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IPMS/USA National Convention 2020


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Greetings all,

Just got back to San Antonio from Phoenix last night - 13+ hour drive, not too bad...and I-10 is a rather pleasant and easy drive. It also helps that the speed limit is 80 mph in some of the more remote locations.

I first wish to thank Steve Collins and Team Phoenix for an absolutely outstanding National Convention. I had an absolute blast and I hope we can return to Phoenix someday in the near future for another convention. 

I wanted to take some time to put some facts out there about our bid that was approved by the E-Board and announced Saturday night. I have been reading and hearing a few things over the past few days and wanted to help with some clarification.

The date and location of the 2020 convention will be 29 July - 1 Aug 2020 at the Embassy Suites and San Marcos Conference Center located in San Marcos, Texas. I, along with other members of the bid team, are members of Alamo Squadron in San Antonio; there is no chartered IPMS/USA club in San Marcos. During our research for a suitable hotel and conference center (Thanks to Dick Montgomery for his groundwork here) we found that San Antonio is just too expensive. As it turns out, San Marcos, just a short drive up I-35, is the right size and price for our needs and the city is hungry for our business. The Embassy Suites have been a pleasure to work with - I even received a supportive call from their corporate HQ in Atlanta on the Friday before the convention - and the San Marcos Convention and Visitors Bureau is in constant contact with me. I will be sharing the good news with them later today.  

The most important note I can make today is that the core leadership team for 2020 is comprised of more than just Alamo Squadron. We have several members of IPMS Houston on the team as well as IPMS Central Texas. Austin Scale Modeling Society members will also be joining the team soon. While it was nice to be recognized as Alamo Squadron in the bid results announcement Saturday night our team really is larger than just Alamo Squadron...we are Team Texas...and this is how I will be referring to us from here on out.

Thank you to those of you that came up to me both before the location was announced and after expressing your support for the 2020 show...and especially those that said you would help out any way you could. This is very much appreciated.

I will be checking the forum from time to time for questions about the 2020 convention but I want to emphasize that for the next year, Team Texas will be supporting Chattanooga in any way possible and will be on the ground in force next summer to help out. As is practice with other shows we will not put anything online until after next summer's show is complete. After Chattanooga 2019 I will "hang-out" here on the forums on a daily basis to help answer any questions that may pop-up. My initial thoughts are to have web site and hotel reservations up in September of 2019. 

Stay tuned and see you all in Chattanooga on 7 August 2019 with all of your "wrong" models.

-Len Pilhofer

Nats 2020 Design 04.jpg

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As a Native Texan and sometimes Texas historian and graphic designer, I say: Great Logo!

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As a born and bred Southerner, Tennessee and Texas, I love your choice of the Convention Logo.  Does that suggest that the Convention Theme will be Anything Texas?

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@Richard: "Does that suggest that the Convention Theme will be Anything Texas?" We are still mulling over the various theme awards but they will definitely be Texas focused. We'll have the theme awards picked and I will review them at next year's banquet. They will then be posted to the website when it goes active after next year's show.

@Bryan: "Will you coordinate any group tours to Lockhart or Luling for BBQ?" We are looking at tours for Thursday and Friday and at the moment they are only ideas...nothing firm yet. There are a ton of great eating establishments all around this part of Texas and if a "foodie tour" doesn't make the list we will definitely have literature available pointing folks to the best spots in the area.

-Len Pilhofer

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16 hours ago, LenPilhofer said:

@Richard: "Does that suggest that the Convention Theme will be Anything Texas?" We are still mulling over the various theme awards but they will definitely be Texas focused. We'll have the theme awards picked and I will review them at next year's banquet. They will then be posted to the website when it goes active after next year's show.

@Bryan: "Will you coordinate any group tours to Lockhart or Luling for BBQ?" We are looking at tours for Thursday and Friday and at the moment they are only ideas...nothing firm yet. There are a ton of great eating establishments all around this part of Texas and if a "foodie tour" doesn't make the list we will definitely have literature available pointing folks to the best spots in the area.

