DPCA National Specialty 2010

[Athy]

So who all is going to the 2010 National Specialty in Topeka, KS?

How about the 2011 National Specialty in Fitchburg, MA???

Athy

[doberdogsfd]

Mass for us.
I dislike leaving the North East. :p

Also...we should have the RV by then and it will be wholesale easier with the entire family being able to attend the festivities!

Cheryl

[Minka]

I am very curious as to how the location is picked ? Could someone elighten me?

[Elaine]

It’s a very sophisticated process, but I'll try to give it to you in a nutshell: the club appoints a committee, who all get together and analyze things… members offer input, West Coast member complain (and rightly so) that it's been years since the National was on the West Coast (and they feel slighted / annoyed /disadvantaged). People bitch and moan and throw darts at a board (or each other)… and then someone makes the observation that there are really only about three places left in this country that have the right facilities to actually hold our National at a price that members can afford… so we go to Kansas, Kentucky or Fitchburg. :D

[Athy]

Succinctly stated!

We found a number of facilities in the Baltimore/Washington area that are soooooo close to meeting the requirements but just not quite.

I think if we want to see variety in locations, we as a club do need to re-evaluate our must-have list versus a nice-to-have list.

Athy

[Elaine]

We would love the Baltimore/Washington area... great airports to fly in to... lot's of fun things to do... lots of lodging, a good central location, at least for those of us on the East Coast. What was the snag? Price? Or finding facilities large enough for all the other events besides Conformation?

[Athy]

I don't recall the specific details but in general, we weren't able to find the right kind of venue within the airport distance requirement plus pricing issues. We actually set up a committee to investigate it. Now that's been 6 years or so ago, there might be some facilities closer to Dulles nowadays since there has been so much growth out there so it might be worth a second look.

I think what would be very helpful for the club would be for the committee to create a spreadsheet or database with the top requirements (maybe ranked by priority) and then list out the various facilities they've evaluated against those parameters. Maybe they already have done that. Then we could see the "strikes" against each facility and have some meaningful discussion around what we'd have to give up to have a specialty in one venue versus another.

Athy

[Athy]

Okay, so I went back through what I had for the requirements. I don't have an updated Procedures Manual for Hosting the National, I have one that Judy Doniere sent me a number of years ago. But anyway, these were the requirements back then:

REQUIREMENTS Ideal
Number of Rooms 250
Cost of Singles
Cost of Doubles
Cost of Extra Persons
Additional Charges for Dogs in Room
Damage Deposit
# of dogs per room 4
RV Spaces 50
RV Space Cost
RV Hookups and Costs
Conformation 70x100
Obedience Room 80x100
Outdoor Agility Site 100x100
Indoor Agility Site 80x90
WAE Site 100x100
Number of Meeting Rooms
Cost of Meeting Rooms $0
Size of Banquet Facilities 13,000 sq ft
Cost of Banquet Facilities $0
Number of Exercise Areas
Size of Exercise Areas
Cost of Exercise Areas
Number of Restaurants at Hotel min 1 large
Archive Facility Cost
Concessionaire Facilities
Large Airport Access <50 miles

I don't know what the hotel rooms are running but JuD recommended to negotiate down to anything under $100/single. I think it would be helpful to everyone if we came up with what we HAVE to have versus we'd like to have, finalize some of the "ideal" numbers, then put all the suggested locations side by side.

Athy

[UdxDobeRom]

I have my reservations at the hotel in Topeka. If the national is in reasonable driving distance (this side of Denver) my fellow doberman traveling companion and I always go.

I've only missed about ten since 1976 (dating myself here). :(

My 3 yr old red bitch Alisaton Desired Gemstone Ravenna, CD RE with two legs on her CDX is a Top20 Obedience finalist. :D

Mariann Hein
Ellicott City MD

[Athy]

Gosh, Mariann, so you must have started going to the National Specialty when you were what? Five years old? :D

Welcome to DSNN, glad you figured out how to post!

Athy

[katdobemom]

Mariann
Hello! Hello!!! Glad your on board.


Ms Mariann has been instrumental in us finding our beloved Kayla (sadly missed) and helped us find our Carly girl.

