Show on the Gold Coast

[Bougy Fan]

No photos here - we mustn't be as favoured as the other forum ? Getting back to the question of only having room for delegate members wasn't this asked when booking the venue ? I would have thought to promote bonsai it would be a prime concern to expose out art to members of the public ? Isn't that the job of the AABC ?

[Hackimoto]

This is not an AABC convention it is a BCI convention. Security, insurance, public liability and the fire safety rules of the hotel did not permit any more people than the 410 delegates that were already there.

[Bougy Fan]

Actually it is joint convention hosted by the AABC and the BCI - thus the name Sunrise on Australian bonsai. I just ask why not pick a better location where the greater numbers of visitors could be catered for ? It seems it's like a closed club down there where "interlopers" aren't welcome

[Hackimoto]

I chose not to go to the convention and will not be viewing the trees in the flesh, and don't have a problem with the hotels safety regulations. This is why Australia is such a safe country. Overseas grandstands fall down because of over crowding, people die daily because of no OHS regulations. You could have gone to the convention, you would have been more than welcome.

[Bougy Fan]

I also chose not to go to the convention - I could not find any info about the international demonstrators and didn't feel I could justify spending the money. Things have been tight this year and it would have cost about $800 to register and pay for accommodation. I had considered paying for a one day registration and driving down for the day, but felt $195 for a single day was a bit rude. It would have been nice to have been able to go down and just view the trees - which I understand has been the case of previous conventions ?

[Bush bunny]

Hi, I was invited to attend via the Canberra bonsai society, but I can't drive that far. The fee wasn't that much as I remember. I am sure you will see on our board some news about it before it. They advised me of the cost and that I would have to register beforehand. They are holding an auction I believe too. I do think this was for specialist bonsai keepers, and remember the amount of insurance they would have to have to protect the security of any exhibits. I am sure the average bonsai keeper would respect this, but you can't guarantee tourists or the general public 100%. If the public are interested they can go to the botanical gardens, but just recall one Sydney bonsai gardens was robbed recently but they only took trees they could lift.

[Nick]

There are plenty of other places it could be on the coast to allow public access.

[trident76]

Could you enlighten us please as to the forum on which photos of the exhibitions trees were displayed?

[kcpoole]

Could you enlighten us please as to the forum on which photos of the exhibitions trees were displayed?

BS

Ken

[GavinG]

Most other conventions have been able to organise public access to the bonsai exhibition. It's a major contribution to public awareness of the art. I don't understand why this was not possible to organise for this convention. Perhaps someone on the committee can explain the decision. If the venue cannot support a public exhibition then another venue should be chosen - it should be part of the tender.

Gavin

[Nick]

There are some pics on Instagram.

@yuki_mono
@acsellman

[Gerard]

I know it was not perfect, there are vacancies on the organising committee who will be very grateful.

[ume]

elitism

[joy]

I actually turned up to the exhibition and was refused entry. I was told that the exhibition was not open to the general public. I explained that as a member of a club that is one of the 59 member clubs of the AABC I did not consider myself a member of the general public. No reason was given for the decision to allow registrants only to access the display.

The conference booklet/brochure clearly states that this is the 27th National Bonsai Convention 2014. Yes it was jointly hosted by the AABC and the BCI but it was still our national conference. I believe (in consultation with others who have been members for longer than me) that it has always been customary at the National Conventions to admit non registrants to the display and trade area. There was no reason to believe this one was otherwise.

Our club did not receive any correspondence to the contrary. The brochure/booklet does not say this either.
If there were sound reasons for this decision then I think the committee needed to say so as they represent the members of the member clubs.

I note that the philosophy of the BCI (which is printed on the back page of the booklet/brochure) is "to advance the ancient art of bonsai and related arts through the global sharing of knowledge". I feel that a wonderful opportunity was missed here.

[Bush bunny]

Well Grant went, and look at his prize. He won! Maybe the next one, eh. After all, at the cost of it per person, they wouldn't let anyone in who hadn't paid. Otherwise, if I paid $800 to be there, why should someone else get in for nil $$$'s. They did have international bonsai masters fees to pay also.