We wanted to give everyone an update on our planning work for the Great Slow Travel Gathering 2008. As we announced a month ago the Gathering will be held in Savannah, Georgia the weekend of April 4, 5 and 6, 2008. The date and the location were selected based on input from 131 Slow Travelers in a survey open to all message board participants.
Over the last two months a small Steering Team has started organizing the Gathering. The members are: Sheena Engelhart (Sheena), Leslie Erickson, Terry Freemark (teaberry), Palma Hansen (Palma), and Kathy Wood (kaydee). We've spent many hours together discussing the survey input, talking about possible approaches, and beginning to plan what we hope will be a truly wonderful Gathering weekend. Based on the input from the survey, we're targeting participation of 125 people. We expect people from all over North America and perhaps even a few from Europe.
The Gathering will have three major group events: an informal get-together on Friday evening, a party on Saturday evening, and a farewell brunch on Sunday. In addition to these events, we envision smaller groups of people connecting to explore various aspects of Savannah on Saturday. Several people have already indicated that they plan to extend their time in Savannah beyond the three days of the Gathering, so there will be other opportunities for Slow Travelers to get together.
Since most members will be flying to Savannah and making a significant investment of time and money to be part of this weekend, we want to be especially careful with our selection of locations for the three group events. Although several of our members are familiar with Savannah, we do not have a member who lives there and is able to visit potential venues, interview caterers, and select the right locations for our events. Therefore, three of us who live in the southeast have volunteered to go to Savannah on a “scouting trip” to handle this research and coordination. I’ll be meeting Leslie Erickson and Jan (jgk) in Savannah the weekend of January 12 – 15 to visit five or six locations we're seriously considering for our events. (We have already completed a lot of preliminary research and discussion with possible venues.) Our team will also meet with the Tourism Office and visit several hotels, B&Bs and vacation rentals so we can recommend some accommodations and hopefully secure favorable group rates. We plan to take lots of photos too. This scouting trip is very important to ensure a highly-successful weekend.
We will finalize our events after the scouting team’s trip and will then be able to announce more details about the arrangements, the cost, and the process for signing up to attend the Gathering. Members will make their own arrangements for accommodations and transportation, though we will provide lots of resources and information. We have started assembling information for a Slow Travel webpage about the Gathering which will include all the details of the weekend and links to information on Savannah accommodations, restaurants, sightseeing, transportation etc. This page should be in place by April, a year before the Gathering weekend.
If you have questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact one of us or post on this thread.. We’re definitely excited about getting a big group of Slow Travelers together in April 2008 to explore this fascinating American city.
Kathy (for the Steering Team of Sheena, teaberry, Palma, Leslie Erickson and Kaydee)
Based on the input from the survey, we're targeting participation of 125 people.
Hi Kathy --- Not sure what "targeting" means in this context, a Slow Trav GTG. I realize that some of you on the organizing team have marketing expertise, which I don't, but this "civilian" is wondering how firm the commitment is of those who responded to the survey.
Just curious, as the preparation you describe seems real extensive.
Marian, sorry if my earlier post wasn’t clear and thanks for your question.
To say it another way… we are making plans based on an estimate of 125 people attending, which includes Slow Travelers and guests. We needed a planning number so we can choose the right meeting/meal spaces for our group events. We developed this estimate from the survey information, and we tried to make a conservative estimate.
It does seem that the local and regional GTGs are getting larger, and people are traveling longer distances to connect with other Slow Travelers for longer periods of time. Now we are planning a weekend “Gathering” which involves three group events for 100+ people at a distant destination. This is more complicated than our normal GTGs, and does require more extensive preparations.
As chiaro di luna noted in our "Questions and Comments" thread, the survey was not a commitment. It just provided information to help us develop some plans. Other than the Steering Team no one has made a firm commitment, though several have posted in various places that they plan to be there. We think we’ve chosen a special destination, and now we hope we organize a weekend that many Slow Travelers will want to be part of.
My suitcase is packed and I'm headed to Savannah in the morning where I'll meet Jan (jgk) and Leslie E. for a very busy weekend. We'll visit the Visitors Bureau, six possible "venues" where we might hold our group events, at least five hotels & B&Bs, several rental properties, and of course restaurants. We may even have time for a tour, and we'll definitely take lots of photos. The weather forecast says highs in the upper 70's.