[Elaine]

Welcome to DSNN Mariann... so great to have you. :) Arthur and I are hoping to make the National together this year... with the war in Iraq (and being deployed) and his work schedule and all sorts of other things, this would be our first National together... I've been to several Nationals over the years, but my first National was so long ago I can't remember. My favorites were Cape Cod, Portland, Minneapolis and Fitchburg in 2007. :)

[UdxDobeRom]

My memories of Minnesota were in the morning it was below freezing.:eek:

Memories of Cape Cod:
The hotel was once owned by Barbara Walters father.
Our room was on the second level and there was NO elevator. We had to schlep our crates (and back then it was all heavy metal) up these narrow stairs.:( But walking on the beach was wonderful.:D

Mariann Hein

[Elaine]

Funny what we remember. I loved Cape Cod in ‘94… Kafka won the breed, Trip was there… Sheila was unbelievably stunning, not that she is anything less today. :) I think Bill Shelton judged the Futurity (or some non-regular classes). His judging style was extraordinary even then. (Bill, Steve and I spent a day looking for green pots in antique stores all over the area, finally found one they liked in a case in the bar of the hotel where we were staying. The Cape was beautiful; I think I fell in love with the NorthEast at this NAtional:)). I think Mike Daly was new to Dobermans that year. Linda George had her boy “Toppie Man” (we even had a theme song for him, "Hurray For Toppie Man, if he can't win the Garden no one can"). Everyone was doing the Macarena in the bar at night... except me... I don't dance; I watch. ;) I sort of recall that Pete Ventura was “a dancin machine.” And Vicky was a great little dancer too. Jeff Helsdon spent the entire time in his room. We all kept asking where he was. As I recall, Cathy figured it out when she got back home and saw their hotel phone bill with all the calls to the woman who is now wife #2 :cool: I roomed with Vicky Fillinger (now Seiler). Pat Hasting flew in to make a presentation about the 1995 Portland National, all the rooms were sold out so she stayed with Vicky and I for a day or two. Vicky is an early bird, she was showing dogs all day, and by 9:00pm she wanted to go to sleep. For some reason Pat and I had the giggles and wanted to still talk. So we’re talking and laughing while Vicky is in the next bed telling us to “Shut up and go to sleep.” I will never forget the size of Vicky’s accessory case.:eek::D

Which brings me back to the elevator not working. In those days both Vicky and I traveled “heavy” .. i.e. lots of luggage, all of it very heavy. It took us forever to get the van loaded. As we pulled away from the hotel we barely had time to get to the Boston airport (for my flight back to Seattle, which connected with a flight the my young daughter would be on, coming from a vacation with my mother in San Francisco). Vicky and I took a wrong turn from the hotel and went the wrong way for about 20 miles before we realized our mistake. I started to panic about missing my flight. I've got to tell you, Vicky was such a seasoned traveler at that time… she simply corrected her course and said, “We’re going for it, you will make the flight.” (Vicky had a later flight, so there was no need to rush, except for the flight connection with my daughter). We arrived at the airport with about 3 minutes to spare. Vicky pulled right up to the curb… jumped out and told me to “Go” and that she would take care of my luggage. In those days they did not immediately tow your vehicle and you could push the rules a bit.

I did not have a boarding pass and the ticket agent was saying I was too late to make the flight (the last one out for the day). The agent clearly didn't give a flying fig if I made my flight or the connection with my daughter, she was not going to lift a finger to help. I was panicking, then I heard Vicky’s voice behind me saying, “Go to the gate Elaine, I’ll take care of this agent." Then to the agent she said something like, "Let me speak with your supervisor."” Having no choice, and buoyed by Vicky’s confidence I hugged her good-bye and ran for the gate. Luckily my gate was the first one past security (which, back then was nothing like it is today). By the time I got to the gate the flight attendant had been called and was ready for me… they had held the gate, I made the flight. As I settled into my seat all I could think of was, "Thank you god, thank you Vicky!"

Once I was in the air it occurred to me that I had no baggage claim tickets and I’d probably never see my luggage again,:rolleyes: but the luggage and contents could be replaced. Making the flight for my daughter was by far the most important thing.

I should never have doubted Vicky for a moment. When I got to Seattle my luggage was there waiting… with my name on it, no problem at all. I don’t think I have ever admired Vicky more than on that day, when she was so fantastic about taking control of a situation in the few moments when it all mattered so much. :)

Of course now a days Airport Security would have towed the car and probably shot us both as terrorist. :(

[pghsatkin]

We are thinking about going to Nationals, as I have family in the Midwest so we could visit and see the specialty. The other choice is going to Albaquerque to see the balloon festival that I think is also in October.
We have a motorhome that we were going to sell, but I LOVE traveling in it, especially to the dog shows, so we will have to see how everything works out.

[Elaine]

It sounds like your boy will be finished before the National, but Porsche may just be a blast to show there. :)

[pghsatkin]

We will see how things go with Rip. Porsche will just be old enough to show at Nationals - that would probably be her first show. Don't know who would handle her. It definitely would not be me. I get too serious and nervous. I would much rather watch her being shown. :p