2008 National Storm Chaser Convention

[Charles Kuster]

Thanks to Roger and Tim for another awesome convention! This was my fifth convention and they are always a lot of fun. The speakers were amazing and it was great to interact with other chasers over the weekend. Thanks again to all who made it possible!

 

[Evan Bookbinder]

Best conference ever -- although you guys go to bed way too early! (Must be the altitude).

The fact that the conference room was maxed out at just shy of 300 people is a testament to the incredible work that Tim, Roger and their spouses do each year. Looks like we'll need new digs next year at the astounding growth rate this conference has seen. Given its growing success (and the long travel distance for so many), I'd actually like to see it expanded to 3 full days.

It was worth every one of the 1222 miles of travel to see old friends and meet so many new. Looking forward to seeing you all out on the Plains this year!

Best,
Evan

 

[Mark Farnik]

This was my 3rd conferenence, and it was the BEST one yet, far and away! It was very exciting to see close on 300 chasers all in one place!
I agree wholeheartedly with Evan, at the rate the convention is expanding, I think a new, larger venue needs to be considered for next year. Ditto expanding the conference to three full days as well.
After this conference, I feel like my chase forecasting abilities are fifty times better than they were before. I look forward to testing my newfound knowledge and forecasting confidence in-situ starting in a few weeks.
I'll echo what has been already been said - it was excellent to put names to faces, to see old friends and to make new ones!

A personal shout out to:

Tim and Kathy Samaras and Roger and Caryn Hill - I think it goes without saying that everyone who attended the conference is grateful to you for once more putting on an amazing conference! Your hard work is truly appreciated, and we know without a doubt that you'll outdo yourselves again next year!

Terrence Cook, Jared Farrer and Derek Weston - Getting to chill with you guys throughout the conference was the personal highlight of the conference for me. It was truly a pleasure for me to show you around the area and I'll always remember our lunch at Rosie's fondly. We're going there again next year, btw, just tellin ya now lol. You'll be hearing from me soon

Patrick Martin - It was our pleasure to have you crash our table. We really enjoyed talking with you, Cathy and Mike on Saturday evening.

The Carlson Crew, John and Mike O'Keefe, Tony Laubach - great to see and chat with you all again, and a special thanks to Tony for the immensely helpful advice on Denver neighborhoods, I really appreciate that and will take it to heart

Harold Smith and Chris Hayes - always a pleasure to talk with the two of you

Angie Norris and Bob Schaefer - was very nice to meet you both and finally put faces with the names

I was able to put countless other familiar names with faces, but alas did not have the time to get around to everybody.

So on that note, I know that everyone had an amazing time at the conference, and hopefully I'll see many of you out on the plains this spring and summer.
If you see a black and silver Subaru Forester with Colorado plates bedecked with numerous chaser stickers and antennas out in the field, feel free to stop and say hey!
And if for some reason our paths don't cross this season, I'll see ya next year at the convention when we all share our amazing video from the great 2008 season!

 

[Tom Dulong]

Nat'l Chaser Conference - Best one Ever!

What could I say that has not already been expressed. So many thanks to all you contributors. It was great to mingle again with the Florida bunch and the Colorado gang...and to meet several new folks.

Meso dreams to everyone.

 

[Tim Samaras]

Thanks!

All:

Thanks for all of the kind comments regarding the convention. We all had a great time, and we're certainly going to keep the tradition going.

I want to recognize David Drummond for ALL of his hard work constructing, promoting, updating our terrific chaserconvention.com website. You absolutely rock.

We would like to get some 2008 conference pictures up on our website so it can go dormant (well...sort of) for 6 months for the chase season.


I know folks were shooting pictures like mad-if y'all want to share 'em on our website, please send 'em off to Dave when you have a chance.

Until next year!!

(and yes---we plan to top this year in 2009)

Tim

 

[Sarah Austin]

Thank you so much!

Thank you so much to everyone who put the convention together! It's always nice to see familiar faces and meet new chasers. I had a blast!

 

[Bill Hark]

I have posted 40 images from the National Storm Chasers Convention last weekend in Denver. I really had a great time. Thanks to Roger and Tim for putting it together and David for the website.

http://www.harkphoto.com/NSCC2008.html



BTW, David, you can use any of the pics for the NSCC website.


