CAT18 - where shall we hold it?

Announcements about the BATC's Flagship Event and BGM on 15/16 September 2018
g8gtz
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CAT18 - where shall we hold it?

Post by g8gtz » Sun Jan 28, 2018 2:30 pm

The BATC Committee is looking for venues to hold the Convention for Amateur Television (CAT 18) and is looking for your views on where in the UK it should be hosted.

Timing can be between July and October but most likely sometime in September or October 2018.

Please reply here with (practical) suggestions and offers of help!

G4CPE
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Re: CAT18 - where shall we hold it?

Post by G4CPE » Tue Jan 30, 2018 3:55 pm

Bedfordshire would be nice, how about Bletchley Park, Bentley Priory or Luton Hoo.

73 Arthur

g0mjw
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Re: CAT18 - where shall we hold it?

Post by g0mjw » Tue Jan 30, 2018 8:28 pm

Assuming Basingstoke is off the venue menu...

Didcot - because I would not have to travel far and Noel could do reconnaissance while at the Rally.

Mike

G4uvz
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Re: CAT18 - where shall we hold it?

Post by G4uvz » Wed Jan 31, 2018 7:31 pm

Bristol / Cheltenham / Swindon area...a few years ago GCHQ hosted a microwave roundtable, Bristol is a centre of ATV activity in the S West
Good road and rail connectivity.
Adrian

G8PEF
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Re: CAT18 - where shall we hold it?

Post by G8PEF » Wed Jan 31, 2018 9:22 pm

g0mjw wrote:
Tue Jan 30, 2018 8:28 pm
Assuming Basingstoke is off the venue menu...

Didcot - because I would not have to travel far and Noel could do reconnaissance while at the Rally.

Mike
Ooh! Didcot to Manchester was not a fun journey yesterday afternoon … over 6hrs ;)

I'd like it if it were 'up North', but I realise that it was held at Finningley last time (which I missed) so I guess it should either be back 'darn sarf' - or Scotland ;)

John

briang3kjx
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Re: CAT18 - where shall we hold it?

Post by briang3kjx » Wed Jan 31, 2018 9:41 pm

FINNINGLEY, Finningley, Finningley

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Wolfie G8VAT
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Re: CAT18 - where shall we hold it?

Post by Wolfie G8VAT » Wed Jan 31, 2018 9:56 pm

Finningley..!

Sorry, I'm biased, I haven't had a dud event there yet and the locals are friendly lot, and it's within biking distance..

:
Dah-di-dah
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Graham G8VAT

g0mjw
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Joined: Sat Sep 20, 2014 9:15 am

Re: CAT18 - where shall we hold it?

Post by g0mjw » Wed Jan 31, 2018 10:27 pm

G8PEF wrote:
Wed Jan 31, 2018 9:22 pm
g0mjw wrote:
Tue Jan 30, 2018 8:28 pm
Assuming Basingstoke is off the venue menu...

Didcot - because I would not have to travel far and Noel could do reconnaissance while at the Rally.

Mike
Ooh! Didcot to Manchester was not a fun journey yesterday afternoon … over 6hrs ;)

I'd like it if it were 'up North', but I realise that it was held at Finningley last time (which I missed) so I guess it should either be back 'darn sarf' - or Scotland ;)

John
Manchester would do too, that's my other QTH. Regrettably there are Birmingham and the M6 to deal with on the way which makes a 3 hour trip into a 6 hour one far too often.

Mike

g8gtz
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Re: CAT18 - where shall we hold it?

Post by g8gtz » Fri Feb 02, 2018 10:23 am

Thanks for the input - but rather than just a random location we really need your help to find a suitable venue in that location!

Outline spec is one room to seat 50 people plus 2nd room for demos / nattering and shops. Car parking, tea and coffee facilities and reasonable price hotels (travel lodge / premier Inn etc) within 5 miles. And our budget probably doesn't extend to hotel / conference centers unless the attendees are willing to pay £20+ per day....

Whilst Finningley is popular we were there last year so looking for a different area this year - we may go back next year if Kevin will host us :-)

Current locations being considered are Bristol and Coventry, which is central to a lot of members - but if someone comes up with a suitable venue, other than Finningley, and is willing to be our local contact point we will give it serious consideration :-)

Noel - G8GTZ - on behalf of your committee!

g0mjw
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Re: CAT18 - where shall we hold it?

Post by g0mjw » Fri Feb 02, 2018 11:15 am

I think you are looking for something increasingly impossible to find. A good, low cost venue. Practically everyone with a venue needs to make money out of it to pay the property taxes. Days of plentiful cheap places for events are long gone. That means we will have to charge much more if we don't rely on generous venues like Finningley. For most people, I think most people would accept a reasonable charge. The RSGB convention charges £10 I think, but that is greatly subsidised by the people staying overnight and sponsors. Universities and technical colleges are usually good places to look into, as are museums like we used recently. Sports facilities and community centres are usually busy at weekends. Our new Village Hall in Harwell and the ones in Chilton and Hagbourne where we have hosted microwave round tables are easily large enough and cheap to book. I was being serious about Didcot's new technical college which is new and might not be fully booked up yet. I have been to events held at Universities in Bath, Bristol, Portsmouth, Warwick, Surrey, Manchester. Also Cardiff and Strathclyde if we want to go further abroad. Have you considered the IET?

The other option is a hotel - very popular in the US. Pretty expensive in the UK though.

Mike

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