YES", what did you gain from the experience?

Discussion encouraged
 
The chapter events are WONDERFUL! I have met some of my best framing buds at these. The event is a great way to learn new things, meet new people, and "steal" ideas from others. It is nice to meet other framers because when you get in a pickle and need to ask someone a question you have a familiar face to call. If you have never attended one of these events you are missing out. Make Time it is well worth it.

Robin
 
We gain a lot from the meetings, too.

It would be interesting to hear how far people generally travel (miles or time) to attend their closest meeting.
 
Robin Gentry said:
If you have never attended one of these events you are missing out. Make Time it is well worth it.

Robin
Click to expand...

I think the same thing, when I go to meeting I rarely if ever see another framer from my area. Any new connection I make, be it another framer or a vendor, I know is giving me a leg up on the competition and these days you need it.
 
Mike Labbe said:
We gain a lot from the meetings, too.

It would be interesting to hear how far people generally travel (miles or time) to attend their closest meeting.
Click to expand...

In our area it is probably 45 min and depending on the location it could be 5 hour drive. We try to split our meetings, half in a central statewide location and the other half in the area of the great density of members which we have mapped out on Google maps.
 
No, I have never attended a chapter-meeting of my local Australia/ New Zealand Chapter. These meetings are held in Australia, probably once a year. I have attended branch-meetings of the New Zealand branch of the Fine Art Trade Guild in the past when I was still a member of that organization. These were held in Taupo, Rotorua or Cambridge and were between four and six hours drive from me.
These meetings I found interesting and worthwhile. Good to see other framers. Speakers had noteworthy topics.

Cost is my main issue. Then the time I have to take off work, as I am a one man band.
 
Ours range from 1-2 hours in distance, and the location moves from meeting to meeting. (once a museum, then maybe a hotel/convention center, a restaurant/dinner meeting, then a brewery convention hall, etc) We usually have chapter meetings in March, June, and October.

Although none of them have been in our state, we're lucky that they are so close. (usually in MA or NH) The chapter covers a large geographic area, with a lot of states.
 
Your roads are probably better too. Our highways consist of two lanes with many sharp corners going over hills and mountains. The distances do not look that much, but we cannot travel in a straight line.
For example traveling from Palmerston North to Auckland ( 8 hour drive), we take SH 1 past Lake Taupo on the right, which is a detour compared to the left, but taking the left side of Lake Taupo means a windy, dangerous road.
The there are usually no bypasses for the towns, so we have to slow down at half speed. Flying can be more relaxing.

I once took a connecting flight from Wellington to Palmerston taking me 1/4 hour, whereas driving takes 2 hours. Still, if you want to see scenery, then take the car.
 
Kai,

Are you able to attend the Australia Framing Show that will be this fall? If so do you get together with any other PPFA members?

Are you ever able to attend any of the Open House events by your vendors?

Just wondering.

Thanks Robin
 
Thanks Robin. Open houses by vendors - Not sure if we have them. Once there was a framers meeting at LJ in Auckland and the GM showed the framers around the warehouse. I once visited their factory, which is in a different location, because I told in advance that I was coming and like to have a look around, so they agreed and my wife and son had a tour.

As for the convention in Melbourne. I know it is on this yea, but I will not be going due to budget-restraints. One day I will and sit the MCPF Exam at the same time.
 
Kai Vanuffelen said:
Your roads are probably better too. Our highways consist of two lanes with many sharp corners going over hills and mountains. The distances do not look that much, but we cannot travel in a straight line.
Click to expand...

LOL... Kai I'm in the same type of terrain... I live right smack in the middle of the Sierra Mountains - can't go ANYWHERE as the crow flies...

Just went to my 1st chapter meeting from my Sierra's and 10 hours later, popped out the other side of the Cascades! Beautiful drive and wonderful meeting. Well worth it!

My own chapter (Sac Valley) is having a meeting at LJ in Benicia, CA - will be about 3.5 hour drive - looking forward to it!

G
 
My first just earlier this summer in Kissimmee, FL (just southwest of Orlando, almost to Disney World). Its about 175 miles for me, which translates into about 4+/- hours of driving if Orlando isn't too backed up (I-10 through Orlando is 4 lanes in either direction and my average speed through the 20+ miles of traversing the greater metropolitan area was about 15 mph). Traveling I-95 and I-10 aren't the most scenic routes (look, a swamp! look, a trailer park! look, a golf course! all at 80 mph bumper to bumper traffic with the exception of Orlando).
Makes for a long day since I try to not overnight when I don't have to, but was certainly worth it. Meeting the other active PPFA members (wasn't a board meeting until after the board was elected), and working on charting a path to rejuvenate the interest in PPFA in the Southeast. Long way to go, and I am watching the other chapters to help with the learning curve.
 
WIth our two states combined one set or the other of us always ends up traveling 3 plus hours and always a nights stay.
So worth it every time!
Just to talk to people who totally "GET IT!"

My framer friends are absolutely some of the best friends I have ever had!
I think I have missed on International meeting since I got involved with PPFA.:sneakiness:
 
I try to make as many Chapter events as possible. In many cases, I bring my staff along too and yes we have to close up the shop to attend. As I see it is a win-win, we meet wonderful people in our industry, brush up on techniques and learn new ones. We let our customers know we are attending and they become excited and interested and can't wait to see what new ideas we bring back from the events. Our industry is ever changing and it is important to stay in tune and up-to-date with these trends and changes. My customers appreciate the time and effort myself and staff members put into staying updated, this is a great way to boost customer confidence in what we do. If you have never attended and/or have not attended a chapter event in a while, check out what's out there, get it on your calender and plan to attend! :smile:
 
Bumped up as a reminder. This one closes one month from today, and some of the resulting discussion may even get mentioned in the next FMO publication.

Discussion welcomed.

How far do you typically travel, how many chapter meetings does your chapter typically have ?

Thanks again for participating and for being part of Framers' Corner!
 
Gregory K. Norris said:
Five hours is about normal for me. And always a hotel room, too. Still a bargain.
Click to expand...

Greg,

That's how I started out too... 276 miles from Appleton to the Twin Cities for meetings of the Upper Midwest Chapter PPFA (Minnesota). I would typically make a full day of the trip as well by picking up moulding from Juhl Pacific and having my Mørso blades sharpened on the same run! :thumb:

Then in 1984, Dick Lewis ** (Fond du Lac) and a handful of others were instrumental in starting the Wisconsin Chapter. Both chapters would historically meet 4 times a year... which has now diminished to three and sometimes only 2 "Real" meetings.

Still take them in, and I'm always amazed at the framers who are within walking distance that do not participate! :shrug:

John

** Somehow related to our own Julie Balson :D
 
WCAF 2025
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