VYakubov

Thanks Gil :). Not sure who kicked it, probably someone during dinner :). Vladimir

As usual here are the photos of the winners from the awards presentation from the banquet and the photos of most of the models from the Nationals that I posted to the SVSM site. Model photos: http://svsm.org/gallery/columbia2016 Awards presentation: http://svsm.org/gallery/columbia2016-awards This is the slide show from the awards presentation. The winners are posted in the reverse order - after the slide with the name of the category next model is the third place winner then second and then first. Vladimir

Well, isn't it great to see how the rest of the IPMS views us on the west coast... I'm starting to think that IPMS doesn't deserve my support at all...

How is Loveland = West? It's 1200 driving miles from San Francisco. It's only 500 miles from Omaha, More over it's 1300+ miles from Seattle and only 1400 miles from Atlanta, so I would submit to you that it is central, rather than West. Plus you are cheating by including the conventions that were done when there was a rotation. In the 7 years (2010-2017) since the rotation went away we only had one western convention - Phoenix and even that was 7 years ago. Vladimir Vladimir

You could try to spell my last name correctly :(...

Like I said - results may vary. To each his own, but it would be a mistake to assume that your point of view is the only correct one. If you start "pushing" people, people will start voting with their money and go somewhere else. BTW - I'm fairly sure that making it a "family vacation" is not a good thing in relation to the convention. I've heard multiple complaints when people go with family that they do not get to enjoy the convention at all, since they need to entertain the family. Vladimir

I personally believe that a convention in the central location (unless that location is in a really interesting place, which most likely be unaffordable) will eventually result in a much lower attendance. I for one like going to conventions because I get to visit places I would not otherwise visit and get to explore local museums. If the convention is in the same place after several years I'd run out of the places to see and will think twice about going there again. Maybe I'm unusual, but I believe that there are people like me who go to the conventions not only for the models.

No, what's preventing me from bidding is the fact that lately West coast bids win only if there are no other bids. I do not see the point in putting together a bid only to lose to some other Central/East coast club by default. Vladimir

We bid for the 2012 Nationals for Santa Clara, but lost out to the Orlando. In 2010 when we were putting together a bid we were in the middle of the recession and Convention Center gave us a good deal, but since then the local economy is hot, 49ers built a stadium across the road from the convention center and when couple years back some people who wanted to put a bid in went back to the convention center with our numbers, those guys laughed at them. Basically as you can see, west coast chapters do bid fairly often but the E-board mostly rejects them, so I do not see a point in going through with another bid just to be rejected again.

I've seen it - there are no numbers of models per category in that book. I'm sure they do have the numbers, but they are in some different location. Vladimir

I haven't looked at it, but I don't think so. There are only the category winners there. I assume that NCC has the numbers, but they are in a different document somewhere. Sent you a PM. Vladimir

Unfortunately, as Gil said, if I was to put text on the slides the awards presentation would most likely be held on Monday :). As to putting the text to the slideshow in the gallery, it can be done, but I really don't have several days to spend on adding the description under each slide. If someone want to volunteer to do that on the IPMS site, I can share the slides and the list of the winners with them and let them do it. Vladimir

Special thanks goes to John Heck, Chris Bucholtz and Randy Ray for helping with photography during Friday judging. Wouldn't happen without them.

None the less the last two West Coast bids were turned down by the E-board, which raises a question what's more improtant - profit or serving the IPMS members. I realize that the old model of the East/Center/West is no longer feasible, but one would think that when the West coast chapter would puts in a bid E-board would think about its west coast members rather than potential profits. Vladimir P.S. As those who know me know that I personally don't care and will fly to any location, but there are plenty of the local chapter members tat cannot make the non-west coast Nats.