Bill Hark
http://www.harkphoto.com/

 

[cdcollura]

Good afternoon,

Thanks to all who organized and attended this awesome event...

Some pictures available at the link below ... Enjoy!

http://www.sky-chaser.com/picnic08.htm

 

[John Farley]

I've put a few pictures from the Chaser Convention on my Web site as well. You can see them here:

http://www.johnefarley.com/ChaserConpics.htm

 

[J Robert Prout]

I too must express my deepest appreciation to all who planned and organized this event! I am so grateful to all those who shared their knowledge, experiences and sense of humor! What an amazing learning experience this has been; each and every speaker had so much information to present. Thanks again, and see you next year!

 

[Jason Foster]

another photo page (finally)

I finally finished my 2008 convention page. See link below.

The convention went well. While it's true that I mostly go as an excuse to go up into the Rockies, this year going snowmobiling, but I also had a great time at the convention.

I will suggest, not as a complaint, but perhaps a slight change in the format. With many of the other conference I attend, there are typically breakout sessions that are held in different and smaller rooms. They are more specific topics and are for different levels of knowledge. In this case, there could be higher level forecasting sessions, while others are for beginners. There could be more unique photography and videography sessions. There could be video editing sessions. And the Skywarn training could be held as a separate session as well. Of course there would still be the big presentations like the Keynote speakers, and video night. Something to consider.

Anyhow, here my link, hopefully others with conference webpages will list theirs here too.

http://www.weatherwarrior.net/nscc/nscc08.html

 

[J.B. Dixon]

Sorry this is late. Another top-notch convention filled with great presentations! Kudos to Tim, Roger, and David (and spouses) for making it happen!

 

[Paul Austin]

Only my second year attending, but 2008 was fantastic, a big improvement over 2007. 2007 was great, but IMHO the presentations this year were all excellent. I only wish it could last a week long (and that I could actually leave work that long to attend). Thanks to Roger, Tim, the wives, et al for a superb job of organizing. And I enjoyed meeting and rubbing elbows with so many of you I had previously only read here on Stormtrack. May next year be better still! I'll see some of you out there on the plains in May!

 

[Jeff Miller]

As a comment to the suggestion of conference format:

Breakout sessions have been a long-established method of conferencing for many different forms of conferences. The drawback is you need to either have more rooms available, or divide the room into different "classrooms" for the "breakout sessions".

This kind of a format however does require more rigorous planning. Usually the methodology of this kind of conference would be morning breakout sessions, lunch, afternoon breakout sessions, then an all-conference session in the evening that appeals to everyone.

The advantage is that it would offer training for all different levels of experience and skill.

Hypothetically, Tim Vasquez could have breakouts specifically for forecast training. At the same time, Beginner Chaser Training could run concurrently in another area. Photography skills and practice could be in another room, and the possibilities are endless. Imagine breakouts for hand analysis, lessons on targeting, setting up a chase vehicle, intercepting a supercell thunderstorm, and many, many more breakouts. The evening all-conference gatherings could have big name speakers like Doswell, Forbes, Edwards, Hoadley, Samaras, Casey, or others.

Typically 3-4 breakouts run concurrently for 2 sessions in the morning, lunch, 3 afternoon sessions, dinner, and then the evening session. The conference organizer decides if the attendee needs to select from the breakout session before hand or pick and choose session by session.


Increase the conference from 2 to 3 days. change the format from all-conference activities to breakout sessions, and hosting all-conference big ticket evening sessions - and I think the event will go from GREAT to WORLD CLASS. And I'll be there if this happens.

 

[Jonathan Merage]

A BIG Thanks to all the Convention organizers for hosting this year's awesome event!! It's always great seeing old friends & meeting new ones. Each Convention serves as a point of inspiration before the upcoming chase season, a time to get our gears revved up & ready to go while we talk with friends, watch some of the most incredible, unique, and fascinating storm videos ever made, and admire our past achievements while planning for new ones.
Here's my 'little' album of select shots from the convention (click here). Feel free to browse & enjoy! Keep in mind there are no thumbnail photos here, only full size pics which I downsized from the original RAW files. I'll be adding more soon.

PS--David, let me know if any catch your eye--I'm also more than happy to send a few in whatever format you prefer.

Jon Merage