I don't know if anyone has wondered how today's announcement might affect our Gathering plans. Like all our GTGs, the Gathering is an event organized by members for members-- not something sponsored by a business entity. We've talked with Pauline, and we're continuing on with her full support and encouragement.
We'll report back after our trip. Savannah, here we come!
Have a great trip Kathy, Jan and Leslie - and find us some great places! As soon as you are set up to take deposits (some of the spaces have to be prepaid), I want to be the first to pay for me and Steve!!
Cheryl, we have received a couple of updates from Savannah.
They are tired but loving Savannah and in spite of an incredibly full schedule they seem to be having a wonderful time - which is a good thing since they have very generously paid their own way!
We have a meeting scheduled for this evening, but no final decisions will be made as they have more appointments tomorrow.
We will probably be able to give some details later this week, and will get the full registration on line as soon as possible.
This is getting to the REALLY exciting stage!
Sheena
Posts: 2263 | Location: West Vancouver, B.C. Canada | Registered: 28 February 2004
Jan, Leslie and I met at the airport at noon on Friday, and we will head home mid-afternoon today. The weather this weekend has been amazing-- in the upper 70's! We've even seen Japanese magnolias and some azaleas in bloom!
We've visited eight possible venues for our group events (one, maybe two more today) and at least 14 hotels and B&Bs. We've sampled a variety of local restaurants, trying to focus on places we think Slow Travelers would enjoy. We got a complimentary pass from the Visitors Bureau for tours, so yesterday we enjoyed a city tour on an on/off trolley (with a wonderful guide), and last night went on a private carriage tour. We asked our guide to give us a "ghost" tour. Are you as exhausted reading this as I am feeling now!
I've taken lots of photos and have a suitcase full of brochures. My job in the next couple of weeks will be to share the uniqueness of Savannah (and the practical information) with the rest of you. It is a very very special American city.
We have lots of information to sort through, and some proposals and pricing still to get. Then we need to make some decisions about how to fit the pieces together for our Gathering weekend.
And meanwhile, it's time to get off Slow Travel and get ready for our first appointment this morning!
As Jan mentioned, we are back from Savannah with some wonderful options for our SlowTrav Gathering. It seemed we never stopped walking as there was so much to admire in the historic district.
Savannah has a wonderful feel to it and will be perfect for The Gathering. We are all looking forward to sharing more information about this historic city with you.
As a newcomer to this site, I can hardly wait to say (in person) welcome y'all. If you need additional reconnaissance, I will be happy to oblige. I don't want to burst any bubbles about those 70' days in January, as we have finally found winter. I hope the azaleas and tulip trees that were in full bloom last month do it again in March. You will love April, 2008 in Savannah.
Posts: 1 | Location: Savannah, GA | Registered: 07 February 2007
Hi Govols, Thank you for your kind offer of help. We are keeping a list of volunteers and will certainly be calling on many of them as the Gathering approaches.
I am sure we will make very good use of someone living right in Savannah!
Sheena
Posts: 2263 | Location: West Vancouver, B.C. Canada | Registered: 28 February 2004
In addition to a feature article on the "American Tuscany" (California's Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino Counties) and a shorter piece on "The Other Wine Country" (New York's Finger Lakes region - q.v. thread on that topic), the current or March 2007 issue of the "National Geographic Traveler" includes a walking tour of Savannah's historic district on pp. 68 & 69, perhaps required reading before the big GTG.
Originally posted by paceaj: In addition to a feature article on the "American Tuscany" (California's Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino Counties) and a shorter piece on "The Other Wine Country" (New York's Finger Lakes region - q.v. thread on that topic), the current or March 2007 issue of the "National Geographic Traveler" includes a walking tour of Savannah's historic district on pp. 68 & 69, perhaps required reading before the big GTG.
Slow Travel Talk 
no one has made a firm commitment, though several have posted in various places that they plan to be there. We think we’ve chosen a special destination, and now we hope we organize a weekend that many Slow Travelers will want to be part of. 