-Len Pilhofer

Oh yea! A foodie tour!  Love open pit BBQ Texas style. Every time I am in Dallas I have to go to Hard 8.  I am sure that the Austin/San Marcos/San Antonio area has many that are of the same quality.  Please do a tour!

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  • 4 weeks later...

I'm glad to learn that the 2020 Nationals will be in San Marcos. I hope to be there for sure and meet some of our fellow modelers from the Forum and see some of my old friends from IPMS North Central Texas. All of the Texas IPMS Chapters will do a great job hosting it. I can't think of a theme per sa (Alamo Goliad, Gene Autry, his horse Champion or Roy Rogers and Trigger, or a John Wayne western, HA!) but there may be some possible awards: Best Texas Air National Guard Subject(Post WW2) aircraft,  Audie Murphy Memorial Award, (Best WW2, 3rd Infantry Division /or 36th Texas Division figure or diorama), Best 1950's SAC aircraft (7th and 11th Bomb Wings) based at Carswell AFB ( I saw a lot of them (B-36s, later B-52s) flying over our neighborhood back then), Best F4U-5, 5N Corsair, F6U Pirate, F7U Cutlass or F8U Crusader award (they were built at the former North American Aviation plant in Grand Prarie and became Chance Vought Aircaft Co. leased beginning in 1948). 

Cheers,

Mark

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On 8/9/2018 at 4:38 PM, LenPilhofer said:

@Richard: "Does that suggest that the Convention Theme will be Anything Texas?" We are still mulling over the various theme awards but they will definitely be Texas focused. We'll have the theme awards picked and I will review them at next year's banquet. They will then be posted to the website when it goes active after next year's show.

@Bryan: "Will you coordinate any group tours to Lockhart or Luling for BBQ?" We are looking at tours for Thursday and Friday and at the moment they are only ideas...nothing firm yet. There are a ton of great eating establishments all around this part of Texas and if a "foodie tour" doesn't make the list we will definitely have literature available pointing folks to the best spots in the area.

-Len Pilhofer

Len, I was just reading an unrelated story about San Marcos and they mentioned an attraction that I thing would be great tour for the auto guys.  Apparently there is a place called Dick's Classic Car Garage not far from the venue.  It does offer tours and I think it would be great to have a "Civilian vehicle" a tour.  You may also contact them to see if they might be willing to sponsor some of the car categories. This is an opportunity to show that IPMS is more than Military modelers. 

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@Pete: Yes, Dick's Classic Car Museum has always been an attraction we were keeping an eye on as a potential tour. However, we just heard news a few weeks ago that it will be closing its doors in 2019. Read the story here: https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2018/08/03/dicks-classic-car-garage-announces-its-closure-and-transition-to-non-operating-private-foundation/

-Len Pilhofer

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19 hours ago, LenPilhofer said:

@Pete: Yes, Dick's Classic Car Museum has always been an attraction we were keeping an eye on as a potential tour. However, we just heard news a few weeks ago that it will be closing its doors in 2019. Read the story here: https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2018/08/03/dicks-classic-car-garage-announces-its-closure-and-transition-to-non-operating-private-foundation/

-Len Pilhofer

Len, thanks for the info.  I am sorry to hear this.  It sounds like a great place but like so much, the passing of the founder brings everything crashing down.  

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  • 2 weeks later...

Concerning the 2020 Nationals in San Marcos, I have learned of a few good places to eat. The foodies may take note albeit very early. I stand corrected. Here is a partial list of restaurants:

 

Herbert's ( Mexican Food- yes, I know it doesn't sound like a Mexican food restaurant)

Torchy's Taco Hut (Great Tacos)

 

Center Place (Good Hamburgers, Bakery and assorted foods)

 

BBQ  (Salt Lick, although it may be a bit to far to drive, adjacent to Buda Texas)

 

 

I will update this list as the research continues.

