Nihonken Invitational Show 2015
Ok it's time to start planning this bad boy out. The club owns the first Sunday in November which would be November 1. Yes it is the day after Halloween. Before everyone has a meltdown over that understand that I am open to finding another date. However UKC may not have an open date and if we go back into October I run in to youth soccer. So if you have suggestions for dates please post them but there is no guarantee that I can accommodate. I'm looking at doing a pre-entry special again with the same big discount for doing both shows. I am not interested in adding or removing any breeds from this show. The show is about the nihonken breeds but the American Akita and Jindo are there because they are part of this NHK forum community. Hence the name of the show.
We are looking at moving the show to Gardena same park that we hold Akiho and Beikoku at. I've got a call into the City of Gardena to get the show site locked in. There is a Holiday Inn in Torrance that is dog friendly.
Unlike last year we will use both rings and the second show start time will be earlier. I do plan on holding a 30min-hour lunch break around noon.
There are some things that I want to improve on. Honestly I think I did a real poor job handling trophy sponsoring and recognition of the sponsors. Show photography was another area that fell short. I'm not a huge fan of the photo area for winners but I know people like it so I need ideas for that. I would like someone in the ring taking photos. If you are interested you can pm me. Awards once again are going to be the biggest cost on the club. If you have any suggestions how to handle offsetting this cost please put it out here. The good news is that we have some awards that carry over from last year. One idea was to break up the breeds and just have people or groups sponsors awards. The good news is that we are now 501c3 so it would be considered a donation.
I also want to video the show.
So I'm open to suggestions, I'm also going to go back and look at the post from last year too.
We are looking at moving the show to Gardena same park that we hold Akiho and Beikoku at. I've got a call into the City of Gardena to get the show site locked in. There is a Holiday Inn in Torrance that is dog friendly.
Unlike last year we will use both rings and the second show start time will be earlier. I do plan on holding a 30min-hour lunch break around noon.
There are some things that I want to improve on. Honestly I think I did a real poor job handling trophy sponsoring and recognition of the sponsors. Show photography was another area that fell short. I'm not a huge fan of the photo area for winners but I know people like it so I need ideas for that. I would like someone in the ring taking photos. If you are interested you can pm me. Awards once again are going to be the biggest cost on the club. If you have any suggestions how to handle offsetting this cost please put it out here. The good news is that we have some awards that carry over from last year. One idea was to break up the breeds and just have people or groups sponsors awards. The good news is that we are now 501c3 so it would be considered a donation.
I also want to video the show.
So I'm open to suggestions, I'm also going to go back and look at the post from last year too.
Comments
I have a very good Sony 4K camera you can use for filming the show.
I am strongly opposed to October. Actually all things considered Nov 1 is the best possible date for me in a very tight period of scheduling, with Halloween prep and other conventions in Nov.
I have mixed feelings about moving the show. I like having the show at a hotel. I assume you're going to ask my mom to be secretary again, and I know she has a very strong preference for a site at a hotel. Very, very strong. I also kind of like having a "change of scenery" from the February shows, and I like that we have a secluded, fenced field without random park people being intrusive/distracting, potentially bringing non-entered dogs, etc. I don't have any strong ties to Claremont specifically though - any hotel with a private field to host the show would do. Claremont probably isn't as convenient for people as Gardena, so that's the source of my mixed feelings.
As I write this, my feelings become less mixed. I really don't like showing at a public park compared to a private field, and shows at a hotel are really the best. But if a hotel isn't possible, the next best thing is a place with RV hookups and/or parking spots you can back right up to the show site. Anything that reduces the amount of setup/teardown for exhibitors.
Something to keep in mind when picking sites - we don't have to show outside / on grass. Tradition in Japan is to do it on hard-packed earth or asphalt. UKC shows are occasionally inside; AKC shows are often inside. Grass is actually the least ideal for showing, since the unevenness can trip up movement, and it obscures the ability to judge the dog's paws and cat grip. Uneven ground can mess up a stack. Scents in the grass can be a distraction, too, especially after some dogs have marked or treats been dropped; smooth ground is easier to keep clean.
RE: trophy sponsorship. We should have a premium (as discussed before) and the sponsors should be mentioned in it. I have the template for the premium ready to go.
Any ideas as to where we could go that would offer something similar?
I will do some research.
