Bidding to Host the Global Conferences - How Far Ahead?

Karl Schutz writes:

Greetings ... I hope you have had a successful Murals and Cultural Tourism year so far in 2005 .....

This message is a survey in regard to the 'BIDDING' process we use to decide who will host our future Global Mural & Economic Conferences from 2010.

Originally we expected the 'BID' to host the future conference to be made two years in advance. But at Moosejaw in 2002 with Ely and Prestoungrange both as worthy applicants we decided to roll forward to four years - awarding host town status to them both -Ely for 2004 and Prestoungrange for 2006. In Ely we carried the four year horizon forward when we accepted their excellent bid and invited Sheffield Tasmania to host the Global Conference for 2008.

I now believe that four years is perhaps too far in advance.

Firstly: In many cases, the same people may no longer be at the helm of the organisation, being mostly volunteers. Records may not have been formally kept and several of the agreed commitments can be forgotten. In some locations elected officials may well have been voted out of office.

Secondly: Supportive employees of the Tourism or Economic Development areas may have moved away, been transferred or let go, according little or no continuity over the four year horizon.

Thirdly: 4 years is a long horizon so there is little or no immediate urgency to plan, to make a real commitments.

Accordingly, I would like to recommend we go back to our original resolution that bids are invited just 2 years in advance. If this pattern is readopted it will mean that we invite bids to host the 2010 Conference in 2008 when we all meet in Sheffield Tasmania i.e. no bids are considered at Prestoungrange in Scotland next year.

Can all Members of the Global Association please forward their comments and preference in this matter to me directly by email and preferably no later than June 15th 2005? Do you prefer bids to be agreed 2 or 4 years in advance?

Sincerely
Karl
drkarl@kschutz.com

Dr. Karl Schutz DL.
P.O. Box 488
Chemainus, B.C.
Canada, V0R 1K0