 

 

Mark

 

 

 

 

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39 minutes ago, aAzZ09 said:

Concerning the 2020 Nationals in San Marcos, I have learned of a few good places to eat. The foodies may take note albeit very early. I stand corrected. Here is a partial list of restaurants:

 

Herbert's ( Mexican Food- yes, I know it doesn't sound like a Mexican food restaurant)

Torchy's Taco Hut (Great Tacos)

 

Center Place (Good Hamburgers, Bakery and assorted foods)

 

BBQ  (Salt Lick, although it may be a bit to far to drive, adjacent to Buda Texas)

 

 

I will update this list as the research continues.

 

 

Mark

 

 

 

 

It wouldn't be a trip to Texas without a good old fashion Texas Road house/steak house.  The more local the better.

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Texas Roadhouse for steak?   Eeewuu!  You're not from around here are you son?

Lockhart is less than a half hour away toward the east.   Black's Barbeque,  Smitty's Market, Kreuz Market.   Some of the best 'que in the state.   Often ranking at the top of the 'Texas Monthly'  semiannual best barbeque edition.

https://austin.eater.com/2016/6/16/11954976/lockhart-texas-barbecue-where-to-eat

Edited by EFGrune
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Don't forget Kent Black's BBQ right there in San Marcos. And also Hays County BBQ along the southbound lanes of I-35.

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8 hours ago, EFGrune said:

Texas Roadhouse for steak?   Eeewuu!  You're not from around here are you son?

Lockhart is less than a half hour away toward the east.   Black's Barbeque,  Smitty's Market, Kreuz Market.   Some of the best 'que in the state.   Often ranking at the top of the 'Texas Monthly'  semiannual best barbeque edition.

https://austin.eater.com/2016/6/16/11954976/lockhart-texas-barbecue-where-to-eat

Spent a year in Del Rio learning to fly fast jets.  The road house was a part of that experience.  A platter of steaks, a dish of jalapenos and some cold Lone Stars with fellow pilots.  It didn't get much better than that!

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12 minutes ago, MRechlicz said:

What fast jet did you fly?

Mike

Like all Air Force pilots of the era, T-38 was the fastest.  Loved that bird.  From there went to KC-135A's -- Big jets

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Went to Laughlin AFB in '79 for a day as an ROTC cadet. We all wanted T-38 rides, but were given T-37 Tweety" rides instead.....:smiley6: Guess what? The ac in a T-37 doesn't work unless it's moving and it took 45mins of sitting on the ramp, in the south Texas July sun, before we could taxi and take off! I was sweating like a hog by the time we were in the air....

 

Can't complain as it was STILL fun, even though we didn't get a "fast jet" ride! :biggrin:

 

GIL :smiley16:

 

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3 hours ago, Mark Deliduka said:

Ah yes, I love the T-38 Talon. I got to watch them all the time at Eglin AFB, especially when the Thunderbirds were flying them.

Mark, one of my classmates, Mark Melancon was killed when the Tbirds crashed in 82.  I flew my formation long cross country with him.  Great pilot and friend. 

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1 hour ago, ghodges said:

Went to Laughlin AFB in '79 for a day as an ROTC cadet. We all wanted T-38 rides, but were given T-37 Tweety" rides instead.....:smiley6: Guess what? The ac in a T-37 doesn't work unless it's moving and it took 45mins of sitting on the ramp, in the south Texas July sun, before we could taxi and take off! I was sweating like a hog by the time we were in the air....

 

Can't complain as it was STILL fun, even though we didn't get a "fast jet" ride! :biggrin:

 

GIL :smiley16:

 

The T-38 was no different.  We always kept the canopy open as long a possible sitting at last chance and popped it open once we cleared the runway on landing.  The summer sun was just brutal.  I remember everyone coming back to the flight room soaked especially if they had a pattern only ride.  We were issued three flight suits and there was always one in the wash.  I recall hearing life support comment on having to change the backing pad on parachutes often.  If the chute got wet, it could grow mold and that would mess up any ejection attempt. 

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