-IABCA like to use Cucamonga Guasti Regionial Park in Ontario.
http://cms.sbcounty.gov/parks/Parks/CucamongaGuastiRegionalPark.aspx
http://www.iabca.com/showinfoCA03-15.html
Positives: Exhibitor parking-friendly, less random foot traffic, grassy area, restrooms, picnic areas, shade trees, lake. Part of town is not scary. Close to freeway.
Negatives: No overnight parking, no RV hookups. Car entry fee $10, $1 per dog. Field can be treacherous for movement (worse than Claremont by far). Park opens at 7:30am. No early entry into the park. No food vendors within walking distance.
-Orange Empire Dog Club (UKC shows, AKC special shows):
18225 Santa Ana Ave 92316, Bloomington
Positives: Club building fully equipped with piped water, toilets, electricity, etc. so easier to host a lunch or even a seminar. Private parking lot. Private field with decent footing. Grassy area. Some shade trees.
Negatives: No overnight parking. Don't know about RV hook-ups. Wouldn't want to stay overnight in that part of town. No food vendors within walking distance.
-Hidden Valley Obedience Club (AKC Obedience):
3396 East Valley Parkway, Escondido
http://hvoc.org/rental.php
We had a min-NKF meet-up there.
Positives: Private, fully fenced field. Enough parking spaces. On-site port-a-potty. Shed for storage. Power. Drinking fountains for people and dogs. Well-maintained large grass field.
Negatives: Not sure if females in season are allowed on the field for rental events. No RV hookups that I know of. Far from JACA organizers. No food vendors within walking distance.
-Hotel sites w/o fields :
I've visited a hotel on Shelter island in San Diego for an AKC specialty. Though the surrounding area is scenic and nice to walk around, the show ring was on asphault. Green patio carpet was laid down with chairs surrounding a single ring.
It works for them because exhibitors just don't linger in AKC like they do in UKC. They bring the dogs out for a short time and tuck them away back into their hotel rooms afterwards. Visibiilty of the breeds is reduced.
-Indoor sites:
There is more echo and reverb that dogs may not be used to. Also, getting good photos is harder. Would need to lay down mats or such so dogs and handlers don't slip on the ring floor.
Jesse
I was also surprised at the lack of Shiba entries, but I do think they know about it. At BSA this year, a flyer for the Invitational (which I didn't even know was scheduled again) was handed to me as soon as I arrived. I think it is just a priority thing, they've already got AKC and Nippo, so UKC is just not on the radar. But I was disappointed not more of the active Shiba members here attended.
If dirt is better, would a baseball infield work?
Gardena is fine in my opinion. San Diego also works, haha!
As for comments on last year, you've already addressed the 2-ring usage.
As for trophy cost, you can contact sponsors (Subaru would be a good start, as they market a lot towards dog owners) and have their advertising media up in exchange for covering trophy/ribbon cost.
The staff was very easy to deal with and of course so is the staff at Gardena. Gardena gives us a much nicer show surface and we can setup the ring in any direction to help with the sun. JACA owns two EZ ups I figure we would need three down the middle and have it straddle the middle of the two rings. At our Specialty the EZ kept getting moved around. That is not happening for this show nor our other one. I do plan on having the middle show curtains up to help see where the ring ends.
I'll take a look at Subaru.
I don't really have any thoughts otherwise, since I wasn't there last year and don't know much about much when it comes to conformation events, lol... but omg I want to go.
Jesse
I went to the show on Memorial Day weekend at Claremont. As an exhibitor, I really didn't notice any difference than before. I do know that the exercise machines in the room by the lobby/bathroom are gone and I think its not a little conference room or something? But that's about it.
Since they cleaned it up for the sale, its in better condition (new paint, etc) than it has been in the past.
The facility in Chino has a fully fenced lure-coursing field as well as a grassy green area that could be the conformation rings. There were RVs parked there so maybe there is power?
http://www.winningedgedogsports.com/facilities/
edit: Oops. Nevermind.
"Closing Of Winning Edge Dog Sports Event; June 30, 2015
Unfortunately due to circumstances, Winning Edge Dog Sports will no longer be in business as of June 30, 2015. Please contact Tina at Silver Rose Ranch or Kathleen at Diamond Spur Training Center for further information on future events at either of these venues."
As for Luratics, from personal experience I am not a fan.
Maybe we should start our own!
I would also just like if we could get CGC testing done at our show.
Jesse