[Coco] CoCoFest (combined 8 bit?)

[Richard Atkinson]

Isn't the Vintage Computer Festival something like this?

Myself, I would like to see a fest which covers all 5 of my formats of
interest: (Timex) Sinclair, Commodore, Atari, MSX and Tandy. But those are
just my particular interests, and others will have different combinations.

Richard

On 2/14/07, farna at att.net <farna at att.net> wrote:
>
> I've been involved with AMC cars for a long time. There used to be five
> major clubs (now four) that usually didn't play well together. There was an
> occassional local show that two chapters nearby would cooperate on, but
> never a national show. Finally, the Kenosha Historical Society (AMCs
> werebuilt in Kenosha, WI) asked about getting a big turnout for an all AMC
> show in 1998. Someone told them the only way to get a truly big turn-out was
> to talk the clubs into having their national meetsall at the same place and
> time. The biggest club committed to the idea as long as the show field could
> be parceled off to segregate the clubs and the non-club cars that would show
> up. Once one club committed, the others didn't want to look like the stick
> in the mud that didn't support a "homecoming" event for their cars, so all
> attended and got along (one didn't have their national there, but did
> sponsor a regional). Now we have one of these every three to four years and
> it's a major event, tho
> ugh mo
> st of the clubs just use it as a regional. Still, it's the only time to
> see over 1000 AMCs on a field together -- the biggest national club show
> only draw 200-300 cars at the most.
>
> The point is, if you contact the other computer clubs with the idea of
> sharing a large show area, can segregate displays and vendors, and guarantee
> they will have the space they need, it should work. You need to start now
> for a show two years from now, and be flexible on where it will take place.
> Or plan the thing in Chicago and just talk to the groups in that area. I
> suggest you start there, and see if enough interest can be generated for an
> all 8-bit micro show.
>
> At this point I don't think it will take away from a CoCoFest. The fest is
> so small now that the costs for a nice hotel conference hall is getting high
> -- break even is the best the Chicago club can do. The CoCo might not be the
> largest displayer at an all 8-bit show, but it would be interesting to see
> what others are doing. Some of the hardware and such can be crossed over,
> and just maybe some vendors and/or programmers will get an interest in such.
> It would be nice for a CoCo programmer and say an Atari programmer to swap
> programs and cross port programs, and hardware makers to make minor mods to
> things like the Atari USB so it will work with the CoCo, and have a CoCo
> programmer write a driver. Everyone could win.
>
> --
> Frank Swygert
> Publisher, "American Motors Cars"
> Magazine (AMC)
> For all AMC enthusiasts
> http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html
> (free download available!)
>
> --
> Coco mailing list
> Coco at maltedmedia.com
> http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
>